|
Lawyer Referral Information
for the Public |
RESOURCES
Did
You Know?
Looking at the legal profession today, the face of the legal
community is changing…
With membership of the legal profession growing at a rate of
approximately 1,200 annually, the increasing diversity of the
profession is evident. More women, persons of colour, Aboriginal
persons, gays, lesbians, persons with disabilities and
Francophones are entering the profession. For example:
-
53% of students who entered the Bar Admission Course (BAC)
in 2002 were women compared to 48.7% in 1998.
-
16.5% of students in the 2002 BAC self-identified
themselves as people of colour compared to 14.9% in
1998. In comparison, 17.5% of the population is made up
of people of colour, according to the 1996 Canadian
Census.
-
1.7% of students in the 2002 BAC were Aboriginal
compared to 1.3% in 1998. In comparison, 1.4% of the
population is Aboriginal (1996 Canadian Census).
-
Among the youngest lawyers, there is greater diversity,
with a noticeable increase from all the racialized
groups, except for Southeast Asians and Filipinos.
-
The trend is similar among women. According to the
Census data, women accounted for 45.3% of lawyers
between the ages of 25-34 in 1996. In total, 30.1% of
lawyers in Ontario were women. This proportion is
roughly similar for physicians, medical specialists,
professors and middle managers. Representation of women
lawyers has increased more rapidly than any of the six
other occupations studied.
Excerpted
from: Equity and Diversity in the Legal Profession, The Law
Society of Upper Canada Fact Sheet
Lawyer Referral Information for the Public
Hundreds of people call the Lawyer Referral Service
daily
If the practice areas as noted above do not apply to your legal
situation, you are encouraged to contact the Lawyer Referral
Service to assist you in obtaining legal counsel. Potential
clients phone the Lawyer Referral Service looking to be put in
touch with a lawyer to assist them with their legal issue.
Here's how it works:
-
Potential client phones a centralized 900 number
(1-900-565-4577)
-
A
trained LRS specialist gives the caller the name and
phone number of a local LRS member lawyer who has shown
a willingness to take cases in the indicated
geographical area and area of law, and a referral number
-
Callers are advised that legal work is not covered by
the free consultation
-
A
$6.00 charge is automatically added to the caller's
phone bill
-
Members on the service are qualified to practice law in
Ontario, and have noted their fields of expertise
-
A
free consultation by phone or in person of up to 30
minutes is then given by the referred lawyer
-
A
toll-free number is maintained for those who are
incarcerated or in domestic abuse situations or
minors(under the age of 18).
|
