Regulating the profession…
The Law Society of Upper Canada is the self-governing body for lawyers in Ontario. The primary responsibility or mandate of the Law Society is to regulate the legal profession in the public interest according to Ontario law and the Law Society's rules, regulations and guidelines.

Helping the public …
To further help the public, the Law Society offers public services such as the Lawyer Referral Service which matches individuals with local lawyers with the proper expertise, a directory of certified specialists and the Lawyers Fund for Client Compensation which helps clients who have lost money because of a lawyer's dishonesty. A member directory, with lawyer's contact information, is also available on-line.

To promote access to justice, the Law Society supports programs such as Pro Bono Law Ontario and the Public Legal Education Task Force.

The Law Society's Equity Initiatives department seeks to ensure that both law and the practice of law are reflective of all peoples in Ontario by actively participating with Aboriginal, Francophone and equity-seeking groups, through consultations, meetings and public education activities.

Legal information and support
In addition to its role in overseeing and regulating lawyers, the Law Society provides legal information and support for Lawyers through its Member Resource Centre. Lawyers can phone 416-947-3315 or 1-800-668-7380 or access the Member Resource Centre on our Web site for a one-stop access point to a wide range of continuing education, practice management and substantive information services and resources as well as membership services information and forms.

Law Society Mandate
The Law Society of Upper Canada exists to govern the legal profession in the public interest by:

for the purpose of advancing the cause of justice and the rule of law.