The Law Society is governed by a 24-member Board, also known as Benchers. Of the 24 board members, 20 are lawyers elected by the profession, and four are public representatives appointed by the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General. The public representatives have all the rights and responsibilities of the elected Benchers, but cannot act as President of the Law Society. The Board provides strategic direction, focusing on goals that demonstrate our values and help achieve our vision and mission.

Bencher Role

Benchers serve as volunteers for terms of three years, up to a maximum of nine years total. The key responsibilities of the Benchers lie in two areas: governance and adjudication.

Governance is an organization’s road map: it documents the structures, mechanisms and processes by which the organization is directed, controlled and held accountable. Good governance enables more effective decision-making, clarifies legal and fiduciary responsibilities, defines the roles and responsibilities of the board, committees and the Executive Director / Chief Executive Officer, and builds a more robust and accountable organization.

Committees and task forces made up of Benchers, Law Society staff and volunteer lawyers conduct governance work associated with our core regulatory functions. View our Committees Listing.

Adjudication is the other side of the role. As part of striving to become a modern, proactive regulator, we are committed to helping lawyers achieve the highest ethical and professional standards. If first efforts to resolve a matter through mediation are not successful, our formal adjudication process can be triggered.

In addition to our Board, we appoint a roster of lawyer and non-lawyer adjudicators, who are responsible for the adjudication of regulatory matters. To protect the public interest, we have a process in place to resolve complaints regarding a lawyer’s ethical conduct and admission matters. View our Adjudicator Directory.

For more details about the role of a Bencher, view the list of defined Bencher competencies.