The Law Society’s authority to license and regulate lawyers and paralegals in the public interest is granted by the Ontario government through the Law Society Act and regulations made under the act.
Law Society by-laws, Rules of Professional Conduct, Paralegal Rules of Conduct -- all based on the Law Society Act and made by Law Society benchers -- set out the professional and ethical obligations of lawyers and paralegals and the manner in which they are regulated by the Law Society. Lawyers and paralegals who fail to meet these standards are subject to the Law Society complaints and regulatory processes.