Fitness for Purpose: Mandatory Continuing Legal Ethics Education for Lawyers

Authors

Jocelyn Downie, Dalhousie University - Schulich School of LawFollow
Richard Devlin, Dalhousie University - Schulich School of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2009

Keywords

Lawyers, Canada, Legal Profession, Legal Ethics, Compulsory Legal Ethics Education, Judicial Education

Abstract

The authors argue that if we want lawyers to be fit for the purpose of practicing law, and law societies to be fit for the purpose of regulating in the public interest, then it is incumbent upon the Canadian legal profession to adopt programmes of compulsory legal ethics education (CLEE). In support of this argument the authors: provide several reasons why Canadians might be concerned about the ethical fitness of lawyers and law societies; analyse several arguments both in supporting and resisting CLEE; suggest several strategies for overcoming the ethical indolence of the legal profession; and draw inspiration from recent judicial education initiatives in Canada.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Jocelyn Downie & Richard Devlin, "Fitness for Purpose: Mandatory Continuing Legal Ethics Education for Lawyers" (2009) 87:3 Can Bar Rev 773.

Publication Abbreviation

Can Bar Rev