Resources Database

The Professionalism Resources database contains materials that have been donated by prominent law firms and legal organizations. The materials often contain the logo or name of the law firm or organization that donated them. We would ask that you give credit, where appropriate, and do not remove the logos.

There are a variety of materials (including papers, presentations, slides, articles, commentaries, videos/webcasts or audio recordings, fact scenarios, and discussion questions) available. We anticipate that these materials could be used for self-study, personal research, discussion groups, or as a resource for building professionalism programs and activities to meet CPD requirements. For ease of reference, materials have been organized by category.

Please note that we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the materials listed. Additionally, please note that while many of the materials were part of professionalism programs approved by the Law Society of Upper Canada for CPD credit, use of these materials does not guarantee eligibility for CPD professionalism credits. Users of the materials are responsible for seeking  approval from their respective law society.

If you have any other questions or would like to contribute materials to the database, please feel free to contact the Centre for the Legal Profession.

Materials are provided for your personal information or use, and should not be seen as legal advice. Using any or all of the materials will not make you a client of the firm that has provided them, and you will not be considered a client of any firm until it has agreed to act for you in accordance with its usual policies for accepting clients.

Ethics and Professionalism – General Materials

• CPD Professionalism Case Studies for Study Groups (Fact Scenarios)
• 8 Minute Updates: Professionalism (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• Ethical Dilemmas: Improper Payments to Foreign Officials (Fact Scenarios)
• Elements of Professionalism (Article)
• Rules of Professional Conduct – Law Society of Upper Canada (Link)
• CJO Advisory Committee on Professionalism Colloquia Resources
• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Introduction (Webcast)
• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Part 1: Reputation and the Culture of Integrity (Webcast)
• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Part 2: Aggression and Sharp Practice (Webcast)
• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Part 3: Privileged Documents (Webcast)
• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Part 4(a): Challenging Lawyer-Client Relationships (Webcast)
• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Part 4(b): Challenging Lawyer-Client Relationships (Webcast)
• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Part 5: Mentorship (Webcast)
• CJO Symposium on Lifelong Learning in Professionalism: What is “lifelong learning” and why is it needed? (Summary Report, Webcast)
• CJO Symposium on Lifelong Learning in Professionalism: What are the different approaches to “lifelong learning”? What can we learn from other jurisdictions? (Summary Report, Webcast)
• CJO Symposium on Lifelong Learning in Professionalism: What is the role of the stakeholders? (Summary Report, Webcast)
• CJO Symposium on Lifelong Learning in Professionalism: Looking Back and Looking Forward on Learning in Professionalism (Summary Report, Webcast)
• If Lifelong Learning is the Solution, What is the Problem?: A Perspective from South of the Border (Article)
• Program on Professionalism: The Fundamental Norms That Guide Us to be Good Professionals (Webcast)
• Program on Professionalism: Can Professionalism and Zealous Advocacy Co-exist? (Webcast)
• Program on Professionalism: Ethical Lawyering in Law Schools (Webcast)
• Program on Professionalism: Communicating with the Court: the Good, the Bad & the Unethical (Webcast)
• Program on Professionalism: Why Should Busy Law Students and Lawyers Engage in Public Service? (Webcast)
• Program on Professionalism: Unique Professional Challenges for In-house Counsel (Webcast)
• Program on Professionalism: New Directions? The LSUC’s Articling Task Force Report (Webcast)
• Program on Professionalism: Perspectives from the Bench – Self-represented Litigants 
in the Provincial Offences Court (Webcast)
• Program on Professionalism: A unique approach to access to justice – a case study of R. v. Lindberg (Webcast)
• Enhancing Access to the Courts for People with Disabilities (Webcast)
• Ontario Civil Legal Needs Project: Listening to Ontarians (Report)
• Ontario Civil Legal Needs Project: The Geography of Civil Legal Services in Ontario (Report)

 Practice Management

• Developing and Maintaining a Client Base as a Civil Litigator (Webcast)
• Strategic Advocacy and File Management for Civil Litigators (Webcast)
• Fee Structure Arrangements for Employment Lawyers (Webcast)
• Identifying and Managing High Risk Cases in Criminal and Family Law (Webcast)
• Professional Responsibility and Ethical Considerations in the Resolution of Disputes (Presentation Materials)
• Risky Business – Risk Management (third part of Presentation Materials)
• Delegating Well: An Essential Guide to Stop Sweating the Small Stuff (Article)
• Essentials of Process and Legal Project Management (Presentation Materials)
• Office Management Issues Facing Today’s Firm (Webcast)
• Litigation Practice Management (Program Outline)
• Succession Planning: 10 Tips on Succession and Other Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Practicing Law (Article)

 Client Identification and Communication

• Managing Client Expectations and Communications in Family Law (Webcast)
• Client Communications in Employment Law (Webcast)
• Strategies for Managing the Difficult Litigation Client (Webcast)
• Know Your Client (Presentation Materials Part 1, Part 2)
• Confidentiality and Privilege (Presentation Materials)
• Marketing, Ethical Business, and Client Relationship Development (Article)
• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Part 4(a): Challenging Lawyer-Client Relationships (Webcast)
• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Part 4(b): Challenging Lawyer-Client Relationships (Webcast)

 Conflicts of Interest

• Conflicts of Interest (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• Conflicts of Interest (Presentation Materials)
• Conflicts of Interest (for In-House Counsel) (Presentation Materials)
• Conflict of Interest Issues for In-House Counsel (Presentation Materials)

 Maintaining Physical and Emotional Health

• Work/Life Balance – Myth or Reality? (Webcast)
• Law, A Profession Not a Life (Article)

 Mentorship

• In Conversation: Ethics and Professionalism – Part 5: Mentorship (Webcast)

 In-House Counsel and Professionalism

• Conflict of Interest and In-House Counsel: When are Separate Counsel Required? (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• Privilege and the In-House Lawyer: Ethical and Practical Dimensions (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• Whistle-Blowing: Ethical and Practical Dimensions (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• General Counsel and the Board of Directors (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• The Changing Role of General Counsel (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• Professionalism and Practice Management for In-House Counsel (Webcast)
• Conflicts of Interest (for In-House Counsel) (Presentation Materials)
• Privilege Issues for In-House Counsel (Presentation Materials)
• Acting as In-House Counsel: Ethical and Practice Management Issues (Presentation Materials)
• Conflict of Interest Issues for In-House Counsel (Presentation Materials)
• High Performance with High Integrity: A General Counsel’s Memo to the CEO (Presentation Materials)
• The Law of Privilege (for In-House Counsel) (Presentation Materials)
• Corporate Counsel as Corporate Conscience: Ethics and Integrity in the Post-Enron Era (Article)
• Program on Professionalism: Unique Professional Challenges for In-House Counsel (Webcast)

 Social Media/Emerging Technology and Professionalism

• 8-Minute Updates: Social Media (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• Ethical Considerations in an Age of Technology (Webcast)

 Administrative Law and Professionalism

• Ethical Red Flags in Administrative Law (Webcast)
• Key Ethical Challenges for Administrative Lawyers (Webcast)
• Ethical Advocacy for Administrative Lawyers and Paralegals (Webcast)
• Administrative Law – The Inconsistent Witness (Fact Scenario, Guide, Sample Discussion Questions)
• Administrative Law – The Expert Report (Fact Scenario, Guide, Sample Discussion Questions)

 Corporate Law and Professionalism

• Corporate and White Collar Crimes: What To Do When There’s That Knock On the Door (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• International Corporate Social Responsibility – Law and Reputation (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• Whistle-Blowing: Ethical and Practical Dimensions (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• The Dangers of Doing Business Abroad – The Implications of the Niko Case (Presentation Materials, Webcast)
• Professionalism and Practice Management for Business Lawyers (Webcast)
• Risky Business – Risk Management (second part of Presentation Materials)
• Preserving Privilege in a Corporate Group: Lessons from In re Teleglobe Communications Corp. (Presentation Materials)
• Business Law – The Sole Proprietor (Fact Scenario, Guide, Sample Discussion Questions)
• Program on Ethics in Law and Business – Official Launch (Fact Scenarios, Webcast)
• Transaction Legal Opinions: What is “Market” in Opinion Giving? (Presentation Materials,  Tips on Opinion Negotiation, Sample Financing Opinion, Sample Cross-Border Opinions, Opinion Checklist, Additional Resources)

 Competition Law and Professionalism

• Professionalism Issues in the Practice of Competition Law (Presentation Materials)

 Criminal Law and Professionalism

• Identifying and Managing High Risk Cases in Criminal and Family Law (Webcast)
• Disclosure Issues in Criminal Law (Webcast)
• Criminal Law – The Guilty Plea (Fact Scenario, Guide, Sample Discussion Questions)

 Employment/Labour Law and Professionalism

• Fee Structure Arrangements for Employment Lawyers (Webcast)
• Ethical Red Flags in Workers’ Compensation Law (Webcast)
• Professionalism for Workers’ Compensation Practitioners (Webcast)
• Client Communications in Employment Law (Webcast)
• Ethical Issues in Employment Negotiations (Webcast)
• Workplace Safety and Insurance – Late Evidence (Fact Scenario, Guide, Sample Discussion Questions)

 Family Law and Professionalism

• Practice Management Issues in Family Law (Webcast)
• Ethical Dilemmas in Family Law (Webcast)
• Identifying and Managing High Risk Cases in Criminal and Family Law (Webcast)
• Creative Billing and Collecting in Family Law (Webcast)
• Managing Client Expectations and Communications in Family Law (Webcast)
• Family Law – The Separation Agreement (Fact Scenario, Guide, Sample Discussion Questions)

 Immigration Law and Professionalism

• Ethical Red Flags in Immigration and Refugee Law (Webcast)

 Litigation and Professionalism

• Developing and Maintaining a Client Base as a Civil Litigator (Webcast)
• Strategic Advocacy and File Management for Civil Litigators (Webcast)
• The Civil Litigators’ Guide to Protecting Against Law Society Complaints and Negligence Lawsuits (Webcast)
• Conflicts of Interest in Your Civil Litigation Practice (Webcast)
• Strategies for Managing the Difficult Litigation Client (Webcast)
• Commute to Court Series: Judicial Pre-trials, Crown Pre-trials and Confidentiality (Webcast)
• Commute to Court Series: Future Harm and Confidentiality (Webcast)
• Commute to Court Series: The Ethical Limitations of Cross-Examination (Webcast)
• Commute to Court Series: Dealing with Criminal Records – When You Know Too Much (Webcast)
• Commute to Court Series: Getting Off the Record (Webcast)
• Commute to Court Series: Interviewing Clients and Preparing Witnesses (Webcast)
• Commute to Court Series: Client Perjury – Before and After (Webcast)
• Professional Responsibility and Ethical Considerations in the Resolution of Disputes (Presentation Materials)
• Civility: 10 Litigators to Watch Out For (Article)
• Responding Effectively to Judges in Court (Article)
• Preparing Yourself for Discovery (Article)
• How to Introduce Evidence at Trial (Article)
• The Law of Litigation Privilege: The Supreme Court of Canada’s Ruling in Minister of Justice v. Blank and Beyond (Article)
• Keys to Successful Oral Advocacy: One View from the Bar (Article)
• Confidentiality and Privilege (Presentation Materials)
• Principles of Professionalism for Advocates (Principles)
• Criticizing the Court: The Limits (Presentation Materials)
• Litigation Practice Management (Program Outline)
• Ethical Issues in Documentary and Oral Discovery (Presentation Materials)
• Civil Litigation – The Allegation (Fact Scenario, Guide, Sample Discussion Questions)
• Program on Professionalism: Can Professionalism and Zealous Advocacy Co-exist? (Webcast)
• Program on Professionalism: Communicating with the Court: the Good, the Bad & the Unethical (Webcast)
• Ethics and E-Discovery (Presentation Materials)

 Real Estate Law and Professionalism

• Professionalism and Practice Management for Real Estate Lawyers (Webcast)
• Ethical Red Flags for Real Estate Lawyers (Webcast)
• Risky Business – Risk Management (first part of Presentation Materials)
• Real Estate Law – The Joint Venture (Fact Scenario, Guide, Sample Discussion Questions)

 Tax Law and Professionalism

• Tax Audit Survival: Tips for a Smoother Audit Process (Presentation Materials, Webcast)

 Trusts/Estates and Professionalism 

• Ethical Red Flags for Estates and Trusts Lawyers (Webcast)
• Wills and Estates – The Last Will (Fact Scenario, Guide, Sample Discussion Questions)