Lawyer's annual self-report

In order to maintain continued standing on one or more of LAO’s panels, all certificate lawyers must complete the annual panel self-report to confirm ongoing compliance with the respective standards.

The report covers the previous calendar year. For example, in the 2011 annual self-report due June 2011, you are affirming that you continue to meet the requirements of the panel standards through the minimum related experience(or equivalency), for continued standing and have completed the annual professional development as required by the panel standards during the 2010 calendar year.

Your completed self-report ensures that you can continue to acknowledge certificates for the area(s) of law that correspond to your panel. If you do not complete the electronic self-report, you will be required to complete a paper copy and to submit it to the district office.

The online annual self-report should be completed by all lawyers who are on one or more of LAO’s certificate panels, but whose status is not conditional.

If your status is conditional, do not complete the self-report for that panel; your conditional status will be reviewed by your district area director.

The self-report does not need to be completed for panels for which a lawyer was approved in the current calendar year. Lawyers are to complete their own self-report.

Between April 1 and June 30, lawyers can quickly complete their self-report online via Legal Aid Online. The link to the electronic form can be found on your “Solicitor Home Page“. After signing in, open the link to your customized self-report window [Panel Annual Self-Report].

Tick all the boxes that apply to the areas of law for which you continue to meet standards and then click Submit. This process will only take a minute and will automatically update your panel records in our computer system.

When you self-report on line, you do not need to submit a paper copy, and can print your confirmation directly from the screen. Once you have submitted the self-report, the self-report link will be deactivated until next year.

What if I cannot submit the self-report online?

If you cannot submit through the online tool, you can print the self-report form . The printed, completed form should be faxed or sent to your district area office.

Please note that reporting manually, as opposed to the electronic online tool, could result in some delay in updating your records.

You do not need to re-empanel with LAO each year, but simply complete the self-report to certify that you continue to meet the standards of the panel(s) you’re on.

Following the current self-report cycle, new updated panel rosters will be generated based on the returned self-reports. Follow-up with lawyers who fail to self-report will be carried out to determine your intention to continue panel membership.

If, upon opening the link to the self-report, any or all of your respective panel types are missing, please contact your district area office to ensure that you are on the proper panel lists.

If your status on a panel is conditional, do not complete the self-report for that panel. Your district area office will review your conditional status.

Annually. The online reporting period has been harmonized for all panel types and all lawyers, from April to June each year.

For questions about panel membership or conditional status, contact your district area office. For technical difficulties with the online self-report, please contact the Lawyer Service Centre at 416-979-9934 or 1-866-979-9934.

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