Canada's legal profession enjoys a long and proud history as a pillar of the country's justice system and democratic institutions. Members of the profession (95,000 lawyers and 3,500 Quebec notaries) are regulated in the public interest by law societies in each of Canada's provinces and territories, and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada brings these governing bodies together under one banner for projects and priorities which are national in scope.

The public interest is paramount in the work of the law societies and the Federation. Our member law societies set and enforce standards of admission to the profession, as well as codes of conduct. They require members of the profession to maintain their competence throughout their careers and make sure that adequate insurance is available to the public in the event of professional negligence.

By joining nationally under the Federation umbrella, the law societies facilitate the mobility of lawyers between provinces and territories and in so doing, expand the choices for consumers of legal services in Canada. Through the Federation, the law societies are working to set high and consistent national standards in the way they carry out their core functions.

The Federation evaluates and accredits individuals with foreign legal credentials who wish to become members of Canadian law societies. In addition, it sponsors high quality continuing legal education with its National Family Law and National Criminal Law programs. It is also the driving force behind CanLII, Canada's publicly accessible and free online search engine for the country's laws and court decisions (www.canlii.org).

As well, the Federation is the national and international voice of the law societies on important matters relating to the rule of law and the administration of justice in Canada which are crucial for safeguarding basic individual rights. Whether it is the right for a client's communications with a legal professional to remain strictly confidential, the right of all people to be judged by an independent and impartial judiciary, or the principle that the legal profession must remain independent from government, we make our views known.

Please explore our website. Your comments are welcome, and our staff at our Ottawa headquarters will be pleased to hear your feedback.

Stéphane Rivard, Ad. E.