ABOUT CDLPA

Jurisdictional Maps

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The County & District Law Presidents' Association was incorporated by letters patent issued in 1990.

The members of the corporation are the current Presidents of the 46 County or District Law Associations in the Province of Ontario.

EXECUTIVE

The Executive of the Association is composed of 11 individuals - most elected annually at the November Plenary Session. Long before the judicial regions were identified by the Province in the Courts of Justice Act, the Executive reflected those regions. In 1992, the by-laws were amended to formally provide for the regional election of 8 Executive members with each region voting only for its own representative.

The remaining two positions on the Executive are reserved for the Chair of the Association and the immediate Past Chair.

At this time, the Toronto Region represented by the Metropolitan Toronto Lawyers Association (MTLA) is not a member of the Association. The Executive position reserved for the Toronto Region is filled by election from the membership at large.

It should be noted that although the MTLA is not a member, it continues to attend and be represented at Plenary and has made a voluntary financial contribution to the Association. Since 1995, the President of MTLA has attended the Executive meetings. The Chair of the Association is elected in November of an even-numbered year for a two year term. To provide for continuity, it has been traditional that the vice chair of the Association will run unopposed for the position of Chair.

EXECUTIVE MEETINGS

The Executive meets monthly in Toronto on Law Society Committee day to permit the Executive to meet with Benchers of the Law Society of Upper Canada. Frequently, the Executive will meet the evening before in order to complete all of the issues on the Agenda.

Two Plenary Sessions of the Presidents of the County & District Law Associations are conducted semi-annually in May and November to discuss, debate and form resolutions on issues affecting the profession. These meetings coincide with meeting day for the Benchers who are encouraged to attend the Plenary Sessions. The May Plenary Session coincides with the annual meeting of the Law Society of Upper Canada.

DIRECTIONS

The Mission and Vision statements, to a considerable extent, reflect the origins of the Association. Our focus is on issues affecting the practising Bar and local Law Associations.

The Executive members are all volunteers who do not receive any compensation for their efforts. For this reason, the Association has necessarily taken an issues-oriented approach and relies extensively on an ability to attract strong people to speak on individual issues on behalf of the whole. The ability to reach a consensus on these same issues has long been a strength of the Association.

For many years, the Association has had an Executive member sitting on the Libraries and Reporting Committee. That same individual has acted as Chair of a Library sub-committee of CDLPA which meets semi-annually prior to the Plenary Sessions.

There are a number of other Standing Committees of the Executive including Professional Standards and Professional Conduct, Legal Aid and Continuing Legal Education. All Committees are chaired by a member of the Executive.

In 1995, the Committee system was expanded and now includes Unauthorized Practice, Real Estate, Title Insurance,Tariffs, Numbers in the Profession and the Benevolent Lawyers Committee.

The activities of all Standing Committees of the Law Society are monitored by the Chair and the Executive, and there have been many instances in which CDLPA has been granted membership on sub-committees and special committees. Submissions are regularly made to all Committees of the Law Society as issues affect the profession.

In addition, a CDLPA Executive member has been appointed to the Board of Directors of LPIC.

CDLPA will continue to fulfill its Mission and Vision Statement by active representation to or on the various Committees of the Law Society that affect the practice of law in the Province of Ontario.

FUNDING

There are two primary sources of funding. The first is from membership dues paid by each County and District Law Association.

The second source of funding is through the Law Society of Upper Canada. Most of the budgeted amount is used to reimburse Presidents for the cost of travel to the semi-annual Plenary Sessions and to reimburse the Presidents for a portion of their accommodation expense.

LOGO

The logo was designed by the founding Chair of CDLPA, Willson McTavish, Q.C. Willson's concept and design is described by him as follows:

"It was important to convey an image of Ontario. This was especially so in that the word Ontario is not contained in the name of the Association. For this, the image of the Great Lakes was chosen. The choice of bird, an Osprey, picks up the theme of the Gryphon which was used by the Advocates' Society on their logo. The Osprey is depicted within the borders of Ontario, flying over the Great Lakes, as a protective and vigilant symbol. It is a bird known for its fearlessness and is a hunter of fish in thousands of Ontario lakes. Symbolically, this "sea-hawk" represents a freshness; movement; and an ability to search out and protect interests of mutual concern.

The english name of the Association encircles the graphic. This continues a tradition, as exemplified in the logos of the Law Society, the Canadian Bar Association and the Advocates' Society which feature the circular shape."

CDLPA PAST CHAIRS