Law society - Definition and Overview

A Law Society in Commonwealth jurisdictions is an association of lawyers which has a regulatory role which includes the right to supervise the training and qualifications of lawyers. Where there is a distinction between barristers and solicitors, solicitors are regulated by the Law Society and barristers by a separate Bar council.

In the United States, unified bar associations are somewhat similar to Law Societies, however there are differences between law societies and the general American phenomenon of bar associations. Usually a bar association is just an association of lawyers; lawyers may or may not join if they do not wish. Law societies are often created by legislation and play significant direct roles in the training, licensing and disciplining of lawyers.

See also:

• Bar council
• Bar association
• Law Society of England and Wales
• The Law Society of Upper Canada

External links

Law Societies in Great Britain and Ireland:

• Law Society of England and Wales (http://www.lawsoc.org.uk)
• Law Society of Scotland (http://www.lawscot.org.uk)
• Law Society of Ireland (http://www.lawsociety.ie)
• Law Society of Northern Ireland (http://www.lawsoc-ni.org)
• Isle of Man Law Society (http://www.iomlawsociety.co.im)

• Ecclesiastical Law Society, Church of England (http://www.ecclawsoc.org.uk)
• Society of Solicitor Advocates, Scotland (http://www.solicitoradvocates.org)

Canadian Law Societies:

• Law Society of Upper Canada (http://www.lsuc.on.ca) Ontario
• Le Barreau du Québec  (http://www.barreau.qc.ca)
• Chambre des notaires du Québec (http://www.cdnq.org) Chamber of Civil law notaries of Quebec
• Law Society of Alberta (http://www.lawsocietyalberta.com)
• Law Society of Saskatchewan (http://www.lawsociety.sk.ca)
• Law Society of Manitoba (http://www.lawsociety.mb.ca)
• Law Society of British Columbia (http://www.lawsociety.bc.ca)
• Law Society of Nunavut Territory (http://lawsociety.nu.ca)
• Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador (http://www.lawsociety.nf.ca)
• Law Society of Yukon Territory (http://www.lawsocietyyukon.com/default.asp)
• Law Society of New Brunswick (http://www.lawsociety-barreau.nb.ca) Le Barreau du Nouveau Brunswick
• Nova Scotia Barristers' Society (http://www.nsbs.ns.ca)
• Law Society of Prince Edward Island (http://www.gov.pe.ca/infopei/onelisting.php3?number=14446)
• Law Society of the Northwest Territories (http://www.lawsociety.nt.ca)

Australian Law Societies:

• Law Society of New South Wales (http://www.lawsociety.com.au/page.asp?partid=66)
• Law Society of South Australia (http://www.lssa.asn.au)
• Law Society of Queensland (http://www.qls.com.au)
• Law Society of Tasmania (http://www.taslawsociety.asn.au)
• Law Society of Western Australia (http://www.lawsocietywa.asn.au)
• Law Society of the Northern Territory (http://www.lawsocnet.asn.au)
• Law Society of Australian Capital Territory (http://www.lawsocact.asn.au/content/home2/index.asp)

• Law Council of Australia (http://www.lawcouncil.asn.au) (non-regulatory)

New Zealand Law Societies:

• New Zealand Law Society (http://www.nz-lawsoc.org.nz)
• Auckland District Law Society, New Zealand (http://www.adls.org.nz)

South African Law Societies:

• Law Society of South Africa (http://www.lssa.org.za)
• KwaZulu-Natal Law Society (http://www.lawsoc.co.za)
• Law Society of the Northern Provinces, South Africa (http://www.tvllaw.co.za)
• Cape of Good Hope Law Society (http://www.capelawsoc.law.za)

Law Societies of Other Nations:

• Bar Council of Malaysia (http://www.malaysianbar.org.my) (no distinction between barristers and solicitors)
• Law Society of Kenya (http://www.lsk.or.ke)
• Uganda Law Society (http://www.uls.or.ug)
• Law Society of Singapore (http://www.lawsociety.org.sg)
• Law Society of Hong Kong (http://www.hklawsoc.org.hk/pub/default.asp)

Example Usage of society