LSS bursaries available for this year’s NCLP
Canada’s largest criminal law conference, the National Criminal Law Program, is being held this year in Victoria, BC, from July 9th – 13th. LSS is pleased to offer bursaries to cover the registration fee for up to 50 lawyers. You must have taken a minimum of 12 referrals in the past 12 months to qualify. To apply, email Lawyers Resources (please include your LSS vendor number). The deadline for applications is March 1st. Learn more about this year’s conference.
CLE bursary opportunity — Family Law Drafting Basics
LSS is offering discounts and a limited number of bursaries for the upcoming CLE course, Family Law Drafting Basics, being held March 5 and 6, 2012, in Vancouver. To apply, please email Lawyers Resources, indicating your call date and agreeing to accept 12 legal aid referrals in the coming year. To find out more about the course, visit the CLEBC website.
E-authorizations: coming your way soon
E-authorizations for disbursements, our latest addition to our suite of e-tools for lawyers, will be launched in April. Both you and LSS will save time and money (and help the planet) by eliminating hundreds of paper requests for disbursements per month. This easy and efficient online system will be mandatory once available. Some things to know about e-authorizations (phase one — disbursements):
- When this great new application is launched, you will receive an email with easy to follow instructions for logging in online through our website.
- The way you log into lawyer e-services will change and our e-services home page will have a fresh new look.
- We’re using newer technology for this application so expect a bit of a different look and new and improved features.
- You can put as many requests for disbursements as you need for a referral all on one form.
- As you complete the form (using the convenient drop-down lists and check boxes), many fields will be automatically filled in for you.
- The mandatory fields and helpful prompts should reduce the need for follow up.
- You will now attach the required (and any other helpful) documents electronically. Tip: start planning now to have electronic versions of documents available (either by arranging to have them emailed to you from the source or by being able to scan them).
- You will be able to monitor the status of your request after sending it.
- We’ll notify you by email when we’ve made a decision. The email will have convenient links so you can quickly see the decision or reply to the email to answer any questions we have. No more faxing for you or LSS!
- In an effort to streamline our systems for efficiency, access to e-services will now be for lawyers only. LSS-maintained access for assistants will be removed.
- Phase two will include transcripts.
Email — We're on a roll
We will be using email more often to communicate with you now (this Brief, e-authorizations, Notices to Counsel, letting you know when you’ve been paid by direct deposit, etc). It will be important that we have your current email address, and that you check to make sure messages are not going to your “junk mail.” Reminder: we will rely on the email address you entered in lawyer e-services under My Profile as your “General E-Mail.”
Transition to e-services and EFT
The transition to mandatory e-billing and direct deposit continues. We have now moved from
bi-weekly to monthly processing for both paper accounts and for printing cheques. We will now process paper accounts on the last day of each month. Cheques will be printed on the third Thursday of each month. Reminder: by July 1st, we will no longer issue cheques or accept any paper accounts. We encourage the few of you still “doing paper” to sign up for e-services as soon as possible. Our staff in Tariff Accounts are waiting to assist you! Call them at
604-601-6155.
Upcoming dates for printed cheques: Feb 16, March 15, April 19, May 17, June 28.
Taking legal aid into the community
Since last year, 24 new LSS community partners around BC have been busy distributing free legal information and publications, and working with local communities to improve awareness of legal aid and other legal resources. The new locations complement the existing services of LSS’s 31 local agents across the province who take legal aid applications and provide legal information at over 50 locations in BC (such as private legal offices, community agencies, and courthouses). Five LSS local agents have also expanded their services by travelling out to Aboriginal bands in their areas. In Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Victoria, North Vancouver, and Duncan, these local agents have been reaching individuals who have been previously unable to access legal services. Broadening our community outreach is an ongoing LSS initiative.
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Bail and guilty pleas. Under the simplified tariff, if you have a bail hearing and your client pleads guilty, you can claim both the bail and non-trial resolution fee (previously not possible).
Disbursements — Process service. To avoid unnecessary fees for service outside of your jurisdiction, please contact process servers directly (unless unusual circumstances require the use of an agent). |
Gladue report disbursement pilot update
The Gladue report pilot project has been extended into the next fiscal year. LSS will be conducting an evaluation at the end of the pilot period which runs from July 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012. Your cooperation with this evaluation will be appreciated. While the evaluation is being conducted, LSS will continue to approve requests for Gladue report preparation under the program in place. For details, check out our web page about submitting requests, our flyer, and also the client fact sheet.
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