The Law Society of Saskatchewan has passed stricter rules targeting lawyers trolling for business from former students of residential schools.
“We’ve had various people approach us about residential school issues in general,” said Kirsten Logan of the Law Society.
The law society has been working with Natives, including offering education programs for band members.
The tighter rules, enacted by the society in June, prevent lawyers soliciting business on reserves uninvited. And they prohibit lawyers taking advantage of clients in “weakened states,” defined as “a physical, emotional or mental condition which may render a prospective client unduly vulnerable to persuasion” by a lawyer, including “the state of any prospective client who is an alleged victim of physical and/or sexual abuse.”
The new rule also says lawyers can’t initiate contact with prospective clients in a “weakened state” except by mail or advertisement. Lawyers can attend meetings to provide information to prospective clients only by invitation from those clients or others not connected to the lawyer.
