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The practicePRO initiative: Helping your practice run in high gear
There are many parts of a successful practice. A breakdown in any one area can impede client service or even lead to a malpractice claim. The practicePRO initiative provides lawyers with tools to keep their practices running smoothly while warning against new hazards that could throw a wrench into the works.
Nearly 90 events and programs held by law associations, firms and continuing professional development providers around Ontario featured risk management content from LawPRO. 287 programs were approved for the LawPRO Risk Management Credit, reaching a combined audience of 50,000 attendees.
The articles, checklists, and practice aids on practicePRO.ca were downloaded over 611,000 times in 2015, a 15 per cent increase from the year before.
Helping lawyers manage the transition rules for the new Rule 48.14 of the Rules of Civil Procedure is a high priority for the practicePRO program.
- The Rule 48 Transition Toolkit provides advice and tools lawyers and law firms can use to lessen the risk of a claim.
- LawPRO speakers embarked on sixteen Rule 48 presentations in 2015, with more planned for 2016.
Law firms continue to be lucrative targets for cyber criminals. The avoidaClaim blog posted over 170 fraud warnings in 2015, based on more than 2,000 suspicious emails forwarded from lawyers
around the world. Most were bad cheque scams, however others involved “spear phishing” attempts to
redirect funds, and malware that can lock up firm data until a fee is paid.
The Malpractice claims fact sheets include claims statistics, common
scenarios, and tips for avoiding claims in a specific area of law.