Known as the Law Society of Upper Canada until 2017, the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) has governed the standards of lawyers and paralegals in Ontario for nearly 225 years. In addition to its other areas of skill competency and professional competency oversight, LSO certifies qualifying attorneys in 17 different areas of specialization.
Attorneys cannot apply for certification in one of these areas without at least seven years of practice experience in general, with at least five of those years in their chosen area of specialization. They also must comply with LSO professional standard requirements.
Each area of practice has its own specific certification restrictions. Immigration attorneys, for example, must demonstrate a percentage of cases in immigration law or refugee protection. They also must submit references from four legal practitioners in Ontario.
