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LIANS
TIPS FROM THE RISK AND PRACTICE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Let’s talk about … RPM
BY STACEY GERRARD
LIANS Counsel
When you hear ‘RPM’,
what comes to mind?
Revolutions Per Minute?
Recreation, Powersports &
Marine? Well, hopefully you
immediately thought of Risk and
Practice Management!
In 2005 the Lawyers’ Insurance
Association of Nova Scotia and
the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
created the Risk and Practice
Management Program, to offer
assistance to members in an effort
to reduce the frequency and severity of claims and complaints.
With the implementation of the Society’s mandatory continuing
professional development (CPD), lawyers are now required to
complete 12 hours of CPD every year, with two hours dedicated to
risk and practice management and/or professionalism.
What are some of the resources and practical assistance offered by
the RPM Program?
LIANS provides educational seminars on RPM-related topics such
as document management, file retention, succession planning,
disaster planning, fraud prevention, technology and general claim
avoidance. In an effort to keep the presentations relevant, we tailor
them to suit the interests of those attending. These presentations
are offered every year at the annual LIANS fall conference, the
Society’s Annual Meeting and at County Bar meetings throughout
the province.
For those who cannot attend conferences in person – or prefer to
schedule RPM CDP into their daily activities – “lunch and learns”
via webinars (web conferencing) are offered where lawyers can
remotely join an interactive presentation from their computer.
These webinars are available at various times throughout the year
in order to assist lawyers across Nova Scotia with meeting their
CPD requirements. LIANS advertises these webinars via email and
in its electronic newsletter, LIANSwers.
In addition, the latest RPM-related information is shared with the
membership in the Society Record, InForum and LIANSwers. While
the information is not intended to provide legal advice or replace
the lawyer’s own exercise of professional judgment, the articles are
a valuable source of information to assist members with running
their practices more effectively and efficiently. If you are looking
for RPM CPD, consider submitting an article for publication in
LIANSwers! You should also connect with LIANS staff members on
LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter @PreventLoss and @LIANS_RPM.
The LIANS website is another tool that provides information and
resources to assist you with your practice. Newly revised for easier
and more intuitive navigating, it contains information such as:
• who we are;
• information regarding mandatory and excess liability insurance
policy;
• how and when to report a claim;
• various boards and committees that fall within the auspices of
LIANS;
• annual reports; and
• the latest news and information in specific practice areas such as
family law and real estate, and other areas such as professional
development, fraud, and risk and practice management.
The website contains information and links for programs such as
the Mentorship Program and the Nova Scotia Lawyers Assistance
Program. These programs are offered to provide assistance and
support to lawyers with professionalism, skills, health and wellness.
Under the Risk Management tab, find important information such
as the latest in fraudulent schemes being circulated and how to
protect yourself and your practice from becoming a victim. You will
also find a list of the most common errors seen at LIANS and how
to avoid them. For example: effective documentation can play an
important role in claim prevention if your client alleges that you did
not follow their instructions. To assist lawyers with documenting
their files, we include under the “resources” tab practice tools such
as: precedent letters, checklists, retainer agreements and sample
notes to file. If your practice areas include family or real estate,
we have practice tools specific to those areas, which include
precedents, checklists, the mortgage payout protocol and more.
Lastly, the LIANS website offers members the latest information
in technology. Here members will find information about cloud
computing, online scheduling, going paperless and information
about social media.
For more information regarding the services and resources provided
by LIANS and the RPM Program, visit the LIANS website at
www.lians.ca.
If you have any questions on these, or any other risk- or practicerelated
matters, do not hesitate to contact the Risk and Practice
Management Program at info@lians.ca or call the Lawyers'
Insurance Association of Nova Scotia at 902 423 1300.
Fall 2014 21