Associate vs Association (LSO)

Associates versus Association

Both lawyers and paralegals are often surprised to learn that they have been listing associates improperly on their letterhead, website or other marketing materials. The term "associate" is defined in rule 1.1-1 of the lawyers' Rules of Professional Conduct and subrule 1.02 of the Paralegal Rules of Conduct. “Associate” includes a licensee who practises law in a law firm through an employment or other contractual relationship and a non-licensee employee of a multi-discipline practice who provide services that support or supplement the practice of law or the provision of legal services. It does not include a non-legal professional with whom a lawyer or paralegal has formed an affiliation, nor does it include individual lawyers or paralegals who have chosen to enter into various space and cost sharing arrangements, such as practising law or providing legal services "in association."

Law Society of Ontario, Associate versus Association, retrieved December 9, 2021, https://lso.ca/paralegals/practice-supports-and-resources/topics/opening,-operating-or-closing-a-practice/business-structures/associates-versus-association