Do I have to register if I am a lawyer or paralegal?

Summary

Lawyers and paralegals must register their lobbying activities. 

Interpretation

As a lawyer or paralegal, you are required to register your lobbying activities. You are not exempt. 

You are not lobbying when you communicate with a public office holder who is making a decision about how a law, policy, program, directive or guideline applies to a client you represent or your employer. 

But you are lobbying if you are communicating to try to influence or change laws, policies or programs on behalf of a client or your employer. See Interpretation Bulletin #1 "Am I Lobbying?".

If you are a lawyer or paralegal hired to lobby for a client, you must register as a consultant lobbyist (See Interpretation Bulletin #5 "As a consultant lobbyist, when do I need to register?"). If you are a lawyer or paralegal who works in-house for an employer, and you lobby for your employer, your senior officer may need to register. (See Interpretation Bulletin #3A for businesses and Interpretation Bulletin #3B for not-for-profit organizations.)

If you have questions about how your obligation to register interacts with your professional obligations, you may wish to contact the Law Society of Ontario. 

Application

This Bulletin applies to the following types of lobbyists:
-consultant lobbyists
-in-house lobbyists (organizations) and (persons and partnerships)

Relevant Legislation

Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998
- s. 1(1) “lobby”

History

-First issued: October 28, 2011
-Amended on: July 1, 2016; March 30, 2020

This Bulletin was previously published as Interpretation Bulletin #7, "Lawyers who engage in lobbying activity on behalf of a client".

Authority

The Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998, makes sure that lobbying in Ontario is transparent and ethical. The Integrity Commissioner, as the Lobbyists Registrar, maintains an online public record of lobbyists and conducts investigations into non-compliance with the Act. The Registrar may issue a bulletin about the interpretation or application of the Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998. 

This Bulletin provides general information. It is not legal advice. It is not a binding statement of how the Integrity Commissioner will interpret the law.