Civility and Professionalism Reports
Civility and professionalism are foundational to the legal profession. The Toronto Lawyers' Association is committed to understanding and addressing the challenges that threaten these values in today’s legal landscape.
These reports are intended not just to inform, but to inspire collaborative action. As we continue this work, we invite all members of the profession to engage with the findings, reflect on the recommendations, and contribute to creating a more respectful, professional legal community.
From Insight to Action: Civility as a Professionalism Competency (2026)
This report marks the next phase of TLA’s engagement with the profession and commitment to advancing civility. While our 2023 report first captured the profession’s concerns over declining civility, our 2025 follow-up report shifted the focus towards finding a solution, introducing the TLA Civility Framework built on Leadership and Accountability, Culture and Training, and Structural and Systemic Reinforcement.
In this third installment, we move from strategy to action. Drawing on insights from legal leaders, judges, and new lawyers, we reframe civility not as an abstract ideal, but as a core competency of professionalism that must be intentionally cultivated. To bridge the gap, 2026 will see the launch of the TLA Civility Academy. This initiative will provide practical, skills-based training for lawyers at every stage of practice, with the hope of turning the principles of our Civility Framework into the standard for the profession.
The TLA is grateful to the many members of the profession and justice system stakeholders who contributed to our work. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to redefine civility as a core professional competency.
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Join the Conversation: A Letter from President Anna Wong
This fall, we look forward to continuing our efforts to promote civility and professionalism in the legal profession. We are preparing for a series of roundtable discussions focused on two key groups: managing partners and new lawyers.
We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing decline in civility and professionalism within the legal profession, a serious issue that requires immediate leadership, cultural, and structural solutions. To address this, we propose embedding practical frameworks at every level of legal practice, from integrating civility metrics into performance reviews to equipping new lawyers with the right tools.
Download the full letter from our President, Anna Wong, to learn more and find out how you can get involved.
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Advancing Civility in the Legal Profession (2025)
The TLA survey, which formed the basis of the TLA December 2023 Report on Civility and Professionalism in the Legal Profession, revealed a concerning statistic: nearly 70% of respondents felt that civility and professionalism among colleagues in the legal profession has declined. The TLA views this as a serious issue and believes that action is required from the TLA, Toronto lawyers, and other key stakeholders in the justice system.
To address this, in 2024, the TLA engaged with managing partners from law firms of all sizes, as well as general counsel and in-house leaders in the Toronto area. Through these discussions, the TLA aimed to better understand the impact of incivility and provide a framework for fostering civility in the Ontario/Toronto legal profession.
Download the Advancing Civility in the Legal Profession report to explore the full findings and learn how we can work together to improve civility in our profession.
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Report on Civility and Professionalism in the Legal Profession (2023)
The Toronto Lawyers Association (TLA) is pleased to issue this Report on Civility and Professionalism (the “Report”).
As we previously announced in July 2023 and following feedback receipt by the local bar, the TLA undertook to study the state of civility and professionalism in our profession (the “Project”). The feedback shared with the TLA informed the TLA’s hypothesis that there was a palpable change in the way lawyers engaged with each other, the judiciary, and the justice system post-pandemic. The hypothesis was that the change was not a positive one for civility and professionalism. As a result, the TLA undertook to engage with the local bar through a survey and facilitated sessions to measure the pulse of the profession and solve identified gaps in the state of civility and professionalism.
The TLA is pleased to share the results of this Project with the legal community as part of this Report. In doing so, the TLA commits to engage with the broader legal community to continue to uphold civility and professionalism in our profession. The TLA recognizes that such values are at the core of our profession.
Over 2024 and beyond, we look forward to working with our members and other key stakeholders to implement the Recommendations contained in this Report.