Please be advised of the updates and changes to parts of the Law Library Use and Access Policy, approved at the February convocation of Bencher’s.

The full policy is available on the Law Society website at https://lsnl.ca/law-library/policies-and-forms/ for viewing.

Please be advised of the following changes:

1) Changes to our membership definitions

While clientele of the Law Library are still defined as Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary,

A. Primary clientele now means Members (practicing/non-practicing/life members) in good standing with the Law Society; articling clerks (i.e. have graduated from a legal studies program and have been hired to do their articles at a Newfoundland or Labrador law firm); and the Judiciary of the courts of Newfoundland and Labrador.

B. Secondary clientele are now defined as either:

a) A law student currently enrolled in a legal studies program (all years and any location) AND who is currently employed by a Newfoundland and Labrador firm AND who is sponsored by an individual in the Primary clientele category; OR
b) A paralegal or law clerk who is currently employed by a Newfoundland and Labrador firm AND is sponsored by an individual in the Primary clientele category

2) Secondary Clientele Application Form

Formally labeled “Law Student Access Form”, this form is now required of any individual who qualifies under the Secondary clientele category in order to have Law Library access privileges. The applicant must have this form on file signed by a sponsoring Primary client AND approved by the Law Librarian before being issued library borrowing privileges.

This form is available on our website at https://lsnl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/SecondaryClienteleApplicationForm_2020.pdf

Please Note:

• Primary clientele must be in good standing with the Law Society in order to sponsor a student/paralegal/law clerk
• Approval is not automatic – access is subject to the approval of the Law Librarian
• Primary clientele can sponsor Secondary clientele for either borrowing privileges OR access cards for afterhours access OR both borrowing and afterhours access.
• Secondary clientele are subject to the following restrictions on eligibility:

1. Students engaged in a program will only have borrowing/access privileges for the length of time they are employed with the law firm sponsoring them (ex: summer students will only have summer term access)
2. Paralegals/law clerks need to renew annually – a new form should be provided to the Law Librarian with any changes in information
3. The Law Library should be notified immediately if sponsored employees leave the firm

3) Primary clientele sponsoring Secondary clientele

Please note that sponsoring Primary clientele are responsible for ensuring that those they sponsor return their materials on time or paying replacement costs, ensuring protection of the Law Library and Law Society building, and covering any damages that result from use of the facility by Secondary clientele they sponsor.

4) Access cards

Primary clientele and sponsored Secondary clientele have the right to receive an access card which grants access to the Law Library 24/7. However, a new fee structure for these cards has been put into place:

1st Access Card – free
ANY replacement cards – $20.00 – there are no more free replacement cards

Clientele who are issued access cards are expected to maintain secure control over their cards, bring them to the Law Library for access at all times, and if lost, report the loss or any physical plant damage immediately in order to ensure protection of the facility and safety of staff of the Law Society.

For any clientele who needs five (5) or more replacement cards, the matter will be relayed to the Executive Director as it is the responsibility of the client to take all forms of care and caution for the card as lost cards could potentially compromise the safety of the Law Society staff and the security of the Law Society building.

5) Circulation periods

Lastly, just a reminder about the loan periods for Law Library materials:
• Items marked with RES at the end of the call number AND have a yellow 3 Day sticker on them – these are loan items for 3-days only and must be renewed after 3 days;
• Items without RES and the sticker are on loan for 2 weeks and must be renewed at the end of the 2 weeks.

All clientele with borrowing privileges can renew their loans up to 3 times by emailing or calling the Law Library – lawlibrary@lsnl.ca / 753-7770

If you don’t remember your due date you can view your account on our catalogue: https://17941.rmwebopac.com/
> click on the Login button in the upper left-hand corner > enter your email address (as registered on the Law Society portal)

This will allow you to see everything you have out currently and when they are due and your borrowing history which allows you to locate the call number of previously useful items.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Jenny Thornhill, Law Librarian at 753-7770 or lawlibrary@lsnl.ca