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There are approximately 98,500 lawyers and notaries practising in Canada. In order to practise law in Canada, a person must be a member of a law society. The Nova Scotia Barristers' Society is the governing body for the legal profession in Nova Scotia, made up of approximately 2,500 practising and non-practising lawyers.

The purpose of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society is to regulate the legal profession in Nova Scotia. The documents governing this action are:

• Legal Profession Act
• Regulations made under the Act
• Legal Ethics and Professional Conduct : a Handbook for Lawyers in Nova Scotia (The Handbook)

Detailed information about the law societies, including statistical data on lawyers is available from the Federation of Law Societies.