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The successful contractor will be expected to "identify all work processes where legal advice should be sought and how they are tracked and followed up on," then translate those requirements into appropriate staffing levels and other departmental needs including technol- ogy. Donovan anticipates more lawyers will be necessary in-house. "It was obvi- ous that we needed more legal resources to handle contracts," she says. That need was reflected in the audi- tor general's report, issued last sum- mer. "Currently there is no consistent involvement, nor does Legal Services believe they have sufficient resources, to review and approve all contractual obli- gations entered into by HRM through various business units," Larry Munroe stated in his 96-page report. "In fact, there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest some business units regularly contract without Legal Services see- ing or approving the contract. There are no policies in place governing the prescribed timeframe or type of con- tract requiring Legal Services to be involved." Donovan says the departmental review is business as usual and points out that other municipalities across Canada have launched similar initia- tives. "I've talked with city solicitors. They've cited the value of doing this," she says. So does the auditor general, who recommended a review of staffing lev- els and performance measurements in his report. He also stressed the key role the in-house department plays in ensuring the city runs according to its own rules. "The significant and pri- mary role of Legal Services in the devel- opment and administration of con- tracts for the Municipality cannot be overstated," Munroe said in his report. "Elected officials, operating within a highly specialized and regulated envi- ronment such as a municipality must rely heavily upon the advice provided by professionals." The legal department's RFP notes ORDER # 985593-67083 $97 Hardcover + Softcover + CD-ROM August 2011 1800 pages (hardcover) 1100 pages (softcover) 978-0-7798-3593-5 Annual volumes available on standing order subscription Practice Advisor available upon request on standing order subscription Multiple copy discount available Shipping and handling are extra. Price subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. BlackBerry is a registered trademark of Research in Motion Limited. IPad is a trademark of Apple, Inc. *Requires Internet connection • • that staffing levels increased between 2003 and 2011 to the current level of 13 lawyers. At the same time, reliance on outside legal counsel declined as did the outside legal spend budget. In 2003, the department spent $663,400 on external legal services. Last year this figure was $341,000. The deadline for proposals has now passed, and the municipality's legal department is reviewing submissions. Once hired, Donovan expects it will take a year to complete the review. — DM THE ESSENTIAL COURTROOM REFERENCE FOR ONTARIO CIVIL LITIGATORS NEW EDITION ONTARIO CIVIL PRACTICE 2012 GARRY D. WATSON, Q.C. AND MICHAEL McGOWAN Ontario Civil Practice 2012 is a complete courtroom reference featuring expert commentary on how the rules of civil procedure are interpreted and applied in specific situations. The latest edition includes: • • more than 8000 case annotations Professor Watson's indispensible Annual Survey of Recent Developments in Civil Litigation • the full text of the Rules of Civil Procedure, the Courts of Justice Act and related legislation, practice directions, and case management rules and annotations CD-ROM that contains all Ontario court forms in Word document format a free Mobipocket eBook version for your BlackBerry® COMING SOON AS AN eBOOK FOR THOMSON REUTERS PROVIEW™ Thomson Reuters ProView™ is a professional grade eBook platform that gives you the freedom to work however, whenever and wherever you want. Visit www.carswell.com/ thomsonreutersproview for more information. SPECIAL OFFER FOR STANDING ORDER SUBSCRIBERS With a standing order, you are entitled to receive the Practice Advisor, a bi-weekly email designed to keep you up to date on legislative and case law changes. AVAILABLE RISK-FREE FOR 30 DAYS Order online at www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 AUTHORITATIVE. INNOVATIVE. TRUSTED. www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com JAN UARY 2012 9