2024 CLIA Annual Report – Message from the Chair

Interested in learning more about CLIA and the progress we made in achieving our strategic goals in 2024? The 2024 CLIA Annual Report can now be found on the CLIA website.

Cheryl Canning, K.C., CLIA Board Chair, also provides the following overview of 2024:

Over the course of my 27-year career in the insurance industry, I’ve had the privilege of working with insurers in various capacities. Throughout this time, I’ve found the reciprocal model of insurance particularly intriguing, and now, having had the opportunity to witness its inner workings firsthand, I am more convinced than ever that this model is the way to go. I am fully and wholeheartedly invested in the reciprocal advantage.

Consider how many aspects of our daily lives are insured: our homes, our vehicles, our health. We pay premiums for years, often without ever filing a claim, and while it’s fortunate that we don’t need to make a claim, those premium dollars are spent with no return once the policy year ends. With a reciprocal like CLIA, however, every dollar you pay is used for your benefit—regardless of whether you file a claim.

Reciprocals, unlike traditional insurers, don’t have shareholders demanding profits. Instead, their income comes from premiums and investments, and that money is used directly for the benefit of policyholders. It goes toward paying claims, running the association, and funding programs and services designed to support its members. In 2024, CLIA certainly demonstrated the value of this approach, as you’ll see throughout this report.

Some of the key services CLIA provided this year were directed toward our Subscribers—provincial and territorial law societies and their insurance programs. Notably, CLIA expanded its claims management services and launched an updated cloud-based Claims Manager platform. It also focused on supporting individual lawyers in CLIA jurisdictions through various communications and loss prevention initiatives. For example, CLIA’s blog Not So Risky Business published over 60 posts on topics such as well-being, loss prevention and cyber hygiene, attracting more than 7,500 visits. CLIA also ramped up its social media presence and began the process of updating key resources such as the Loss Prevention Online Repository and Safe and Effective Practice book. Additionally, CLIA introduced an online Wellness Toolkit—an incredible resource that I highly encourage you to explore.

When’s the last time your commercial auto insurer provided these types of services?

CLIA never rests on its achievements. It is constantly looking for ways to innovate and remain relevant as the legal profession evolves. In 2024, CLIA examined new areas of coverage, including social engineering, directors and officers liability, remote working, and AI, to ensure insured lawyers are protected against the realities of a rapidly changing world. But CLIA is about more than just paying claims. With every new initiative, CLIA’s management and Board are asking, “How does this align with our mission to provide cost-effective, comprehensive insurance that supports lawyers and serves the public interest?” CLIA’s insured members can trust that their premium dollars are being utilized in ways that prioritize their needs and well-being.

I am immensely proud to be part of this accomplished, engaged Board, and I’m grateful for the leadership and dedication of our CEO and staff. A heartfelt thank you to each of them for their unwavering commitment to CLIA’s mission.