The Uniform Law Conference of Canada operates in two sections : the Criminal Section and the Civil Section. Its work is done by delegates, sometimes called commissioners, appointed by the member governments. The Conference meets annually in August in each member jurisdiction in turn. The Section makes recommendations for changes to federal criminal legislation based on identified deficiencies, defects or gaps in the existing law, or based on problems created by judicial interpretation of existing law.

The Criminal Section unites prosecutors from federal, provincial and territorial governments with defence counsel and judges to consider proposals to amend criminal laws, which are mainly under federal authority in Canada. The administration of criminal justice is however largely provincial and territorial. The meetings of the Section give the provinces and territories a chance to ask the federal government to make the system better reflect the challenges they face in performing that administration.

The Civil Section assembles government policy lawyers and analysts, private lawyers and law reformers to consider areas in which provincial and territorial laws would benefit from harmonization. Sometimes the federal government has related responsibilities, and it participates in the appropriate discussions in such cases. The main work of the Civil Section is reflected in "uniform statutes", which the Section adopts and recommends for enactment by all relevant governments in Canada. On occasion the Section adopts a "model statute", on which it expresses no opinion as a matter of policy, but which it offers as a method of harmonization where member governments want to use it.

In 2000 the Conference launched its Commercial Law Strategy, which aims to modernize and harmonize Canadian commercial law, much of which, especially in common law Canada, has not been updated in a very long time. The Strategy is given its own part of this web site in recognition of its scope and importance.

Uniform statutes are drafted by professional drafters, known as Legislative Counsel, for the member governments. Several drafters attend the annual meetings as well. All uniform statutes since 1990 have been adopted in English and French.