2023 Annual Report Law Society of Alberta

A Message From

Bill Hendsbee, KC

2023–2024 PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF ALBERTA

The year 2023 was successful for the Law Society of Alberta, and it was my privilege to serve as President. As with most professions, new trends continue to emerge in the legal landscape and technology is advancing in ways that were previously incomprehensible. Specifically, the development of generative artificial intelligence continues to make its mark on the legal profession. I am proud of the work we did to be nimble and adept enough to allow for flexibility and growth in this everchanging environment.

A Message from

Elizabeth J. Osler, KC

Chief executive officer & executive director

Another year has come and gone, and I am excited to once again reflect on our work during 2023.

It was a busy year that brought new opportunities and challenges. In January, the Law Society received a petition signed by 50 lawyers to call a Special Meeting of the Society (Special Meeting) to vote on a resolution to repeal Rule 67.4 of the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta. As a result of this petition, a Special Meeting was held on Feb. 6 where nearly 4,000 active lawyers in Alberta attended virtually.

Organizing and managing a meeting of this size on short notice was no small task, and it took a significant amount of work from our teams to coordinate. I am proud that we were able to host the meeting effectively and manage the sheer volume of attendees efficiently. The engagement from the profession was important and I am pleased with how the meeting was delivered.

Another important aspect of 2023 that we focused on was the increasing need for regulatory reform. The number of complaints we receive year over year continues to increase, and the nature of these complaints is becoming more complex. This brings a need to examine our processes and look for key efficiencies where we can, while still serving the public interest and addressing our regulatory mandate in a meaningful way. A lot of work was done in this area over the course of 2023, and I know that regulatory reform will continue to be a priority for us in the years to come.

We also spent a considerable amount of time this year developing our new 2024–2026 Strategic Plan. We moved from four goals to three, with our new strategic goals being Effective Regulation, Competence and Public Confidence. We also moved to a three-year plan to better align with our other internal processes, which also allows us to be flexible in a rapidly changing legal landscape.

Lastly, we held another successful Bencher election in the fall using an entirely online process. Candidates and nominees completed their applications and nominations directly in the Lawyer Portal, which streamlined the process and made it easier for everyone involved. We had 38 candidates run and 5,068 active lawyers in Alberta voted. The ‘new’ Bencher table begins their three-year term on Feb. 29 and I am looking forward to working with them in 2024. Notably, this table is historic in that for the first time in Law Society history, more than half of the Board is now made up of women.

Alongside the entire Executive Leadership Team, I want to thank our staff and Benchers for another great year. I look forward to seeing what 2024 brings, particularly as we enter the first year of our new Strategic Plan and move forward with a new group of Benchers.

Warm regards,

Elizabeth J. Osler, KC

Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director

Who We Are

About the Law Society

The Law Society of Alberta regulates the legal profession in the public interest by promoting and enforcing a high standard of professional and ethical conduct by Alberta lawyers.

We derive our authority from the Legal Profession Act (the Act) and set standards through the Code of Conduct and the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta.

Mission

Ensure high standards of professional conduct and competency through the governance and independent regulation of the legal profession.

VALUES

  • Integrity – honest and ethical behaviour.
  • Transparency – open, timely and clear processes.
  • Fairness – equitable treatment of people interacting with the Law Society and the profession we govern.
  • Respect – equity, diversity and inclusion in the profession, the Law Society and our interactions with the public.
  • Independence – autonomous regulation of an independent legal profession and commitment to the Rule of Law.
  • Visionary leadership – innovation in regulation, governance and business operations.

Strategic goals

The Law Society’s 2020–2023 Strategic Plan provided direction and focus to the board and the entire organization, including a framework for decision making, resource allocation and priority setting. The Strategic Plan guided our activities to achieve four main goals:

  • Innovation and Proactive Regulation: Regulate the legal profession in a manner that is innovative, proactive, transparent and proportionate.
  • Competence & Wellness: Promote a broad concept of competency and wellness in the legal profession.
  • Access: Promote affordability of legal services and remove regulatory barriers to access where reasonable and appropriate.
  • Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Lead the profession to increase cultural competency and promote a profession that is representative of the public it serves.

Board members in 2023

The Law Society is governed by a 24-member Board. Of the 24 Board members, also called Benchers, 20 are lawyers elected by the profession or appointed by the Benchers pursuant to the Bencher Vacancy Policy, and four are public representatives appointed by the Alberta Minister of Justice. As well, the immediate past-President serves on the Executive Committee. For 2023, the Past-President was Ken Warren, KC.

  • Bill Hendsbee, KC, President
  • Deanna Steblyk, KC, President-Elect
  • Sony Ahluwalia, KC
  • Ryan D. Anderson, KC
  • Glen Buick; Public Representative
  • Lou Cusano, KC
  • Ted Feehan, KC
  • Corie Flett, KC
  • Kene Ilochonwu, KC
  • Cal Johnson, KC
  • Levonne Louie; Public Representative
  • Jim Lutz, KC
  • Bud Melnyk, KC
  • Sharilyn C. Nagina, KC (joined March 2023)
  • Mary Ellen Neilson; Public Representative
  • Sanjiv Parmar
  • Sandra Petersson, KC
  • Stacy Petriuk, KC
  • Erin Runnalls (joined March 2023)
  • Ronald A. Sorokin
  • Margaret Unsworth, KC
  • Moira Váně
  • Grant Vogeli, KC
  • Salimah Walji-Shivji, KC (until February 2023)
  • Louise Wasylenko, CPA, CMA: Public Representative

Committees

Major committees and liaisons conduct governance work associated with our core regulatory functions. Learn more about our committees here.

Board Committees

Audit and Finance Committee | Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Executive Committee | Lawyer Competence Committee | Nominating Committee Policy and Regulatory Reform CommitteeProfessional Responsibility Committee

Adjudication Committees

Assurance Fund Adjudications (Finance) Committee | Complaint Dismissal Appeals Committee | Conduct Committee | Credentials and Education Committee | Practice Review Committee | Trust Safety Committee

Task Forces

Strategic Plan Task Force

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Executive Leadership Team strives to ensure we fulfil our vision, mission, strategic goals, business plans and budget as approved by the Board.

  • Elizabeth J. Osler, KC – Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director
  • Cori Ghitter, KC – Deputy Executive Director and Director, Policy and Education
  • Nadine Meade – Chief Financial Officer (Law Society of Alberta, Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association and Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education)
  • Kendall Moholitny – Director, Regulation and Professionalism
  • Andrew Norton – Chief Information Officer & Director, Business Operations
  • Brita Wahl – Director, Human Resources
  • David Weyant, KC – President and Chief Executive Officer, Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association

Year in Review

Development of New Strategic Plan

Over the course of 2023, the Strategic Plan Task Force worked to develop the new Strategic Plan, which will be in force from 2024 to 2026. The Task Force included several Benchers and two external consultants to provide new perspectives. A significant amount of work went into the development of this new document that will now guide the strategic direction of the Law Society for the next three years.

The plan contains three goals with corresponding objectives. Care was taken to make the goals and objectives broad enough to allow for flexibility, but focused enough to be clear on our top priorities.

View the full plan on our website.

Regulatory Overview

The Law Society continues to regulate lawyers’ conduct and competence in the public interest. Our regulatory processes include proactive aspects to mitigate risk, including early intervention supports to assist lawyers who have complaints and earlier referrals to Practice Review where complaints suggest that a lawyer’s practice may require improvement. The Law Society continues to make process changes to ensure that concerns about lawyers are dealt within a timely and proportionate manner.

In 2023, there has been an increase in the number of complaints and concerns raised about lawyers. There has also been an increase in the complexity in some of those concerns and the Law Society continues to find ways to address the volume and complexity of complaints while maintaining a fair and transparent regulatory framework.

Special Meeting

On Jan. 13, 2023, the Law Society of Alberta’s Executive Director received a petition signed by 50 lawyers to call a Special Meeting of the Society (Special Meeting) to vote on a resolution to repeal Rule 67.4 of the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta. Rule 67.4 states that the Benchers may, from time to time, prescribe specific continuing professional development requirements to be completed by members, in a form and manner, as well as time frame, acceptable to the Benchers.

The petition triggered a Special Meeting that was held on Feb. 6 where nearly 4,000 active lawyers in Alberta attended virtually. The resolution to repeal Rule 67.4 did not pass, with 2,609 votes against and 864 for—with 3,473 votes cast total. This was a significant undertaking for Law Society staff and Benchers to coordinate and the level of engagement from the profession was truly unprecedented. We appreciate the interest and engagement on the issue.

Innovation Sandbox Update

The Innovation Sandbox is now into its second year of operation. The Innovation Sandbox allows us to support legal innovators in testing new ideas and models for the delivery of legal services in a controlled environment, with the Law Society providing both guidance and oversight.

Changes in technology, the emergence of alternative service providers and an increasingly globalized legal market have changed the legal service delivery environment in Alberta and in fact, around the world. These changes will continue to shape the future of legal service delivery.

The types of organizations that have applied for the Sandbox are diverse, including technology, medicine, disability rights, real estate, constitutional law, immigration and corporations seeking to engage lawyers in new business structures. As of Dec. 31, 2023, five applications had been approved, eight were under review, seven had been delayed or gone dormant and five had been declined.

Details on approved Sandbox participants can be found on our website.

Table Talks

We launched a new mentorship program called Table Talks in January 2023. Table Talks are a series of in-person group mentorship sessions that aim to bring together mentors and mentees to network and discuss important topics that affect lawyers. Each event features a specific discussion theme with mentors leading informal conversations with small groups of mentees.

The Law Society held six Table Talks in 2023. Registration was capped to keep conversations manageable and meaningful – each session was full with about 30 mentees attending.

Official Language Rights Code Amendments

In February, the Benchers approved amendments to Rule 3.2-8 of the Code of Conduct, as well as the associated commentary. These were in addition to the approved amendment to Rule 3.2-7 at the December 2022 meeting.

The further amendments expanded commentary to strengthen the Code to ensure lawyers inform their clients of their language rights.

Key highlights of the amendments include:

  • a lawyer should advise the client of the client’s language rights as soon as possible;
  • the choice of official language is that of the client, not the lawyer; and
  • a lawyer should ensure that they have the competency to effectively communicate with the client in such a way as to understand and be understood by the client.

View the Code of Conduct for the full amendments.

Western Canada Competency Profile

Throughout the year, the Law Societies of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan were engaged in an initiative to identify and validate the competencies needed upon entry to legal practice. This initiative will result in the publication of a Western Canada Competency Profile (WCCP) that will help inform pre-call lawyer training and education, including bar admission program development and experiential learning opportunities. This work aligns with our ongoing efforts towards enhancing lawyer competence in Alberta.

Focus groups were held early in 2023 with key stakeholder groups and a validation survey to collect further feedback on the draft of the WCCP was sent out in November. The finalized profile is expected to be published mid-2024

Permanent Part-Time Status Approved

At the April Board Meeting, the Benchers approved a permanent part-time membership status option based on updated eligibility criteria, to be implemented in 2024.

The part-time membership status fee is one-half the fee for full active status, and the new eligibility criteria for lawyers include:

  • having an annual total gross income of less than $100,000, with total gross income consisting of all income earned from the delivery of legal services, all investment income, all pension income (non-public pensions) and all disability income (non-public); and
  • working 750 hours or fewer, annually, related to the delivery of legal services.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Tool Launch

The new CPD program and Tool was launched in July 2023. This was the culmination of several years of work.

The new CPD program gives lawyers the freedom to choose the CPD topics that interest them. There are no prescribed areas that Alberta lawyers must pursue. Instead, the program is designed to be self-directed and to consider CPD that already exists within law firms, corporations and government, to name a few.

As part of the CPD plan, lawyers choose two competency areas from the 29 available in the Professional Development Profile (PDP) that are of personal or professional interest. The focus areas range from professional conduct to legal practice to well-being and more. The PDP is an aspirational guide to help lawyers build their individual CPD plans. If lawyers want to focus on other areas not included in the PDP, they are also free to identify their own focus areas to include in their annual plans.

The new approach to CPD, along with the new CPD planning tool, went live on July 4, 2023. Active lawyers were required to submit a CPD plan using the new CPD Tool by Oct. 1, and will be required to do so annually moving forward. Of those who provided feedback on the tool, 89 per cent have given the tool either four or five stars out of five.

Lawyer Referral Service Changes

After running theLawyer Referral Service (LRS) in-house for more than three years and conducting a comprehensive review, the Law Society closed the LRS effective Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. Connecting the public with lawyers in Alberta remains an important goal for the Law Society and we are working to modernize and enhance our other web-based tool, the Lawyer Directory, which will provide the public with a quick and easy way to find a lawyer in Alberta. The Lawyer Directory provides contact information for all lawyers in Alberta. There are approximately 7,500 lawyers in private practice with an array of practice areas who you can reach out to for legal assistance. Using the available filters, users can easily pull a list of lawyers that meet their specific search criteria. Corporate or government lawyers or those not accepting new clients at the time may unpublish their contact information to avoid calls not relevant to their practice.

Practice Fundamentals Program

In December 2020, the Benchers approved the development of a program for lawyers in their early years of practice. The development of this program started and feedback was gathered from lawyers in April 2023. The outline of the course, which will be titled the Practice Fundamentals course, was approved by the Benchers in October and development of course materials is now underway. The first offering is expected to launch in fall 2024.

Labour Mobility Legislation

Another initiative was in relation to the Labour Mobility Actand the Labour Mobility Regulation, collectively the Labour Mobility Legislation, that the Government of Alberta enacted in early 2023. This legislation simplifies the process for lawyers, as well as other professionals, applying to transfer to Alberta when they are certified with an equivalent regulatory body in another Canadian jurisdiction. It requires regulators to accept the qualifications of professionals from other Canadian jurisdictions and to develop a clear and timely registration process.

At the Oct. 4 board meeting, the Benchers approved new and amended Rules that align the permanent mobility provisions with the Labour Mobility Legislation. The primary changes brought into force by the legislation include:

  • labour mobility applications must be processed within 20 business days of receiving a complete application, with reasons for the registration decision to follow within 10 business days; and,
  • only specific types of information may be requested of labour mobility applicants during the registration process.

Various amendments and additions were made to Part 2 of the Rules from Rules 47 to 73 to account for these changes and align with the Labour Mobility Legislation.

Active Non-Practising Status

In October, the Benchers approved Rule changes that revised the existing active non-practising status to better accommodate lawyers going on leave. These Rule changes came into effect on Feb. 1, 2024.

At various stages in their career, a lawyer may take a leave and change their status. Lawyers go on leave for various reasons. For example, lawyers may take maternity or parental leave, while others take a leave for medical, mental health, caregiving, educational or other reasons.

There were limited available status options that were suitable for lawyers seeking a leave from practice. To address this concern, the Rule changes amended the existing active non-practising status to make it a more viable option for lawyers taking a leave.

Effective Feb. 1, 2024, the active non-practising status was available at a reduced membership fee. The status also allows for an expedited reinstatement process for lawyers with no disciplinary proceedings who hold the status for three consecutive years or less and are looking to return to active status.

Harassment and Discrimination Code Amendments

Also at the October board meeting, the Benchers approved amendments to the Law Society of Alberta’s Code of Conduct Rule 6.3, which addresses discrimination and harassment issues, and created new Rules 5.1-2A and 5.1-2B, addressing ex parte communications and appearances. The approved amendments and new Rules were the result of several years of extensive consultation across the country by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (FLSC), the law societies and the legal profession. The amendments to the FLSC Model Code of Professional Conduct (Model Code) were approved by FLSC Council and adopted in October 2022.

The amendments to Rule 6.3 reflect current discrimination and harassment law. The commentary provides guidance on these obligations but is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

The new Rules also now address the issue of counsel communicating with courts and tribunals in the opposing party's absence and without their knowledge.

Reconciliation Roster

The Law Society remains committed to responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action in a thoughtful and collaborative way that builds and strengthens relationships with Indigenous Peoples and communities. Hearing a wide array of Indigenous perspectives is crucial for advancing this work, which is why in October we expanded our ongoing collaboration with Indigenous people in Alberta to include as many voices as possible by establishing a Reconciliation Roster.

The Reconciliation Roster is a list of Indigenous individuals who will provide guidance, feedback and resource suggestions for program initiatives, legal issues and educational programs to assist the Indigenous Initiatives Counsel's work for the Law Society.

Members of the roster can serve as long as they are able to. Opportunities to advise on each issue are provided based on experience, availability and interest.

Bencher Election

The online Bencher Election was held from Nov. 14 to 21. Prior to the election, the Benchers revised the Rules to allow for an expedited nomination and voting period as well as a standardized timeframe.

Thirty-eight candidates ran and 5,068 active lawyers in Alberta voted. The new slate of Benchers took their seats on Feb. 29, 2024.

You can view the official election results on our website.

Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association (ALIA)

The 2022–2023 policy year (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023) marked the fifth year in a row that ALIA was able to reduce the amount of the annual base levy payable by Subscribers, despite claim volumes and paid claim amounts continuing to rise. In the last few years, solid investment returns enabled ALIA to make surplus distributions to decrease the Professional Liability levy by between $1,107 and $1,662 per Subscriber. Prior to setting the levy for the 2023–2024 policy year (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), a downturn in investment performance resulted in a substantially lower surplus distribution at $765 per Subscriber. This led to an increase in the Professional Liability levy for 2023–2024, but the Misappropriation levy remained at its historical low.

ALIA launched universal cyber coverage for all its Subscribers on Dec. 31, 2022. The policy provides quick access to critical resources needed to respond to cyberattacks, including a cyber breach coach. It will also cover claims for network security and privacy breaches brought against Subscribers and their firms. Importantly, the universal cyber coverage policy did not require Subscribers to apply for coverage or have their computer systems vetted by the insurer, Zurich.

The Civil Litigation Filing Levy (CLFL) pilot project was extended by ALIA’s board after hitting the two-year mark on June 30, 2023. Civil Litigation continues to be the area of law with the greatest number of claims – almost double the next highest area, Matrimonial and Family – as well as the highest incurred damages and defence costs. The revenues that ALIA has received from the CLFL, while significant (approximately $1.91 million as of June 30, 2023), are well below projections based on data from the Court of King’s Bench, suggesting compliance failure by some Subscribers. In 2024, ALIA will be looking at ways to address this noncompliance.

Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED)

In 2023, CPLED successfully delivered two intakes of the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP), which is the official bar admission program in Alberta. In addition, they also offered one intake of the Accelerated version of PREP. The interest to register in the Accelerated PREP 2023 program from students was overwhelming, with registration reaching capacity within a few days. Overall, a total of 548 Alberta students enrolled across the three intakes.

The Numbers

Financial reports

The Law Society uses external auditors to produce financial statements annually. Our 2023 financial statements can be found on our website.

Lawyer Fees

The 2023 practice fee was $2,490 per active lawyer, a $150 increase from 2022. Lawyers had the option of paying the fee in two equal installments. The 2023 part-time membership fee was $1,245.

External Funding

The Law Society provides external funding to a variety of affiliated organizations annually. In 2023, we provided over $3.6 million worth of funding to six different affiliated organizations:

Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education | Alberta Law Libraries | Alberta Lawyers' Assistance Society | Pro Bono Law Alberta | Legal Archives Society of Alberta | Alberta Law Review

Customer Service

Our Customer Service department is the frontline support for members of the public and the profession for all inquiries related to the Law Society and the work that we do. In 2023, our Customer Service team took a total of 41,965 calls and answered 6,773 emails. This included general inquiries on the Law Society mainline, support for the Lawyer Referral Program for the first half of the year, and support for the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED).

Key topics that we received phone calls on included the following:

  • Special Meeting
  • Bencher Election
  • Continuing Professional Development
  • Lawyer Directory
  • File/Lost Will Searches

Lawyer Statistics

As of Dec. 31, 2023, there were 11,479 active lawyers and 4,651 inactive or inactive-retired lawyers. Both statistics show an increase over the 2022 numbers.

Age and Identity Breakdowns

Of the total number of active lawyers in Alberta, approximately 43 per cent identified as female, 57 per cent identified as male, and less than one per cent either preferred not to disclose or identified as transgender or non-binary.

The number of lawyers that identify as male and female lawyers in both firm and in-house settings remains relatively consistent and equal for those who have 25 years of service or less, with a small percentage (<1 per cent) identifying as transgender or non-binary. However, in the senior cohort of those with over 25 years of experience, those who identify as male outnumber those identifying as female by a ratio of about three to one, with none identifying as transgender or non-binary.

Articling Students

As of Dec. 31, 2023, 525 students were actively articling in Alberta. This reflects an increase from 2022.

The charts below provide more demographic information about articling students in Alberta.

Of the articling students in Alberta, 30 per cent were internationally trained while 70 per cent received their training in Canada. Of the internationally trained articling students, 36 per cent were Canadians who obtained their law degree outside of Canada.

Fair Registration Practices Act

The Fair Registration Practices Act (FRPA) came into force on March 1, 2020, as part of the Government of Alberta’s commitment to eliminate the barriers associated with the assessment of qualifications in over 170 regulated professions, designated occupations or trades, including the legal profession. Regulatory bodies that oversee regulated professions, designated occupations or trades are required to ensure that their registration practices are transparent, objective, impartial and procedurally fair and applications decisions are made in a timely manner. The Law Society of Alberta complied with the requirements laid out in FRPA over the course of 2023.

Labour Mobility Legislation

On April 6, 2023, the Government of Alberta brought into force theLabour Mobility Act and the Labour Mobility Regulation, collectively the Labour Mobility Legislation. This legislation simplifies the process for lawyers, as well as other professionals, applying to become licensed in Alberta when they are already certified with an equivalent regulatory body in another Canadian jurisdiction. It requires regulators to accept the qualifications of professionals from other Canadian jurisdictions and to develop a clear and timely registration process. Specifically, it requires regulators to process labour mobility applications within 20 business days of receiving a complete application, with reasons for the registration decision to follow within 10 business days. The Law Society of Alberta complied with the requirements laid out in the Labour Mobility Legislation since it was introduced.

Regulatory statistics

Of the 1,357 general inquiries and complaints about Alberta lawyers received in 2023, 953 were diverted to Early Intervention. Early Intervention is a proactive and collaborative approach to supporting lawyer competence and the delivery of legal services to all Albertans. In this process, we provide resources and programs to help lawyers achieve reasonable standards of professional and ethical conduct.

The Conduct Department opened 225 complaint files for review in 2023. Most of the complaints were dismissed or resolved without a hearing. There were 19 matters referred to a hearing before a Hearing Committee.

A combined total of 19 conduct and resignation hearings were concluded in 2023, with the following disciplinary outcomes:

our discipline processes

Hearing Committee

When the Conduct Committee directs a lawyer to a conduct hearing, the matter is heard by a Hearing Committee. If a lawyer is found guilty, one of the following sanctions are imposed:

  • Reprimand: A formal expression of reproach, delivered orally by the Hearing Committee, which becomes part of the lawyer’s disciplinary record.
  • Suspension: A lawyer’s membership in the Law Society of Alberta is suspended and the lawyer is prohibited from practising law in Alberta for a specified period.
  • Disbarment: The lawyer’s membership in the Law Society of Alberta is terminated and the lawyer is indefinitely prohibited from practising law in Alberta.

In addition to the penalties described above, a lawyer may also be required to pay a fine and/or costs to the Law Society of Alberta.

Resignation Committee

When a lawyer who is the subject of conduct proceedings wants to resign, the resignation application is heard by a panel of three Benchers. There are two types of resignations in such circumstances:

  • Resignation in the Face of Discipline: A lawyer who faces conduct proceedings that are not likely to result in disbarment but is granted permission by a Resignation Committee to resign due to mitigating circumstances.
  • Deemed Disbarment: A lawyer who faces conduct proceedings that would likely result in disbarment but is granted permission by a Resignation Committee to resign under s. 61 of the Legal Profession Act. Such resignations are considered deemed disbarments (disbarment by consent).

administrative suspensions

When a lawyer fails to fulfil the administrative requirements imposed by the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta, such as filing annual reports and the payment of membership fees and indemnity levies, the lawyer is administratively suspended until they have fulfilled their obligations. A total of 126 lawyers were administratively suspended in 2023. The majority of these lawyers have resolved the issue by fulfilling their requirements and have since been reinstated.

Contact Us

The Law Society of Alberta | 700, 333 – 11th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1L9 | lawsociety.ab.ca | feedback@lawsociety.ab.ca | 403.229.4700 or toll free 1.800.661.9003