A Message From
Stacy Petriuk, KC
2025–2026 PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF ALBERTA
My Presidential year began earlier than planned when my predecessor, The Honourable Justice Ryan D. Anderson, was appointed to the Alberta Court of Justice at the very beginning of his term as President. While I needed to adjust to my new responsibilities at a quicker pace than what is usual, it has been an honour and privilege to serve during a time of significant change in the legal landscape. The Board provides strategic direction for the organization, focusing on goals that demonstrate our values and help achieve our vision and mission. With the strategic goals of Effective Regulation, Competence and Public Confidence, there was much work for us to do in 2025. The Government of Alberta completed a review of all professional regulatory bodies in 2024 and, in November 2025, introduced the Regulated Professions Neutrality Act and amended the Legal Profession Act. In response, we have been conducting a review of the new legislative framework to understand how it may impact our operations. A prominent theme this past year has been the importance of the Rule of Law and the role lawyers play in a functioning democratic society. In our capacity as the regulator, we are not an advocacy body, however we are committed to promoting and supporting the Rule of Law. To that end, I was especially proud of the Ours to Protect campaign launch in November 2025. The Ours to Protect campaign is a national campaign to promote the Rule of Law and to build greater understanding among the public of its importance in a functioning democratic society. Alberta lawyers have professional pride and over the last year we have seen many examples of individual lawyers and legal stakeholders advocating for the Rule of Law and we applaud those individual and collective efforts. I also want to thank Alberta lawyers and the Law Society staff for their engagement and efforts in coordinating the Law Society’s 2025 Annual General Meeting. Acting as Chair for the meeting was a professional highlight and I learned a lot from the experience. We continue to look for innovative ways to fulfill our role as regulator and protect the public interest. I am grateful to have worked alongside the Benchers and the profession, guided by a commitment to leadership through service, and I extend my sincere thanks to the Law Society’s Executive Leadership team and staff for supporting me throughout my term. Sincerely, Stacy Petriuk, KC President of the Law Society of Alberta
A Message from
Elizabeth J. Osler, KC
Chief executive officer & executive director
The Law Society has made significant progress on key initiatives in 2025, and I am confident this momentum will continue in 2026. The legal profession plays a critical role in upholding the Rule of Law, a cornerstone of democracy. To support public understanding, the Law Society of Alberta joined other law societies across the country and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada in the Ours to Protect campaign, launched in November. This initiative encourages Canadians to learn about the Rule of Law and engage in dialogue about protecting it. Safeguarding the Rule of Law is a shared responsibility, and together we will continue to strengthen justice and democracy in our province and country. Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in November was well attended this year. Of note, two member motions were presented at the AGM and more than 490 active lawyers in Alberta voted on the motions. The Law Society sincerely appreciates the time and interest shown by the profession in considering these motions. To the Law Society staff, thank you for organizing and managing a meeting of this size so seamlessly. We also marked an important milestone in access to justice this past year. In collaboration with Legal Aid Alberta and the Government of Alberta, we were pleased that an updated five-year Governance Agreement for legal aid services was signed and came into effect on July 16, 2025. The agreement strengthens Legal Aid Alberta’s long-term sustainability and its ability to provide critical services to low-income Albertans. The Law Society is committed to ongoing collaboration to support these essential legal services. Lastly, the Law Society has been dedicated to modernizing our regulatory processes to better serve the public. Improvements have included streamlined complaint handling and updated rules and guidelines – all designed to increase transparency, efficiency and consistency. We have been investing in technology to simplify interactions with lawyers and the public, reduce administrative burden and ensure our systems support our regulatory mandate. These efforts build on the Strategic Plan’s goals of effective regulation and enhancing lawyer competence. Alongside the entire Executive Leadership Team, I want to thank Alberta lawyers, Law Society staff and our Benchers for their dedication and valuable contributions over the past year. The past year has included important milestones, learning and collaboration, and I look forward to continuing our important work in 2026.
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.
Core Purpose
The Law Society serves the public interest by independently regulating 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 2024–2027 Strategic Plan provides direction and focus to the Board (Benchers) and the entire organization by providing a framework for decision making, resource allocation and priority setting. Our strategic goals are:
- Effective Regulation – The Law Society regulates the legal profession in a transparent, proportionate and efficient manner.
- Competence – The Law Society supports the legal profession in meeting standards of competency and supports the well-being of the legal profession.
- Public Confidence – The Law Society strives to increase public confidence and trust in the legal profession, the administration of justice and the Rule of Law.
Board Members in 2025
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 2025, the Past-President was Deanna Steblyk, KC. The Honourable Ryan Anderson was President until May 1, 2025, when he was called to the bench.
- Stacy Petriuk, KC, President (starting May 1, 2025)
- Bud Melnyk, KC, President-Elect (starting May 1, 2025)
- A. Danielle Bourgeois, KC
- Glen Buick, KC; Public Representative (until October 2025)
- Arman Chak, KC
- Stephanie L. Dobson, KC
- Adam Drew, KC
- John Evans, KC (starting October 2025)
- Kene Ilochonwu, KC
- Levonne Louie; Public Representative
- Jim Lutz, KC
- Scott Matheson, KC
- Kelsey J. Meyer, KC
- Sharilyn C. Nagina, KC
- Afshan Naveed, KC
- Mary Ellen Neilson; Public Representative
- Sandra Petersson, KC
- Ali Rakka; Public Representative (starting November 2025)
- Erin Runnalls, KC
- Ronald A. Sorokin, KC
- Nicole Stewart, KC
- Dr. Riad Tarrabain; Public Representative (starting November 2025)
- David Tupper, KC
- Louise Wasylenko, CPA, CMA; Public Representative (until October 2025)
- Moira Váně, KC
- Grant Vogeli, KC
Committees
Board committees conduct governance work to progress the goals of our Strategic Plan, and Regulatory committees serve 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 Committee
Regulatory Committees
Assurance Fund Adjudications (Finance) Committee | Complaint Dismissal Appeals Committee | Conduct Committee | Credentials and Education Committee | Practice Review Committee | Trust Safety Committee
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 (until December 2025)
- Sarah Klein – General Counsel
- 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
Ours to Protect
A national campaign called Ours to Protect launched in November 2025 to raise awareness about the importance of the Rule of Law and to unite Canadians around the shared values of democracy and justice. The campaign highlights that while Canadians overwhelmingly support the Rule of Law, many see cracks in our democratic systems — from access to justice concerns, disinformation and perceived political interference. The Law Society is actively participating with a coalition of law societies and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada to raise awareness, to educate and to unite Canadians around the Rule of Law. The campaign is designed to encourage Canadians to learn more about the Rule of Law and to support important conversations about protecting the Rule of Law in our country. To learn more, visit www.ourstoprotect.ca.
Annual general meeting
The Law Society of Alberta Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Nov. 27 where two member motions were presented. Both motions were debated and voted upon by the lawyers attending the meeting, and both were lost. Motion #1 was lost by a vote of 431 to 84, of the 515 votes cast. Motion #2 was lost by a vote of 453 to 43, of the 496 votes cast. As the motions were lost, no further action was required by the Benchers. We appreciate the interest and time lawyers took to attend the AGM.
Operational Advancements
The Law Society has been committed to regulatory reform and creating operational efficiencies to better serve the public interest. Improvements to our regulatory processes that have been implemented or are underway include:
- improved triage process for complaints;
- new Guidelines for Committees to provide greater consistency and transparency of process;
- rule amendments to align with the Federation’s Model Rules regarding client identification and verification;
- process changes to improve investigation and complaint review timelines; and,
- rule amendments to update, modernize and streamline regulatory processes.
These regulatory reforms align with the objectives outlined in the first goal of our Strategic Plan, which include increasing transparency, efficiency and sustainability, and enhancing regulatory processes to address conduct and competence. A significant amount of foundational work was also done in 2024 and into 2025 to define the Law Society’s current business processes and determine where they could be improved. We are working with a vendor to help us develop a platform that will simplify and enhance transactions and interactions with lawyers and the public, reduce administrative burden on lawyers and enhance the experience for all stakeholders. Like any other organization, the Law Society must ensure that our system’s infrastructure is kept up to date and that it supports the work that we need to do as the regulator. Our investment in technology modernization will ensure that we operate efficiently, using systems that meet modern standards.
legal aid agreement signed
Through a collaborative process with Legal Aid Alberta and the Government of Alberta, an updated five-year governance agreement for legal aid services was signed and came into effect on July 16, 2025, and will continue until July 2030. Legal Aid Alberta is a publicly funded organization that provides affordable legal services to low-income Albertans. The Governance Agreement is an agreement between the Government of Alberta and Legal Aid Alberta that establishes how Legal Aid operates. The amendments to the Legal Aid governance agreement provide Legal Aid Alberta with greater certainty on its long-term sustainability, while at the same time strongly positioning Legal Aid Alberta to continue to positively impact the justice system through its work. We are pleased to have reached this milestone alongside our cosigners, and the Law Society is committed to ongoing collaboration with all parties to support the continued delivery of critical legal services for vulnerable Albertans in the years to come.
Professional Regulatory Review
On Nov. 20, 2025, the Government of Alberta released the Regulated Professions Neutrality Act (RPNA) as well as corresponding amendments to the Legal Profession Act (LPA). The RPNA’s stated goal is to ensure that members of the profession are not discouraged from holding or expressing a wide array of views on political, historical, social or cultural issues. The RPNA constrains the ability of professional regulators to sanction members for their off-duty expressive conduct. The LPA amendments provided the Law Society with a purpose statement in our governing legislation that clearly establishes that we regulate in the public interest. This is a welcome development that codifies the common law. The Law Society is assessing the remaining amendments to determine the impacts on Law Society operations.
Articling Survey Cross-Jurisdictional Report
In 2024, the Law Societies of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society surveyed articling students and new lawyers as well as principals, mentors and recruiters. These surveys were a follow-up to the 2019 articling surveys to see if or how the articling system has changed, and what areas still need work. Each province received a 2024 articling survey report of their findings, which are available on the respective websites. An analysis of the data across the jurisdictions was completed in early 2025 to produce a cross-jurisdictional report. The cross-jurisdictional report offers valuable insights and identifies similar themes across the jurisdictions. It has allowed the provinces to seek opportunities for collaboration on next steps as we continue our work to enhance the articling experience and entry level practice. The full report, including detailed findings from the survey, can be viewed on the Law Society website.
The Numbers
Financial Reports
The Law Society uses external auditors to produce financial statements annually. Our 2025 financial statements can be found on our website.
Lawyer fees
The 2025 practice fee was $2,640 per active lawyer, which is the same as it was in 2024. Lawyers had the option of paying the fee in two equal instalments. In addition, the 2025 part-time membership fee was $1,320.
External Funding
The Law Society provides external funding to a variety of affiliated organizations annually. In 2025, we provided over $3.8 million worth of funding as follows:
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 2025, our Customer Service team took a total of 23,056 calls and answered 18,975 emails. This included general inquiries on the Law Society mainline, support for Membership Services, Trust Safety and the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED).
Key topics that we received phone calls on included the following:
- Membership status options/changes
- Student admission and enrollment
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Lawyer Directory
- Lost file & will searches
- Trust Safety filing deadline
- Intake inquiries
Practice Advisors
Our Practice Advisors are available as a free and confidential service to help lawyers eligible to practice in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut. They also assist articling students and legal support staff with legal, ethical and practice inquiries. The total number of inquiries received and addressed by the Office of the Practice Advisor in 2025 was 4,854. These inquiries were handled via phone, voicemail, booking link request, mail and meetings. Fifty-eight percent of the inquires came from firms with fewer than five lawyers and the top three areas of law that Practice Advisors provided assistance with were Real Estate, Civil Litigation and Family Law.
Lawyer Statistics
As of Dec. 31, 2025, there were 11,739 active lawyers and 4,860 inactive or inactive-retired lawyers. Compared to 2024, there was a decrease in active lawyers and an increase in inactive or inactive-retired lawyers.
other Statistical Breakdowns
Of the total number of active lawyers in Alberta, approximately 44 per cent identified as female, 56 per cent identified as male, and less than one per cent either preferred not to disclose or identified as transgender or non-binary. Among lawyers with 25 years of experience or less, the number who identify as male and female is fairly balanced across both firm and in house roles. A very small proportion (less than one per cent) identify as transgender or non binary. Among lawyers with more than 25 years of experience, men significantly outnumber women, at roughly three to one, and none identify as transgender or non binary.
Articling Students
As of Dec. 31, 2025, 581 students were actively articling in Alberta. This reflects a decrease compared to the 605 active articling students in 2024. The charts below provide more demographic information about articling students in Alberta.
Of the articling students in Alberta, 32 per cent were internationally trained while 68 per cent received their training in Canada. Of the internationally trained articling students, 41 per cent were Canadians who obtained their law degree outside of Canada and the other 59 per cent were internationally trained lawyers who were born outside of Canada and immigrated here.
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 that applications decisions are made in a timely manner. The Law Society has complied with the requirements laid out by FRPA since it came into effect. In 2025, 595 people applied to become a lawyer in Alberta. Of those, 380 received their legal education in Canada, with the three most attended Canadian schools being the University of Alberta, University of Calgary and the University of Saskatchewan. A total of 249 students obtained a law degree within Alberta specifically. The top three countries in which internationally trained lawyers received their legal education included the United Kingdom, India and Nigeria. The majority of students-at-law articled with medium- and large-sized law firms.
Labour Mobility Legislation
The Labour Mobility Act and the Labour Mobility Regulation, collectively known as the Labour Mobility Legislation, requires regulators to accept the qualifications of professionals from other Canadian jurisdictions applying to become licensed in Alberta. Regulators are required to develop a clear and timely registration process, which includes processing completed labour mobility applications within 20 business days and providing written reasons for registration decisions within 10 business days. The Law Society is compliant with the requirements of the Labour Mobility Legislation. In 2025, 237 lawyers from other Canadian jurisdictions applied to become licensed in Alberta, and of these applications, 224 were approved. The top three provinces the Law Society of Alberta received applications from included Ontario, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
Regulatory Statistics
Of the 1,781 general inquiries and complaints about Alberta lawyers received in 2025, 1,180 were diverted to Early Intervention. The Early Intervention team takes a proactive and collaborative approach to supporting lawyer competence. In this process, we provide resources and programs to help lawyers achieve standards of professional and ethical conduct. The Conduct Department opened 276 complaint files for review in 2025. Most of the complaints were dismissed or resolved without a hearing. There were 36 matters referred to a Hearing Committee by the Conduct Committee Panel.
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.
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).
Once a matter is directed to a hearing, it follows the hearing process outlined in the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta and the Pre-Hearing and Hearing Guideline. Depending upon when a matter is directed to a hearing as well as the steps required in the hearing process for that particular matter, the hearing matter may not be heard in the same year that it was directed. A combined total of 31 conduct and resignation hearings were concluded in 2025, with the following disciplinary outcomes:
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 169 lawyers were administratively suspended in 2025. 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
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