A Message From
Deanna Steblyk, KC
2024–2025 PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF ALBERTA
Serving as President of the Law Society was an honour and a pleasure. It was an exciting year that brought new accomplishments and interesting challenges, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role as the Law Society pushes its strategic direction forward. This Presidency also marked the culmination of my 20-year long career of various volunteer roles with the Law Society, making it a significant milestone from a personal perspective as well.
One opportunity I enjoyed the most in my term as President was collaborating with various external stakeholders. Alberta continued to work closely with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada on important engagements, and I also had the unique opportunity to participate in two dialogues with the Government of Alberta.
First, the Law Society worked collaboratively with the Government of Alberta and Legal Aid Alberta to renegotiate and finalize a new Legal Aid Governance Agreement. In September, all three parties signed the new five-year governance agreement, representing a shared understanding of the importance of a high quality, independent and sustainable legal aid program. Having previously served on the Legal Aid Alberta board for six years and having been Chair when the original agreement was negotiated in 2018, it was exciting to join these conversations, this time as President of the Law Society.
Second, in October, the Government of Alberta announced a review of all professional regulatory bodies in Alberta, with the review to be completed by the end of 2024. As one of Alberta’s professional regulatory bodies, the Law Society believes this is an important conversation and has fully participated and engaged with the government through the process.
There were also several key projects completed in 2024 that served our strategic goals of Effective Regulation, Competence, and Public Confidence. It being the first year of this new Strategic Plan, it was exciting to see more work come to fruition that supported these new goals. For example, in September the Practice Fundamentals Program was officially launched as a way for new lawyers to enhance basic competencies. This program was in the works for several years, so it was great to see it through to the implementation phase.
Another significant part of 2024 was that we welcomed several new Benchers to the board following the 2023 Bencher election. Seven new Benchers took their seats at the table in February, and it was a pleasure to be part of their onboarding experience as President. I am confident that they will find their time as Benchers as rewarding as I have.
Thank you to the current Bencher table for their hard work, collaboration, and thoughtfulness. Thank you to the Executive Leadership Team for their excellent leadership and trust. Thank you to the entire Law Society staff for their dedication and support of the Bencher table. And of course, thank you to the Alberta legal profession for your ongoing support of the Law Society’s work.
I am confident that the Law Society is well-positioned to continue its important work in the future and I look forward to seeing what 2025 and the years beyond will bring.
Sincerely,
Deanna Steblyk, KC
President of the Law Society of Alberta
A Message from
Elizabeth J. Osler, KC
Chief executive officer & executive director
As I look back at 2024, it was an exciting year for advancing the goals of the new Strategic Plan and laying the groundwork to improve operational processes, all of which would not be possible without our dedicated staff.
Throughout the year, we pushed forward several Rule changes that improved our regulatory effectiveness and efficiency. Some of these changes included:
- Introducing new client identification and verification rules to further combat money laundering and terrorist financing, including rules that allow lawyers to authenticate identification virtually using digital verification technology;
- Giving the Law Society the authority to extend the registration of a student-at-law when discipline proceedings are underway to better protect the public interest;
- Introducing a new option, the Letter of Caution, for Conduct Committee Panels when considering conduct that does not require a discipline hearing; and
- Removing the requirement to pay the annual inactive status fee for each year of non-payment for lawyers seeking to reinstate from an administrative suspension.
We also completed several important engagements and projects in conjunction with our colleagues from other jurisdictions across the country. While we always actively participate in initiatives run by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (Federation), 2024 was unique in that we worked directly with other law societies on two major projects in addition to typical Federation involvement.
First, the Law Societies of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan worked to identify and validate the competencies needed for entry to legal practice across all four provinces. This initiative resulted in the development of the Western Canada Competency Profile, which will inform lawyer training and education across the participating provinces, including bar admission program development and experiential learning opportunities in the coming years. The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society has since joined this initiative as well.
We also worked with the same four provinces to launch the 2024 articling survey, which was a follow up to the original survey we ran in 2019. The survey allowed us to better understand any current issues associated with the articling experience and the training of new lawyers. We were disheartened to see that some new lawyers and current articling students are still struggling with less than ideal or even unsafe working conditions during their articles. We continue to work with our counterparts across Canada to gain a better understanding of some of the national themes that the survey results revealed.
Last but certainly not least, a significant amount of work was done in 2024 to define our current business processes and begin to determine where they could be improved. The Law Society is committed to regulatory reform and creating operational efficiencies to better serve the public interest and reduce administrative burden. There is much work to be done in the coming years. The discovery and foundational work done in 2024 was paramount and will continue to serve us in the years to come.
Together with the Benchers and the Law Society team, I look forward to pushing these initiatives further and continuing to work towards the goals of the strategic plan.
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 2024–2026 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 2024
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 2024, the Past-President was Bill Hendsbee, KC until June 30 when he was appointed as a Justice of the Alberta Court of Justice.
- Deanna Steblyk, KC, President
- Ryan D. Anderson, KC, President-Elect
- Sony Ahluwalia, KC (Until May 2024)
- A. Danielle Bourgeois
- Glen Buick; Public Representative
- Arman Chak, KC
- Stephanie L. Dobson
- Kene Ilochonwu, KC
- Levonne Louie; Public Representative
- Jim Lutz, KC
- Scott Matheson
- Bud Melnyk, KC
- Kelsey J. Meyer
- Sharilyn C. Nagina, KC
- Mary Ellen Neilson; Public Representative
- Sandra Petersson, KC
- Stacy Petriuk, KC
- Erin Runnalls, KC
- Ronald A. Sorokin, KC
- Nicole Stewart
- David Tupper
- Moira Váně, KC
- Grant Vogeli, KC
- Louise Wasylenko, CPA, CMA; Public Representative
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 | 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
Liaison
Real Estate Practice Advisory Committee Liaison
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
Regulatory Reform
As part of the Law Society’s efforts toward the Effective Regulation strategic goal, ongoing work is being done on regulatory reform projects and processes for greater efficiency. Ensuring that the Law Society’s regulatory framework and processes are efficient, proportionate and responsive is key to effectively address the conduct and competence of the profession.
Anti-Money Laundering Work with Federation
The Law Society has continued to work alongside the Federation of Law Societies of Canada on anti-money laundering initiatives in the profession throughout 2024.
The Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Working Group of the Federation was originally established in 2016 following a government report on the state of money laundering in the legal profession. In March 2023, the Working Group became a standing committee of the Federation to recognize the fact that work on anti-money laundering initiatives is one of the Federation’s strategic priorities. The committee has evolved to encompass proactive educational, compliance and collaborative initiatives.
Alberta is actively involved in this committee work. The adoption and enforcement of consistent rules across all law societies in Canada remains a critical part of the Federation’s and law societies’ strategy to address the risks of money laundering and terrorism financing activities present in the practice of law.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Tool Updates
The 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.
In April 2024, the tool was enhanced with new View/Edit and Track Progress features. The View/Edit Plan feature allows lawyers to view and edit their plan’s details at any time during the CPD year, from October to September of the following year. Lawyers are encouraged to update their plan throughout the year if their role, circumstances or goals change.
The CPD Tool also has an optional Track Progress feature to help document progress and completion of learning activities, and record notes about each activity. This feature helps lawyers add details and assess whether they believe their proficiency level has increased as a result of the activities completed and whether their learning activities were effective. This can also help lawyers determine which learning styles work best for them.
Articling Survey
In 2019, in collaboration with the Law Societies of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Alberta conducted two surveys—one for principals and one for articling students and new lawyers—to better understand the state of the articling system across the three provinces. From May to June 2024, the Law Societies of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan once again surveyed articling students/new lawyers and principals/mentors/recruiters, this time joined by the Law Society of British Columbia and the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. 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.
The Law Society of Alberta heard from 433 student and new lawyer respondents out of a total of 3,018 (a 14 per cent response rate). A 14 per cent response rate is considered relatively standard for this type of market research. We also heard from 344 principals, recruiters and non-principal mentors. A response rate for the principal, recruiter and mentor survey cannot be estimated as the role of mentor is not formally tracked by the Law Society.
The 2024 survey results revealed two key findings:
- Half of respondents who completed articling feel prepared or very prepared for entry-level practice overall, and there has been a year-over-year improvement since 2022.
- Of those who responded, approximately one in three reported experiencing discrimination or harassment during recruitment and/or articling. This is comparable to the 2019 results.
The information gathered from the surveys, in addition to other information and data collected from various sources, will inform next steps in addressing the issues identified in the survey.
Western Canada Competency Profile
Since 2023, the Law Societies of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have been working on a project to identify and validate the competencies needed for entry to legal practice. This initiative resulted in the development of the Western Canada Competency Profile (WCCP), which will inform lawyer training and education, including bar admission program development and experiential learning opportunities in the coming years.
While the WCCP was approved by all four western provinces, it was determined that it would not be implemented immediately.
The Law Society of Alberta shared the WCCP in May to keep the profession updated on our work around lawyer competency and to share the final product resulting from the validation survey that was previously disseminated to the profession. Until further notice, students will not be assessed at the time of bar call based on the competencies listed in the WCCP, nor will principals be responsible for integrating the competencies into learning plans. No action is required from articling students or principals.
The WCCP is the first step in a larger initiative and will take time to fully implement. There is a significant amount of work that still needs to be done with the WCCP, particularly around where and how these competencies will be acquired and the appropriate method of assessment for these competencies.
New Lawyer Events
In August 2024, the Law Society rolled out the welcome mat for new and upcoming lawyers through a new series of events organized by partner organizations in Alberta's legal community. The Law Society of Alberta, the Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society, the Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association, the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch and the Legal Education Society of Alberta collaborated to present three sessions in Calgary, Edmonton and via webinar.
These lunchtime events were free of charge and featured brief presentations from each organization to help get a better understanding of what is offered and how to access the different supports available. New Alberta lawyers were invited to attend and those who have completed law school but not yet been called to the bar. This included articling students, PREP students who have not started articling, internationally trained lawyers and lawyers transferring from outside of Alberta.
Collectively, 114 students and new lawyers attended the events. This is something the Law Society and its partners hope to repeat in the future to continue to support new lawyers as they enter the profession.
Generative AI Resources
The Law Society offers a variety of free online resources to equip lawyers with the tools they need to be successful throughout the lifecycle of their careers. As advancements in technology become more prevalent in our work, we have introduced materials that focus on the responsible use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). These resources are intended to assist Alberta lawyers looking to incorporate Gen AI into their practice while safeguarding their clients’ interests and maintaining their professional competence.
In 2024 Law Society developed a Model Generative AI Use Guide that firms and organizations can adapt and use. In addition to the model policy, the Law Society also has guides and other information available to help employees and employers better understand the potential and obligations relating to Gen AI. These include the Generative AI Playbook and Gen AI Rules of Engagement for Canadian Lawyers.
Practice Fundamentals Program
The Law Society introduced the Practice Fundamentals Program as a way for new lawyers to enhance basic competencies. Alongside the Legal Education Society of Alberta and other subject matter experts, the Law Society developed the Program to provide consistency in fundamental skills for lawyers early in their careers.
The Program will be gradually rolled out over the next several years with new courses added each year. Beginning in September 2024, the courses offered covered topics related to Legal Practice, Professional Conduct and Practice Management. Courses are delivered in a variety of formats, including self-directed learning, webinars and workshops. Each course takes between one to three hours to complete, and all courses are delivered online so lawyers anywhere in Alberta have equal access.
The Program is voluntary and new lawyers can access as little or as much content as they’d like. Courses can be completed in any order and there are no pre-requisites. The Program is geared toward new lawyers who gained active status with the Law Society in January 2024 or later. These lawyers can access the Program at no cost, in the hopes that by removing financial barriers, more new lawyers will take advantage of this valuable learning opportunity.
That said, select courses from the Program can also benefit other lawyers who might be returning to practice, or those who simply want to refresh their knowledge or explore new areas of interest. For these lawyers, the cost is minimal and can be purchased on the LESA website.
Rule Changes for Remote Client ID and Verification
On Sept. 26, 2024, the Benchers voted to amend the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta to align with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada Model Rules regarding Client Identification and Verification (or CIV Rules for short). The amended CIV Rules were set to come into force on Jan. 1, 2025 and the temporary exemption allowing a lawyer to use remote videoconference technology, such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom as a form of client verification, would end. The amendments to the CIV Rules still permit remote client identification and verification, but further safeguard clients and their money and prevent money-laundering.
Under the new Rules, lawyers can authenticate identification virtually using verification technology to confirm the ID is genuine. Verification technology can compare the ID to known characteristics, security features or markers to determine if it is an authentic document. Lawyers still retain the option of meeting their client in person and physically reviewing the clients’ ID, or they may use the credit file or dual process methods of verifying identity. The Law Society provided resources in advance of the CIV Rules coming into effect.
Accessibility in the Legal Profession Webinar
On Dec. 3, 2024, the Law Society hosted an Accessibility in the Legal Profession Webinar: Opportunities for Change-Making and Discussion about what employers and lawyers can do to better accommodate colleagues and clients with disabilities. The webinar covered how systemic strategies in Ontario have advanced accommodations for persons with disabilities and recurring barriers that need to be fixed and offered action-oriented solutions. A panel discussion addressed the value of creating respectful environments within law firms and organizations to have open and honest conversations about accessibility for lawyers and clients with disabilities.
Legal Aid Agreement
Early in the year, the Law Society worked collaboratively with the Government of Alberta and Legal Aid Alberta to renegotiate a new Legal Aid Governance Agreement. In September, all three parties signed a new five-year Governance Agreement, representing a shared commitment to a high quality, independent and sustainable legal aid program.
The Governance Agreement is an agreement between the Government of Alberta, Legal Aid Alberta, and the Law Society of Alberta, that establishes how Legal Aid operates. Legal Aid Alberta is a publicly funded organization that provides affordable legal services to low-income Albertans. The Law Society is not involved in the day-to-day operations of Legal Aid Alberta, but plays a unique role as an impartial third party by participating in the ongoing collaboration between Legal Aid Alberta and the government.
The new Governance Agreement came into effect on Sept. 6, 2024, and will continue until Sept. 5, 2029.
Regulated Professions Review
In October, the Government of Alberta initiated a review of all professional regulatory bodies in Alberta. The review included a government-led regulated professions engagement to ensure that standards of competence, conduct and ethics were being maintained without infringing on individual rights and freedoms.
As one of Alberta’s professional regulatory bodies, the Law Society participated in this important conversation and engaged with the government through the process. The government gathered input from the legal profession in several ways, including in-person group stakeholder meetings in Calgary and Edmonton, and more broadly through a government-developed online survey for lawyers.
The Law Society participated in a one-on-one session with the government and provided a written submission. The Law Society will provide updates as information becomes available through eBulletins to keep lawyers informed.
Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association (ALIA)
ALIA again reduced the base levy paid by Subscribers for both the Professional Liability levy and the Misappropriation levy for the 2024–2025 fiscal and policy year. Following a rebound in investment returns, ALIA’s board of directors (Board) approved approximately $5.1 million in capital to reduce the theoretical levy by $667 per Subscriber, resulting in a Professional Liability levy of $2,910 per Subscriber. The Misappropriation levy, $190 per Subscriber, is the lowest in the history of the indemnity program.
The Board also approved the one-time use of approximately $1 million from capital to pay every Subscriber’s cyber coverage premium from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2024. ALIA renewed the cyber coverage for all Subscribers with a new insurer, Beazley, a global carrier and one of the top cyber risk insurers in Canada. The premium remained unchanged at $265 per Subscriber, with better coverage and still no onerous application process.
ALIA also launched its new website, ALIA.ca, and diversified its investments, the returns from which are used to reduce the annual levy.
The Civil Litigation Filing Levy (CLFL) pilot continues, as civil litigation remains the area of law with the greatest number of claims and accounts for more than 45 per cent of all incurred damages and defence costs over the last five years. ALIA continues to investigate noncompliance by some Subscribers, including working with the Court of King’s Bench to identify Subscribers/firms who do not report and remit the $75 CLFL per qualifying filing. The Law Society also continues to audit Subscriber’s/firm’s accounts to identify noncompliance. This is a matter of fairness to those Subscribers who diligently report and remit, as mandated by the ALIA Board.
ALIA continues to receive exceptionally high satisfaction ratings from Subscribers, with an average customer satisfaction rating of 99 per cent, based on closed file surveys.
Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED)
In 2024, CPLED successfully delivered two intakes of the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP), the official bar admission program in Alberta. A total of 312 candidates registered for the Accelerated PREP 2024 program, while 483 candidates enrolled in the standard PREP 2024. In total, 683 candidates from Alberta participated across both intakes.
The Numbers
Financial Reports
The Law Society uses external auditors to produce financial statements annually. Our 2024 financial statements can be found on our website.
Lawyer fees
The 2024 practice fee was $2,640 per active lawyer, a $150 increase from 2023. Lawyers had the option of paying the fee in two equal installments. The 2024 part-time membership fee was $1,320.
External Funding
The Law Society provides external funding to a variety of affiliated organizations annually. In 2024, we provided over $3.9 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 2024, our Customer Service team took a total of 22,780 calls and answered 20,022 emails. This included general inquiries on the Law Society mainline, support for Membership Services and support for 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, 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 2024 was 5,294, which were liaised via phone, voice mail, booking link request, mail and meetings. Fifty-five 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 Conveyancing, Civil Litigation and Family Law.
Lawyer Statistics
As of Dec. 31, 2024, there were 11,944 active lawyers and 4,731 inactive or inactive-retired lawyers. Both statistics show an increase over the 2023 numbers.
Age and Gender Identity 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.
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, 2024, 605 students were actively articling in Alberta. This reflects an increase from 2023.
The charts below provide more demographic information about articling students in Alberta.
Of the articling students in Alberta, 35 per cent were internationally trained while 65 per cent received their training in Canada. Of the internationally trained articling students, 47 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 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 2024, 633 people applied to become a lawyer in Alberta. Of those, 373 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 261 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, Australia 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 2024, 245 lawyers from other Canadian jurisdictions applied to become licensed in Alberta, and of these applications, 229 were approved. The top three provinces the Law Society of Alberta received applications from included Ontario, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
Regulatory Statistics
Of the 1,610 general inquiries and complaints about Alberta lawyers received in 2024, 901 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 275 complaint files for review in 2024. Most of the complaints were dismissed or resolved without a hearing. There were 51 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 23 conduct and resignation hearings were concluded in 2024, 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 124 lawyers were administratively suspended in 2024.
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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