August 1, 2019
Upcoming Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Rule Amendment Education Series
We have adopted amendments to our client identification and verification rules, as well as accounting rules governing the receipt of cash and the permitted use of lawyers' trust accounts. The changes take effect on September 30, 2019.

We are offering three information sessions and a webinar to discuss the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing rule amendments. To register and learn more, please click on a link below.
 
2019 Viscount Bennett Scholarship Recipient
Congratulations Roy Cotton-O'Brien

We are pleased to congratulate Roy Cotton-O’Brien, this year’s recipient of the Viscount Bennett Scholarship.

Roy completed an Honours Bachelor of Arts at McGill University, graduating with distinction in political science and philosophy. He went on to study law at the University of Toronto, earning a Juris Doctor with honours in 2017.

Roy was called to the bar in both Alberta and Ontario in 2018 after completing his articles of clerkship with the Court of Appeal of Alberta in Calgary. Prior to this position, he spent two summers at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, where he now works as a litigation associate.

Read more about Roy's story and the Viscount Bennett Scholarship.
New Resource - Employee Theft on the Rise: Are You at Risk?
We have observed a trend of increased employee theft from law firm bank accounts. Employee theft exposes lawyers and law firms to personal financial risk.

Lawyers may also be disciplined by the Law Society for failing to safeguard client funds. Many lawyers rely heavily on their bookkeepers and other staff to handle their firm accounting. Lawyers often feel they lack time to personally handle account reconciliations, and many have no accounting background. Delegating bookkeeping responsibilities to trained staff is ideal, but doing so without proper oversight can lead to major problems. Lawyers should educate themselves to protect against fraud and theft.

Read more about common red flags, tips to reduce the risk of theft and more.
Summer Student Recruitment Dates
The 2020 first-year summer student recruitment period will be Tuesday, February 18, 2020 to Friday, February 21, 2020. No offer of employment shall be made before 5 p.m. on Friday, February 21, 2020. Such offers must remain open for acceptance for a minimum of 24 hours. An offer of employment may be made at any time after the recruitment period and shall be left open for a reasonable period of time. For further information, please refer to Rule 49.2 and 49.3 .
Articling Student Recruitment Dates
The 2020 recruitment period will be from June 1 - June 12, 2020. Employers may only make offers of employment after 8 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the recruitment period (June 9). These offers must remain open for acceptance for 24 hours. For further information, please refer to Rule 49.1 and 49.2 .
The Law Society of Alberta is Moving
Our lease is coming to a close after over 30 years in our current building and we will be moving to a new location this fall.

On Nov. 12, we will be in a new space further down 11 th Avenue in the heart of the Beltline in Calgary. The move will take place over the long weekend prior and will not affect regular office hours.

Our new mailing address will be:
Law Society of Alberta
Suite 700
333 – 11 th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
T2R 1L9

Please update your records with our new address effective Nov. 12. All other contact information will remain the same. We will share more details in the coming months.