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The Law Society is now accepting applications from active practising Alberta lawyers in good standing to fill a Bencher vacancy. This position will start at the Feb. 26, 2026 Bencher meeting and will fill the vacancy created by the end of President Stacy Petriuk, KC’s term.
The Board follows Rule 17 of the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta, which allows the Board to fill a vacancy either by appointing from applications received or by selecting from the results of the previous Bencher election. In all instances, the Board considers both options when determining how they will fill the vacancy. Please note that candidates from the previous election who would like to be considered for the Bencher vacancy must express their interest by completing the online application.
The new Bencher will serve for a one-year term until February 2027, unless they run and are elected in the November 2026 Bencher election, in which case they would begin a new three-year term in February 2027.
How to Apply
Prior to completing your application, review and update your information in the Lawyer Portal.
Prepare a CV that meets the following requirements. Please do not provide a cover letter. CVs that do not meet these requirements will not be reviewed:
- Maximum two pages
- Minimum size 12 font
- Minimum 1.1 line spacing
- PDF or Word (Docx) format
The application form is open until noon MST on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.
The form will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will remain available to update on the same device it was started on until submitted. Once submitted, it is not possible to update the form. Applications will be kept for up to 12 months in case other vacancies arise.
Please note, it is the sole responsibility of applicants to ensure their applications are complete in accordance with the requirements above. Incomplete, late or applications with CVs that do not meet the specified requirements set out above will not be reviewed.
The Process
The Nominating Committee will consider information collected from the Lawyer Portal, information provided in the online application form, and CVs that meet the size and format requirements described above. Applicants will be assessed based on supplementing the existing skills and demographics at the Bencher table. The Nominating Committee will interview a short-list of candidates and decide who to recommend the Benchers appoint to fill the Bencher vacancy.
Background Information
The key responsibilities of Benchers are governance (attending and participating in board and committee meetings) and adjudication (participating in regulatory hearings). The Bencher competencies are available on the Law Society website.
Benchers spend approximately 500 volunteer hours on Law Society work yearly. There are four regularly scheduled in-person Board meetings in Calgary each year, an annual virtual budget review meeting in November, plus an annual in-person three-day strategic retreat in June. Benchers typically sit on several committees or task forces in any given year. Each committee holds virtual meetings five times per year, on average. Virtual ad hoc Board meetings may be added as needed.
Adjudicator training includes online modules and a mandatory in-person session held in March annually. In-person Bencher governance and adjudication education sessions are held as required.
Visit our website for more information on the role of Benchers, the Board and Committees, and the Strategic Plan.
If you have questions, please contact Governance.
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