November 10, 2022

Bencher Table Vacancy

There will be a Bencher vacancy arising when Ken Warren, KC’s, term as President of the Law Society of Alberta concludes on Feb. 23, 2023.

 

In the event of a vacancy at the Bencher table, the Benchers, using the process outlined in Rule 17 of the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta, have two options to fill the seat: they may appoint an eligible member, or they may appoint the candidate who received the next-most number of votes in the previous Bencher election (in this case, November 2020).

 

If the Benchers choose to appoint a lawyer to serve as a Bencher, rather than going to the lawyer with the next-most votes from the November 2020 election, the Benchers follow the process outlined in section 19 of the Legal Profession Act (the Act) and Rules of the Law Society of Alberta, Rule 17.

 

Accordingly, the Law Society has opened its online application process for lawyers to apply to fill the vacancy that will be created by the conclusion of President Warren’s term on Feb. 23, 2023. Once chosen, this individual will serve until February 2024. The successful candidate will be free to run in the November 2023 Bencher election should they want to continue to serve as a Bencher beyond the expiration of their appointed term. Benchers are elected for terms of three years, up to a maximum of nine years total if re-elected, including the time spent as an appointed Bencher.

 

The key responsibilities of the Benchers lie in two areas: governance (attending and participating in board and committee meetings) and adjudication (participating in hearings related to conduct, admission and other regulatory matters).

 

All active members of the Law Society may apply to fill a Bencher vacancy. The defined Bencher competencies are available on the Law Society website.

 

The online application is open until Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. MT. The application will request information about your current practice, skills and ask for a current CV. The Nominating Committee is requesting that applicants keep their CV to a maximum of two pages (12 point font). Please note that incomplete, late applications or applications that submit CV’s longer than two pages will not be reviewed. It is the sole responsibility of the applicants to ensure their applications are complete in accordance with the above.

Learn More and Apply

New Resource – Password Managers: Practice Management Tool

If criminals gain access to your data or online accounts, there could be significant financial and professional ramifications. One way of protecting your data is to employ strong and robust passwords across your digital accounts. 


Read the full resource for information on the practical things you can do to restore the protective function of passwords.

New Resource – Trust Safety and Accounting: Your Role as a Responsible Lawyer

Ensuring your trust accounting and safety practices are in accordance with the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta is important for ensuring the public's confidence in the security of their trust funds.


As a Responsible Lawyer, you are responsible for all trust money and property received from a client. View the resource outlining some of your trust safety responsibilities at a glance.

Alberta Law Foundation Annual Report

The Alberta Law Foundation’s 2022 Annual Report is now available.

 

In the Foundation’s 2021–22 fiscal year, 38 grants with an aggregate value of $14.2 million were allocated to organizations across the province. Programs funded by the Foundation supported over 138,000 Albertans with legal advice, representation, education, information and referral in 2021–22, and benefitted countless others through online information, legal research and law reform activities. 

 

In addition, the Foundation allocated $6.4 million to Legal Aid Alberta in 2021–22. This included the $2.7 million contribution required under the Legal Profession Act (equal to 25 per cent of the interest accrued on lawyer’s pooled trust accounts in the Foundation’s 2021–22 fiscal year), as well as a special contribution of $3.7 million. 

 

The Foundation thanks Alberta lawyers and law firms for properly setting up and maintaining their pooled trust accounts so that the Foundation receives the appropriate amount of interest to continue supporting access to justice in our province.

Read the Report

Court of King's Bench Announcement

COVID-19 Update: Access to Restricted Court Workspaces


The access policy contained in the Tri-Court Notice of Sept. 21, 2021 setting out access requirements for counsel, service providers and visitors to the secure areas of Alberta courthouses is rescinded effective Nov. 14, 2022.


View the announcement

Upcoming Events

Mental Health and the Criminal Code | Nov. 22, 2022


Visit our website for a full list of upcoming events.

Events Calendar
STAY CONNECTED
Twitter  Linkedin