CPD Webinar Recording Now Available 

On July 4, the Law Society’s new online CPD Tool was made available for lawyers to complete their annual CPD plans. Last week, members of the Education team hosted a webinar, which included an introduction to the Tool and a detailed walkthrough.

All lawyers who have an active status when the CPD planning period opens are required to submit an annual plan by Oct. 1. The only exception is lawyers who have the status of active – non-practising.

See the CPD Tool User Guide, CPD FAQs, CPD Resources, CPD Plan Review Process and Guideline for further information. For assistance with completing your plan or any questions regarding the CPD Tool, contact Education.

Practice Advisors Availability Between July 1 and Sept. 30 

The Practice Advisors will be alternating time off in the coming months, and during these periods the department will have fewer staff available to take calls and emails. To accommodate this, the standard response protocol for non-urgent matters will be adjusted. 

The response time for non-urgent inquiries between July 1 and Sept. 30 will be up to five business days. Inquiries may receive a response earlier depending on call and email volumes, but callers should be prepared for up to five days. 

The Practice Advisors are available as a free and confidential service for Alberta lawyers. They support staff and articling students with legal, ethical and practice inquiries. They also provide their confidential services to lawyers from the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.  

Every day, a significant number of inquiries they receive are flagged as urgent. To ensure that time-sensitive calls receive a timely response, inquiries are triaged. Matters that are considered urgent and will receive a response within the same or following business day are: 



• same day or next day real estate closings;
• same day or next day court matters; and,
• public, client and lawyer safety concerns (Please note: Safety concerns are defined as immediate threats of harm by clients or the public to themselves or to others, including the lawyer).

Other matters submitted as time sensitive or urgent will be reviewed by the assigned Practice Advisor and they will prioritize accordingly in their call queue. 

Practice Advisors will try to limit conversations to a maximum of 30 minutes so they can help as many lawyers as possible. To ensure a timely response, please do not send multiple requests.  

For additional information, visit the Office of the Practice Advisor web page.

Business Venture Clinic – Volunteers Needed

The Business Venture Clinic is a student-run, pro bono legal clinic at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Law. Law students assist entrepreneurs in creating new businesses. Over the past nine years, the clinic has worked with over 650 entrepreneurs.

• Volunteers Needed: Lawyers in any area of the law that have been practising for three years or more.
• Volunteer Role: Act as a mentor to students, reviewing and providing feedback on written agreements or memos generated by the students over the course of the academic year.
• Time Commitment: Approximately one to two hours per month.
• Contact: Email businesscliniccoordinator@gmail.com for more information.

Edmonton Community Legal Centre – Volunteers Needed

The Edmonton Community Legal Centre (ECLC) provides free legal advice, advocacy, information, referrals and support when income poses a barrier to accessing justice. ECLC provides services to people located in Northern Alberta through remote and in-person clinics in Edmonton and Grande Prairie.

• Volunteers Needed: Lawyers and articling students comfortable advising in family, civil or immigration law.
• Volunteer Role: Meet with clients in person or by telephone to advise, inform and direct people through the legal system.
• Time Commitment: Two hours a month. Daytime and evening shifts available.
• Contact: Suzie at sashford@eclc.ca or visit their website.

Court of King's Bench Announcements

Expansion of the King's Bench Filing Digital Service to Include Civil Justice Chambers in the Pilot Location of Edmonton

Effective July 17, a pilot program will commence as part of an expansion of the existing Civil King's Bench Filing Digital Service (FDS). This initial release will introduce filings for Civil Justice Chambers in the Edmonton location for hearings scheduled on or after Aug. 1.

This pilot program will enable lawyers to submit an Application for Civil Justice Chambers, accompanied by supporting materials and the mandatory proposed form of Order. Reply materials will also be accepted. Materials will be digitally delivered to the Justice. Orders that are granted in the provided form will be digitally signed by the Justice and made available to counsel through the digital service.

Counsel submitting material for Civil Justice Chambers in Edmonton for Aug. 1 and beyond are strongly encouraged to utilize the King's Bench FDS for this purpose.

View the full announcement.

Further Expansion of the Family and Divorce Filing Digital Service and Mandatory Filing Effective Aug. 1, 2023

Effective Aug. 1, 2023, use of the Family and Divorce Filing Digital Service will be mandatory for counsel filing a Notice to Attend Family Docket Court in the judicial centres of Edmonton and Calgary. A grace period of two weeks shall be observed, until Aug. 15, 2023, after which use of Family and Divorce Filing Digital Service for filing a Notice to Attend Family Docket Court will be strictly enforced. 

Please note that Family and Divorce Filing Digital Service cannot accommodate filings for which payment is waived (i.e., fee waiver or Legal Aid Certificate, filings by Alberta Justice), for amended documents, urgent filing requests, applications and certain orders. These filings will continue to be accepted via Email Filing. 

View the full announcement.

Minutes – Civil Bar Meeting with the Court of King's Bench, June 5 2023

On June 5, 2023, Alberta lawyers practising in civil law were invited to attend an online meeting with the Chief Justice, Justices of the Court of King’s Bench and representatives of King’s Bench administration, to discuss issues related to civil practice, filing processes and other matters of interest to the civil bar. 

View the agenda and meeting minutes from the meeting for more information on what was discussed.

STAY CONNECTED