May 28, 2026

Changes to the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program 

New CPD Plan Deadline 
 

As previously communicated, the deadline to submit the annual CPD plan is moving from Oct. 1 to the last day of February each year. As a result, the Oct. 1, 2026, CPD plan deadline is now Feb. 28, 2027. Lawyers can make updates or adjustments to their CPD plans to account for the new deadline. 

Professional Development Profile Updates 


At the May 7 Board meeting, the Benchers approved amendments to the Professional Development Profile (Profile), which forms the foundation of the CPD program. The Profile is a living document, which continues to change as the demands and requirements for lawyers evolve. 

Updates made to the Profile reflect changes in Alberta law as set out in the Regulated Professions Neutrality Act and the Legal Profession Act. As well, additional clarity around the role of substantive competency in the CPD program was added. While the Profile does not include detailed competencies for each substantive area of law, lawyers are encouraged to pursue CPD specific to their practice areas in accordance with the new competency in the Legal Practice domain. 

View the Profile on our website for more details. The CPD Tool will be updated to reflect these changes in due course and will be ready for the next CPD planning period.

If you have questions about CPD planning or the new deadline, please contact Customer Service. 

Webinar Recording: Are You a Solo Practitioner? Set Yourself up for Success!  

The Law Society recently hosted a webinar providing guidance for opening a solo practice and the recording is now available. 


The webinar presenters detailed what you need in place before opening your door and the processes that will support your practice afterward. 

Please note: Some of the dates referenced in this recorded webinar are only applicable for 2026. On May 7, 2026, a revised key date and deadline schedule for 2027 was approved, which was communicated via eBulletin and is available on our website. 

Alberta Court of Justice Update

Indigenous Justice Strategy


In September 2022, the Alberta Court of Justice adopted an Indigenous Justice Strategy (IJS). The IJS was developed after two years of internal reflection, external consultation, research, discussion and dialogue. The IJS contains 20 concrete action items called Responses. Each year, the Court produces an annual update statement showing the progress made on each action item. Recently, the Court produced and published a video highlighting how the strategy came about and the progress on it so far. 


Find out more about the IJS and view the video on the Court's website. 

Reminder: Family Arbitration in Alberta Survey

If you have experience with family arbitrations in Alberta, you are invited to participate in an anonymous survey for a research study concerning reforming family arbitration. The study is conducted by Professor Tamar Meshel and the Alberta Law Reform Institute at the University of Alberta. The leaders of the study hope to learn about the current state of family arbitration in Alberta and whether it needs to be separated from commercial arbitration.  


If you are interested in participating, complete and submit this 10-minute online survey by Sunday, May 31.

If you have any questions about the survey or the study, please contact Professor Tamar Meshel at meshel@ualberta.ca.

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