December 12, 2024

On Jan. 1, 2025, new Rules governing client identification and verification come into effect for Alberta lawyers. These Rules will expand how lawyers can effectively verify their client’s identity and how they can use both agents and authentication technology to safeguard clients and their money, and prevent money-laundering. 

Join Bernadette Charan, Manager, Trust Safety, and Jesse Mackenzie, Practice Advisor, for a webinar focused on lawyers’ anti-money laundering obligations and what the upcoming changes in the Rules mean for lawyers. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions related to your practice.  

Event Details

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025

Noon – 1 p.m. via Zoom Webinar 

Register here

For more information on the upcoming changes, visit the Law Society website.  

Accessibility in the Legal Profession Webinar Recording

On Dec. 3, 2024, the Law Society of Alberta hosted an Accessibility in the Legal Profession Webinar: Opportunities for Change-Making and Discussion about what employers and lawyers can do to better accommodate colleagues and clients with disabilities. The webinar began with a presentation on how systemic strategies in Ontario have advanced accommodations for persons with disabilities and recurring barriers that need to be fixed and offered action-oriented solutions. A panel discussion followed that addressed the value of creating respectful environments within law firms and organizations to have open and honest conversations about accessibility for lawyers and clients with disabilities. 

If you did not get a chance to view the live webinar, the recording and resource listing are now available on our website. 

Please note that the Law Society office will be closed from noon on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.

Our office will re-open for regular business on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

We wish you and yours a happy holiday season.

McGill University Faculty of Law Study: Class Actions

Jérémy Boulanger-Bonnelly, a professor at McGill University's Faculty of Law, is conducting a study related to class actions. The study aims to document the perspectives of legal professionals working in class actions regarding current issues in that field, the desirability of reforming applicable legislative frameworks and some potential reforms.

This study is conducted in partnership with the Quebec Institute for Law and Justice Reform and the Uniform Law Conference of Canada. To be eligible, you must be a legal professional whose practice is at least partially focused on class actions.

To participate in the study, please review the consent form carefully and then complete the 15-minute online survey. The survey is anonymous and will remain open until Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. The questions will focus on your background and experience, and your views on five aspects of class actions. Collecting this information will serve to inform and guide future reform projects.

If you have any questions regarding the study, please contact Professor Jérémy Boulanger-Bonnelly at 514.396.1040 or via email.

Court of King's Bench of Alberta Announcements

Restoring Matters to Morning Chambers

Effective Dec. 9, 2024, Alberta lawyers and legal assistants have the ability to restore sine die matters to the Morning Civil Justice Chambers list through the Civil Filing Digital Service.

To restore your matter, you are required to submit a Restore Letter, which should include the following details:

• the action number;
• the date the application was originally filed;
• a description of the application; and
• the requested hearing date.

Additionally, you must submit any previously-filed documents that you intend to rely on during the hearing as supporting documents with the Restore Letter submission. This includes, but is not limited to, the statement of claim, the application, affidavits, affidavits of service and any documents served upon you for the hearing.

View the full announcement.

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