February 21, 2019
Welcome Rob Armstrong, QC, President 2019-2020
Rob Armstrong, QC begins his term as the 2019-2020 President of the Law Society of Alberta today.

Rob joined the Board in 2015. In 2017, he also joined the Alberta Lawyers Insurance Exchange Advisory Board as a Director.

Rob is Privacy Counsel with the Calgary Police Service, where he advises the organization on legal issues relating to access to information and privacy matters.

To read more about Rob, please visit the Board Directory .
Welcome Kent Teskey, QC, President-Elect 2019-2020
Kent Teskey, QC begins his term as the 2019-2020 President-Elect of the Law Society of Alberta today.

Kent joined the Board in 2015. He practises criminal law at Pringle Chivers Sparks Teskey in Edmonton.

To learn more about Kent, please visit the Board Directory . 
Thank You to our Outgoing President, Don Cranston, QC
We would like to thank our outgoing President, Don Cranston, QC. Don joined the Board in 2015 and served on many committees and task forces. We are grateful to Don for his time, commitment and significant contributions.

On behalf of Don Cranston, the Law Society of Alberta has made a donation to the Michael O’Boyle Mental Health & Wellness Fund at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. The fund is used to support student-led mental health activities in the Faculty. In particular, it will support student efforts to foster awareness of the challenges associated with mental illness, depression, anxiety, and stress and to develop strategies and practices to reduce both their impact and the associated stigma.

"We are incredibly grateful for the Law Society's contribution,” added Dr. Paul Paton, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta. "During his tenure as President, Don has been instrumental in advancing mental health and wellness initiatives within the Alberta legal community.

"Mental health and wellness has been a priority of my Deanship and Don's outstanding support for student-focused efforts has sent important signals about the foundational importance of raising awareness right at the start of a legal career. Hopefully the message sent by this contribution from the Law Society will encourage others to donate to help facilitate dialogue, reduce stigma and continue to effect positive change in the profession."
Corinne Petersen Rejoins the Bencher Table
We would like to welcome back Corinne Petersen to the Board. Corinne served on the Board from 2017-2018. She is a litigator with Kingsgate Legal in Edmonton.

To learn more about Corinne, please visit the Board Directory .
CPLED Launches New Website
The Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) is pleased to announce the launch of their new website. Visit www.cpled.ca to check it out. 

With a new CPLED program on the horizon, you will find information about the existing program as well as what’s coming. CPLED will continue to build out the content on the new web site to make it a one-stop-shop for articling students as well as principals and employers. 

CPLED is also developing an online student directory that will allow principals and employers to search for articling or summer students. This functionality will not be ready for the initial launch, but please check back as this new tool will be a great way to connect students with potential employers. 

CPLED is excited to be bringing their vision to life – to deliver the best-in-class bar admission program in Canada that focuses on competency-based skills for the lawyers of tomorrow. Please visit the new website to learn more about the journey to a new CPLED Program. 
Indigenous Advisory Committee Announced
We have committed to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action in a thoughtful and collaborative way that builds and strengthens relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities.

As part of this response, we have established the Indigenous Advisory Committee to collect feedback and input on the initiatives of the Law Society. This will advance the goals of truth and reconciliation, particularly surrounding access to justice for Indigenous peoples and cultural competency development for lawyers. The committee will work with the Indigenous Initiatives Liaison, Koren Lightning-Earle.

Following a six month recruitment and selection period, the Law Society has chosen:
  • Four Indigenous lawyers: Racquel Fraser and Kane Richards for two year appointments and Harold Robinson and Sarah Lanceley for one year appointments;
  • One non-Indigenous lawyer, Michael Pflueger for a one year appointment;
  • Two Indigenous members of the public: Katelyn Lucas for a two year appointment and Jennifer Big Crow for a one year appointment;
  • Law Society staff member Donna Moore.

We look forward to working with the Indigenous Advisory Committee and continuing to advance our response to the TRC Calls to Action. Read more about the committee members.
With travellers at Canadian airports and border crossings subject to increasing scrutiny, it is important for lawyers to have an understanding of how the privacy interests of their clients may be impacted by legislation and policies developed to address public safety issues.