The Law Society of Alberta, Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society (Assist), Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association (ALIA) and the Canadian Bar Association — Alberta Branch are partnering to host a virtual summit this fall. The event, titled Well-Being in Practice — A summit on taking care of yourself, your workplace and our profession will be held over two days:

If you are interested in attending, please save the date in your calendars. Registration information will be distributed to the profession in July and will be limited to the first 1,000 registrants.

May is Asian Heritage Month, recognizing and celebrating the many ways in which Canadians of Asian heritage have helped shape our communities for over 200 years.

This year is the 20th anniversary of observing Asian Heritage Month in Canada and the theme is “Continuing a Legacy of Greatness,” which recognizes a legacy of contributions established by the unique and diverse identities of Canadians of all Asian descent.

From the multitude of languages to the richness of culture to the diversity of faith and religion, the vibrance of our Canada today reflects the stories of generations of Asian Canadian families, new immigrants and their communities across the country.

Asian heritage in Alberta has roots in many forms. For example, the history of Sikhs in the province dates back to before Alberta became a province in 1905 — a history “documented for the first time” through the Southern Alberta Sikh History Project in 2018 by a Mount Royal University professor in Calgary. Similarly, the Japanese Experience in Alberta was “designated a national historic event in 2007.” The designation recognizes the settlement of Japanese migrant labourers in Alberta during the early 1900s, a community that would later be reinforced by the arrival of Japanese Canadians from the West Coast after being forcibly removed from their homes during the Second World War. The history of Chinese Canadians in Alberta can also be traced back to the late 19th century, in 1885, with Chinatowns established by 1910 in Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

Through immigration and refugee settlement, many Canadians of Asian heritage across a diverse expanse of Asian ethnicities call Canada home. From scholars and businesspersons to veterans and public servants, from authors and athletes to influencers and activists, the contributions of Asian Canadians across the country are many.

This year’s theme, “Continuing a Legacy of Greatness,” is as much about recognition of the contributions of the Asian Canadian community as it is about combatting anti-Asian racism.

Read the full article.

The team will be conducting confidential interviews with legal professionals from across Canada. The interviews form part of a national study on the mental health and wellness of lawyers, Quebec notaries, Ontario paralegals and articling students in Canada. The study also includes data collected from over 7,000 legal professionals last year. The anonymous and confidential findings from the study will be published in a series or reports beginning in the Fall 2022. The reports will make recommendations about supporting the mental health and wellness of legal professionals in Canada.

If you would like to share your thoughts on wellness in law through a confidential, virtual interview with a member of the Université de Sherbrooke research team, please see this poster for further details and instructions on how to participate. Interview participants will be selected on a first come, first served basis, and you are asked to express your interest no later than Friday, June 3.

The National Well-being Study is a project of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada in partnership will all law societies across Canada and the Canadian Bar Association (CBA). Dr. Nathalie Cadieux of the Université de Sherbrooke is leading the study, and all information collected in the course of the study will remain confidential. Each interviewer is bound by a confidentiality agreement and strict standards established by the Université de Sherbrooke’s Ethics Board. Further, the published findings in smaller jurisdictions, and where necessary in larger jurisdictions, will be aggregated to avoid any possibility of individual participants being identified.

The project partners — the Federation, the law societies and the CBA — will not have access to the names of interview participants or any of the information shared with the researchers. The project partners will receive the same reports that will be available to all regulated legal professionals in Canada through the law societies and the CBA, once each phase of the study is complete. As a law society member, you will receive information about, and access to the final reports.

Thank you for your interest in this important initiative for the legal profession in Canada.

Last year, the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges, in partnership with the Canadian Bar Association — Alberta Branch and the Law Society of Alberta, invited members of Alberta's legal profession to participate in a survey and roundtable discussions to share ideas and brainstorm how to improve engagement of women in our legal profession.

The response we received from the profession was outstanding, and the report on the results of the roundtable conversations is now available.

Subject to ongoing review of all available health information related to COVID-19, it is now the intention of the Provincial Court to move to limited in-person attendance in docket courts across the province as of Monday, June 6, 2022. Read more.