Over the past few months, issues of systemic racism and discrimination affecting Black Canadians, Indigenous Peoples and People of Colour (BIPOC) have been highlighted in Canada and around the world. In response, the Law Society is adopting a listen, learn and act approach to issues of racism and discrimination within the legal profession, specifically as it relates to our regulatory mandate. We want to hear about the experiences of those impacted by racism and discrimination in Alberta’s legal community. From there, we can learn about where we, as the regulator of the legal profession, can make a difference through resources, policies, programming and other areas within our regulatory jurisdiction.
We are inviting Alberta lawyers, articling students, law students and internationally trained lawyers (including those who are not yet called to the Alberta bar) to submit stories about their own experiences where racial discrimination or stereotyping impacted their legal career.
You can submit your experience by video, audio or written format and have the option to share it anonymously. Your experience can be submitted on our engagement website, Law Society Listens.
In addition, the Law Society, in doing this work, recognizes the importance of its own self-reflection and welcomes any feedback from the project that highlights issues that need to be addressed by the Law Society itself. From there, we can learn about where we, as the regulator of the legal profession, can make a difference through resources, policies, programming and other areas within our regulatory jurisdiction.
Submissions for the “My Experience” Project will close on October 30, 2020. Questions about the project can be directed to the Law Society's Communications department.
We look forward to gathering this information and assessing the opportunities and challenges that come out of it.
Find out about other equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives here.
