Written by Cori Ghitter, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Policy and Education, Law Society of Alberta
Looking for the right lawyer to help with legal issues can be overwhelming and that is why many Albertans turn to the
Lawyer Referral Service (LRS), currently operated by the Law Society of Alberta.
After many successful years being run by Calgary Legal Guidance, in March 2020, the Law Society took LRS back in-house. The goal in doing so was, in part, to better understand how the service meets the needs of the public. Through the first year of in-house operation at the Law Society, more than 17,000 Albertans contacted LRS and were matched with lawyers who participate in the program.
LRS assists members of the public in finding a lawyer. Members of the public can contact the LRS via phone or email, advise our customer service representatives of their legal issue and then receive contact details for up to three lawyers in the relevant area of law. It is up to the member of the public to reach out to the lawyers to determine if the lawyers are a fit for their legal issue. It is important to note that LRS is a matching service, not a free legal service.
In 2021, the Law Society launched a survey to gather input from key stakeholders who have accessed the service as well as the lawyers who participate. Notably, surveys were sent out to members of the public that had accessed LRS in the past year and participating lawyers in the program.
Read the
full article to learn more about the survey results and next steps for the Law Society.