As a reminder, internationally trained lawyers who have completed their Certificate of Qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation are not subject to the recruitment rules listed in Rules 49.1 – 49.3 of the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta and can be recruited at any time. For more information on student recruitment dates, visit the Law Society website.

Earlier this year, the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges, in partnership with the Canadian Bar Association Alberta and the Law Society of Alberta, surveyed legal professionals in Alberta about the unique obstacles faced by women in the profession. A summary of the responses from this survey can be downloaded here.

The project is now ready to move onto the next phase of engagement in the form of a virtual panel presentation and roundtable discussions with members of the legal profession scheduled for Monday, Oct. 18, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. This event will include a panel discussion with leading women in Alberta's legal profession, followed by small breakout group discussions with attendees.

Registration for this event is free of charge, and we invite all members of the profession to participate, not only women, as it will take a collective effort from all of us to effect lasting change.

Federal Courts Online Survey – Scope and Cost of Indigenous Litigation

There has been a perception that over the years, the scope and cost of Indigenous litigation has increased. To improve current processes, the Court wants to identify: (a) factors that are impacting the scope and cost of Indigenous litigation, and (b) potential strategies to address the causes of these increases. Feedback from the survey will be reviewed by the Federal Court ~ Indigenous Bar Association ~ Aboriginal Law Bar Liaison Committee to develop recommendations for practice and / or rule changes.

"Indigenous litigation" means actions and applications for judicial review that involve Indigenous law issues (aboriginal rights or title, treaty rights, Métis issues, Inuit claims, fiduciary duties, duty to consult, First Nation election/governance disputes, etc.).

The entire survey will take approximately 25-30 minutes to complete. Recognizing that this is a lengthy survey, you are encouraged to answer the specific parts of most interest and relevance to you. Only "Part 1: About You" is mandatory. By default, all parts are selected and we require a minimum of one optional section selected. You can uncheck parts that you do not want to complete, and these will then be removed from the online survey. If you want to add them later, you will be given the option to return to this page at the end of the survey. Previously entered responses will be saved, but you will be able to review them as well.

This survey is completely voluntary. You do not have to answer questions you do not want to answer. The data collected will be reported as a whole, so as to not identify any one individual respondent. Any data that is made available to the public in a dataset will be fully anonymized; that is, all personal identifiers would be removed.

The survey will be active until Friday, Oct. 15, 2021.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Andrew Baumberg, Senior Counsel, Federal Court via email or by phone at 613.947.3177.

The Law Society of Alberta and the Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association will be closing our virtual offices on Sept. 30 this year to honour the significance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The Government of Canada recently passed legislation to make Sept. 30 a federal statutory holiday called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This is an important step in the truth and reconciliation process. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools and to honour their survivors, their families and communities.

As part of the commitment to the Calls to Action recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Canada, the Alberta Courts have offered training to judges and court staff on Indigenous history and culture. Providing for on-going education on these matters is vital in ensuring that the delivery of justice meets the needs of all Indigenous people.

In performing an essential public service, court hearings are scheduled at least several months in advance. The Courts have made a commitment to the parties involved to hear their matters on the dates set. Thus, on Sept. 30 this year, hearings will proceed. To do otherwise at this stage would seriously disadvantage those affected, particularly those involved in criminal trials as accused, complainants and witnesses due to the time it would take to reschedule them.

Going forward, the Alberta Courts will be considering the measures that should be implemented each year to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Visit our Events page for a full list of upcoming events.