Trust Account Fraud Update

Lawyers in all areas of practice continue to be a target for fraudsters. Although fraud cannot be fully prevented, certain steps can be taken to minimize risk and loss. As March is Fraud Prevention Month, we encourage lawyers to be aware of any fraudulent activity and pay close attention to their bank accounts, records, communication platforms and system security.

The charts below represent a summary of fraudulent activity reported to the Trust Safety Department from January 2022 – December 2022. The total amount of reported fraud loss was over $470,000.

Introducing Table Talks – Group Mentoring Sessions

The Law Society of Alberta has launched a new series of group mentoring events called Table Talks. These events were introduced to a small audience last year as a way to connect new lawyers with more experienced professionals, and we are pleased to announce that Table Talks is now a formal offering in our mentorship programs.

The purpose of Table Talks is to bring together mentors and mentees for in-person group mentoring sessions to network and discuss important topics that affect lawyers. Each event features a specific discussion theme with mentors leading informal conversations among small groups of mentees. Some of the upcoming discussion themes in 2023 include real estate law, Indigenous law and a variety of practice management topics, to name a few.

Mentees involved in our Mentor Connect and Mentor Express programs will receive advance notice of each event, as space is limited. Articling students, Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) candidates, new lawyers or lawyers who are specifically interested in the topics of discussion are also welcome to attend on a first come, first served basis. Lunch is provided at each session and there is no cost to attend.

Check our events page regularly to see new Table Talk sessions as they are scheduled throughout the year.

If you are interested in participating in a future Table Talk event as either a mentor or a mentee, contact our Mentorship team.

No User Left Behind – CanLII Needs Your Help

CanLII is starting a major project aimed at making their website more accessible and efficient for people with disabilities. Over the past few years, CanLII has conducted several pinpoint projects to improve its navigation and search pages, and is now focusing on the entirety of CanLII’s content.

CanLII is seeking volunteers with vision-related or mobility-related disabilities to participate in a study to help identify the limitations currently posed by the CanLII website.

View more information about the project.

Court of King's Bench Announcements

New Civil and Family Booking Forms to Replace "Triage" Form

Please be advised that the court has removed the Civil/Family/Commercial Triage Form and replaced it with two new scheduling forms that are to be emailed to the appropriate coordinator: Special Chambers Booking Form and Trial Booking Form. Any applicable orders/forms (for example, Form 37 Request to Schedule Trial Date or an Order varying filing deadlines) should be attached to the email along with the form. 

The (Civil) Special Chambers Booking Form should be used to schedule a special before a Justice or Applications Judge. Parties must appear in Family Docket Court to schedule a family special. 

The Trial Booking Form can be used for both civil and family however, parties in a family action must obtain leave in Family Docket Court to schedule a trial prior to submitting this form. The Endorsement from Family Docket Court reflecting this leave must be provided to the Court Coordinator with the Trial Form.

Referral To Case Resolution Counsel Increased Income Eligibility Cap

Effective immediately, in conjunction with the increase in the income eligibility cap for Court and Justice Services Family Mediation Service from $40,000 to $60,000, the Court of King’s Bench is increasing the income eligibility cap for referrals to Case Resolution Counsel from Family Docket Court from $70,000 to $90,000.

More information is available on the Family Docket Court page of the Court of King’s Bench website.

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