November 27, 2018
Recruiting Mentors for a Modern Approach to Mentoring
Do you want to give back to the legal profession through mentorship but can’t seem to find the time? 

The Mentor Express program that we will be launching early in the new year may be the answer.

In traditional mentoring programs, you are introduced to a single mentee who you get to know over an extended time period. Since you might spend weeks or months getting to know each other, the time commitment can be considerable. For some lawyers, these long-term mentoring relationships aren't possible.

In Mentor Express, extended one-on-one mentoring is replaced with a series of monthly one-hour meetings with different mentors and mentees. Mentees meet a mentor only once and multiple mentors over the course of the program. And mentors will meet multiple mentees as well.

This provides mentors and mentees alike with exposure to a broader range of ideas and experiences while requiring mentors to commit less of their valuable time to the program. Also, rather than have a program administrator do the matching, the mentees in Mentor Express select their own mentors by browsing an online gallery and choosing the mentoring sessions that appeal most to them. 

We will be launching Mentor Express in January 2019. Before we do that, we are busy building a pool of mentors in a variety of practice areas and practice settings across the province. 

Interested in applying as a mentor? Want to find out more? Visit our FAQ or website.
Analytics and Audit Services Transition to PwC
We are transitioning our Trust Safety analytics and audit services to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as we prepare for the 2019 Trust Safety Annual Filings (Annual Filings). 

What’s changing?

As we transition, there will be minor process changes in how the electronic data upload and Accountant’s Report are submitted as part of the Annual Filings. The electronic data upload and the Accountant’s Report will now be submitted using a new PwC Connect Tool and not the Accellion file transfer site.  

All law firms will be required to use the Connect Tool, which is user-friendly and easy to use. 

As we transition our analytics and audit services to PwC and the new Connect Tool for data uploads, four additional trust accounting software vendors will be approved as of December 31, 2018: BriefLegal, Acumin, Elite and Aderant. More information is available here.

What isn't changing?

The transition to PwC does not impact the designated year-end filing date. All law firms are still required to submit their Annual Filings by March 31, 2019.

Responsible lawyers

All Responsible Lawyers have received detailed information about these process changes as we transition our analytics and audit services to PwC. We want to ensure that all law firms have the required information needed to meet their Annual Filing requirements.

If you have any questions about the transition, contact Trust Safety as we’re here to help. Please email Trust Safety call 403.228.5632 if you have questions.
Posthumous Bar Call Ceremony Honours First World War Law Students
On November 9, 2018, the Legal Archives Society of Alberta held a special posthumous Call to the Bar Ceremony in remembrance of the sacrifice of the 37 Alberta law students who answered the patriotic call for service overseas but never returned home to become lawyers.

"Good character is about putting your self-interests behind those of the greater good and that is exactly why we honor the young men who left their lives in Canada to go and fight in WWI," said Rob Armstrong, QC, President-Elect of the Law Society of Alberta, in his application to the Court. "They put what is right and the greater good ahead of their own ambitions, ahead of their own career aspirations, ahead of their own comforts, ahead of their own safety and, ultimately, ahead of their own lives. For all of that we remember them."

Presiding over the Call to the Bar Ceremony was Chief Justice Mary T. Moreau of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, Associate Chief Justice John D. Rooke of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, and Justice D. Blair Nixon of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta.

Three applications were made on behalf of the fallen 37 law students. A descendant or current law student stood in place of the fallen students.

Read the application of Robert W. Armstrong QC, President-Elect of the Law Society of Alberta.

Read the application of Lieutenant Commander Jay Headrick, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Deputy Judge Advocate Calgary and Vice President of the Calgary Bar Association.

Read the application of Keith D. Marlowe, Treasurer of the Legal Archives Society of Alberta.

Legal Archives thanks those who attended the ceremony and for the many messages they have received in support of this initiative.