May 14, 2020
Save the Date: Bencher Election Set for November 16
The Law Society’s Board of Directors have approved the date of November 16, 2020 for the Bencher Election. The formal notice and request for nominations will be sent to all active practising members in mid-August.

Key Election Dates:

  • August 13 - Official Notice of Election and request for nominations sent to all active members.
  • September 16 - Deadline for receiving nominations at the Law Society's Calgary office is 4:30 p.m. (MST).
  • November 2 - Online voting information sent to all active lawyers entitled to vote.
  • November 2-16 - Voting period.
  • November 16 - Deadline to vote is 4:30 p.m. (MST).

Have you considered joining the Bencher table?

Research shows that greater diversity within teams helps organizations make better decisions. Diverse teams are better at analysis, protect against bias, and are more likely to make innovative and forward-thinking decisions.
 
Improving equity, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession is a key pillar of the Law Society’s 2020-2024 Strategic Plan. We encourage all lawyers to consider becoming a candidate in the 2020 Bencher Election. More information will be provided in upcoming eBulletins.
Changes to Admission Requirements and Start Dates in New Bar Admission Program
With the new bar admission program launching this year through the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED), we want to remind you of some changes and new key dates for students to register and start the program. 

Registration for the June 2020 intake of the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) closes on Friday, June 26 and students must begin their PREP studies no later than Tuesday, June 30. 

Under the previous program, articling students started their bar admission program in August, but PREP allows students to begin as early as this June intake. 

Registration for PREP is now open and students are encouraged to register as early as possible to select their desired schedule. Once registered, students can begin the Foundation Modules when the materials are released to get a head start on PREP, or they can wait and follow the more rigorous schedule .

“Encouraging your students to begin their PREP studies as soon as possible will allow them to build on their foundational knowledge, making them more productive and efficient during their articles,” says Dr. Kara Mitchelmore, CEO of CPLED.

For those students who have yet to secure articles, CPLED has changed its admission requirements for the June and December 2020 intakes of PREP. Students with a Canadian common law degree or Certificate of Qualification (CQ) from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada may now register and complete PREP without secured articles. Learn more about the changes to admission requirements in our previous update . 
Provincial Court of Alberta Announcement: Staged Resumption of Court Operations
The  COVID-19 Staged Resumption of Court Operations - Part 1  covers the period May 25 through to and including July 3, 2020 and outlines the Court’s operations for that time period.
Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta Master Order #4
This Master Order is supplemental to Amended Master Order #3 of April 21, 2020. This Master Order #4 and Amended Master Order #3 shall remain in full force and effect until further Order of the Court. 
Court of Queen's Bench Announcement: Launch of Family Docket Court
Effective May 13, 2020, the Court is implementing a Family Docket Court in Calgary and Edmonton. All family matters must first be scheduled in Family Docket Court before any other Court process can be scheduled. It is anticipated that the first sittings of the Family Docket Court will occur in the week of May 18, 2020.

Read the announcement for instructions on how to schedule a matter into Family Docket Court.
Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation - CDIC Filing for 2020
Background

The Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation, or CDIC, is a Canadian federal Crown corporation created by Parliament in 1967. It insures Canadian deposits held in Canadian banks up to C$100,000 in case of bank failure. A list of CDIC members is available on their website.

Under the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Joint and Trust Account Disclosure Bylaw , a member institution has the obligation to annually notify certain trustee depositors about their disclosure requirements. The notification is to be sent during the month of April in each year and the trustee depositor must make its disclosure to the member institution by May 30 of each year.

CDIC and COVID-19

Given the unprecedented situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, member institutions have been provided with an exemption from this requirement for this year . This means that if a trustee does not receive notification from its financial institution, they do not need to provide the beneficiary report.