September 29, 2021
Apply to Serve on a 2022 Law Society of Alberta Committee or Advisory Committee
Committee volunteer work is offered to lawyers who are interested in contributing to the work of the Law Society. Diversity of perspectives plays an important role in helping us achieve our mission of serving the public interest by ensuring a high standard of legal services and professional conduct.

Committee appointments will be approved at the February 2022 Bencher meeting. Committee members are appointed for a three-year term and advisory committee members are appointed for a minimum two-year term renewable to a maximum of five consecutive years. If you are interested in volunteering on the following committees, please fill out the online application form.

Please note: Lawyers currently serving on a committee do not need to complete this application form. You will be contacted directly by email to complete a separate form and confirm your interest in continuing to serve.

Committee meetings will be conducted virtually unless otherwise indicated. For any in-person meetings, parking and mileage costs will be reimbursed in accordance with Law Society policy, and, in order to comply with our obligations to protect worker health and safety, all visitors to the Law Society offices will be required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Anticipated Committee Vacancies
  • Audit and Finance (1 vacancy): The Audit and Finance Committee has approximately seven, two-hour meetings per year. 
  • Conduct (3 vacancies): The Conduct Committee meets in panels of three once a month (always a Tuesday). Most meetings last no more than an hour and the panel composition is based on committee members' availability.
  • Practice Review (3 vacancies): The Practice Review Committee meets in panels of four on Wednesdays at 7:45 a.m. There are approximately 16 panel meetings each year, most lasting no more than an hour and the panel composition is based on committee members' availability. On average, committee members participate in four panel meetings each year.

Anticipated Advisory Committee Vacancies
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory (3 vacancies): The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee meets for two hours, four times per year.
  • Indigenous Advisory (3 vacancies): The Indigenous Advisory Committee meets for two hours, approximately seven times per year.
  • Lawyer Competence Advisory (2 vacancies): The Lawyer Competence Advisory Committee meets for two hours, four times per year.

All committee meeting materials are provided electronically. You are encouraged to review the committee descriptions.

The deadline for applications is October 31, 2021.

If you have questions, please contact Governance.
Bencher Vacancy Applications Close Oct. 5
The Law Society has opened applications for the appointment of a new Bencher, to serve until February 2024 when the current Bencher term concludes. The Law Society encourages Alberta lawyers to volunteer their skills and talents to help protect the public interest and shape the legal profession by applying.

Applications close on Oct. 5 at 4:30 p.m. MST. Details on the role of Bencher and the application process can be found on the Law Society website. Please note that incomplete applications will not be reviewed and it is the responsibility of the applicants to ensure their applications are complete.
Announcement from the Court of Queen's Bench

Court of Queen's Bench Administration has extended the cap on email filing fees until March 31, 2022. In addition to regular filing fees, documents that are filed via email will be charged at the rate of $1 per page, capped to a maximum of $20.
Announcement from the Federal Court

This is to inform you that Practice Guidelines for Aboriginal Law Proceedings (4th Edition) were issued by the Honourable Paul Crampton, Chief Justice of the Federal Court, and published on the Website of the Federal Court.

The 4th edition includes:
  • New guidelines with respect to the appointment of an assessor as a neutral advisor to the court regarding Indigenous law or traditions, pursuant to Rule 52 of the Federal Courts Rules (the “Rules”);
  • A Protocol to balance the appropriate reception of Elder testimony and oral history evidence with the practical needs of the justice system in a manner that promotes fairness and truth-seeking in civil litigation;
  • A pilot framework for parties to request a summary of a Court decision in an Indigenous language; 
  • Notice of the option for a party to request remote video access to a Court hearing; and
  • A checklist of matters to consider when preparing an indigenous law case.
The 4th edition complements the previous version, which provided dispute resolution options and practice guidelines for applications for judicial review and actions (including litigation practice issues involving oral testimony and the role of Elders).
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