The Law Society of Alberta (LSA) is the self-regulating body for lawyers in Alberta, Canada, established in 1907 which derives its authority from the Legal Profession Act of the Government of Alberta.
Its main office is located in Calgary. As of 2023, there were 11,000 legal practitioners in Alberta regulated by the LSA.
The mandate, composition and role of the board that governs the LSAThe Bencherswas established under the Legal Professions Act. There are 24 Benchers elected by their peers.
Purpose
The Law Society is created and governed by Alberta's Legal Profession Act. As a law society, the LSA is much more than a professional association and every lawyer who practises in Alberta must belong to it. The society's mandate is to regulate the legal profession in the public interest.
The society is primarily concerned with the admission and discipline of lawyer members, making sure trust accounts are properly managed, educating the public, and preventing the unauthorized practice of law.
Governance structure
The Law Society is governed by members of the profession elected by its membership to serve as benchers. In addition to elected Benchers, there are four lay benchers (non-lawyers) appointed by the Minister of Justice. There are 24 benchers in total (including the four lay benchers), each expected to serve three-year terms.
Benchers have the authority under the Law to "establish a code of ethical standards for members and students-at-law."
The society passed The Rules of the Law Society of Alberta to govern the society, to exercise the society's powers and duties, and for the management and conducts of its business and affairs.
The society is a member of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.
Admission
To practise law in the Province of Alberta, a person must be admitted to the bar and a member of the society. The society sets its own educational admission requirements. These include a Bachelor of Laws degree (which in turn requires preliminary university study), completion of a twelve-month period of apprenticeship with an experienced practitioner called articling, and completion of bar admission exams. Bar admission exams in Alberta are more akin to assignments that test practical application of the law instead of pure legal knowledge. In addition to these academic requirements, the Legal Profession Act requires that a candidate be of "good character and reputation."
The Alberta Bar is one of the few that still admits its members one at a time in a very personalized ceremony. Once admitted, lawyers in Alberta, as in other common-law Canadian provinces but unlike England, are both barristers and solicitors. Members of the society (and judges of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta and the Court of Appeal of Alberta) are also notaries public pursuant to section 3 of the Notaries Public Act, but unlike those who become notaries public through an appointment, members of the society do not have an appointment expiration date.
Self-regulation and LSA Rules
The society has passed The Rules of the Law Society of Alberta to govern the society, to exercise the society's powers and duties, and for the management and conducts of its business and affairs.
Rules enforcement
The Law Society has supervisory and disciplinary functions over its members. This responsibility includes the task of enforcing the rules of the Law Society, and to discipline offending lawyers. To aid in this task, the society has passed the Code of Professional Conduct, which is in essence a written code of ethics to which all lawyers must abide. The ultimate sanction the society could impose is disbarment. A lawyer that has been disbarred is no longer legally able to practise law in Alberta. Lawyers can also be fined or suspended.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement
Rules 67.1 defines Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Rules 67.2 and 67.3suspended until May 2023referred to individual LSA members self-guided plans. Rule 67.4, which was adopted by the Benchers in December 2020 allowed them to prescribe the form, manner, and time frame of CPD requirements. Non-adherence to this within a timeframe of 18 months, was enforceable by a penalty of suspension.