These are some of the key events in the Law Society of Alberta’s political adventure.
December 5, 2019: The Law Society of Alberta adopts a new set of “Regulatory Objectives” which include both the “rule of law” and “DEI”:
“… there may be times when two or more of the regulatory objectives conflict with one another. In these cases, the Law Society will weigh the costs and benefits of aligning with each objective.”
April 30, 2020, the Law Society commits to responding to Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #27 (of 94 calls to action):
“We call upon the Federation of Law Societies of Canada to ensure that lawyers receive appropriate cultural competency training, which includes the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.”
June 10, 2020, provides guidance on indigenous land acknowledgments:
“… to give thanks and to pay respect to the peoples and the land for which you are a visitor upon.”
June 17, 2020, the LSA launches “Complaints About Discrimination or Harassment in the Profession“
“If you … believe that [a] … lawyer or articling student may have crossed a boundary related to discrimination or harassment, we urge you to contact our Equity Ombudsperson as an initial step.”
September 30, 2020: LSA launches the “My Experience” Project to find systemic discrimination in the profession.
October 6, 2020, the LSA announces that all Alberta lawyers will be required to complete indigenous “cultural competency” training. Two months later the LSA passes Rule 67.4 giving themselves the power to impose that requirement. Apart from this training, the continuing professional development rules for lawyers are suspended for nearly 3 years.
March 30, 2021: LSA shares the results of the “My Experience” Project:
“A qualitative analysis of the experiences shared was conducted by an independent researcher. This analysis suggests that discriminatory culture, biased employment practices, and poor representation and distribution of Black Canadians, Indigenous Peoples and People of Colour (BIPOC) create a vicious circle in the legal profession.”
April 19, 2021, the LSA orders lawyers to complete indigenous “cultural competency” training by April 19, 2021, or be automatically suspended:
“And when you sing that Canada is our home and native land, are you really celebrating our Indigenous past?”
February 3, 2022, the LSA launches an articling placement program for students “who are in unsafe or untenable articles due to harassment or discrimination”:
“The program’s default position is that articling students’ experiences are believed.”
April 25, 2022, the LSA acknowledges the existence and impact of systemic discrimination within Canadian law and the legal system:
“Even if no individual members of the justice system engage in intentional discriminatory behaviour, the inequity embedded within the system still exists and results in disproportionate harmful impacts to those who are marginalized.”
June 21, 2022, the LSA launches a new Professional Development Profile:
“The Profile does not include substantive areas of law.”
“Develop self-awareness of how one’s own conscious and
unconscious biases affect perspectives and actions.”“Take action to dismantle systemic inequalities and barriers”
November 1, 2022, the LSA automatically suspends lawyers who did not complete the cultural training.
April 27, 2023, the LSA amends its Rules to require that lawyers prepare annual continuing professional development plans using the LSA’s online tool which:
- links professional development to the Professional Development Profile;
- requires that lawyers submit their plans to the LSA for their inspection; and
- requires that lawyers participate in reviews of their plans by the LSA.
May 2, 2023, the LSA orders lawyers to complete continuing professional development using the LSA’s online tool.
October 10, 2023, the LSA amends the Code of Professional Conduct:
“… be aware that discrimination includes adverse effect and systemic discrimination, which arise from organizational policies, practices and cultures that create, perpetuate, or unintentionally result in unequal treatment of a person or persons …
… be alert to unconscious biases that may inform these relationships and that serve to perpetuate systemic discrimination and harassment …”
November 1, 2023, the LSA automatically suspends lawyers who did not complete continuing professional development plans using the LSA’s online tool.
These are just some of the key events that mark The Law Society of Alberta’s unfolding political journey.
For further information you may want to check out the following Law Society of Alberta webpages:
Council of Alberta Lawyers 