The mandate of the Assurance Fund Adjudications (Finance) Committee is to:

• adjudicate claims made to the Assurance Fund
• make decisions on matters referred to the committee for determination
• refuse or approve with or without conditions all or any part of the amount of compensation that may be claimed by a person who submits a claim based on a lawyer’s misappropriation of funds or property entrusted to them in the course of their practice as a barrister and solicitor
• report to Benchers all dispositions of the claims brought to it

Members:

The mandate of the Audit and Finance Committee is to:

• work with the Executive Leadership Team to ensure transparent, efficient and proportionate processes are in place to support the business plan and budget work
• work with the Executive Leadership Team to ensure alignment with the business plan and budget with the Strategic Plan
• ensure compliance with the Contingency Reserve Fund Policy
• provide oversight of the Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Plans and report to the Executive Committee
• monitor the financial affairs of the Law Society including oversight of the audit of the annual financial statements
• act on behalf of the Board in regard to the review of quarterly interim financial results and investment performance;
• set or recommend fees and costs payable by lawyers as required and as prescribed by the Rules
• make recommendations to the Board concerning financial matters
• review the Law Society annual business plan and budget and recommend to the Board

Members:

The mandate of the Complaint Dismissal Appeals Committee is to:

• review and decide appeals from dismissals of complaints
• review the written record that was before the Executive Director when the direction to dismiss the complaint was made
• if necessary, review new evidence if it is relevant and material and was not reasonably available prior to the dismissal
• upon completion of the review, direct that the matter be dismissed or referred to the Conduct Committee

Members:

The mandate of the Conduct Committee is to:

• provide timely, efficient, consistent and fair review and disposition of conduct matters
• as appropriate, dismiss a conduct matter or direct that the matter be dealt with by a Hearing Committee when appropriate
• hear and decide matters referred to it in connection with the professional status of students and lawyers
• refer conduct matters to the appropriate department of the Law Society as required

Members:

The mandate of the Credentials and Education Committee is to:

• Assess the competency and risk factors of an individual who wishes to enter or re-enter the practice of law in Alberta;
• Review and decide applications for admission to the Law Society and for a change of professional status, including reinstatement;
• Review and decide applications by students-at-law or persons wishing to become a student-at-law;
• Review and decide good character matters;
• Hear and decide CPLED appeals;
• Otherwise hear and decide matters referred to it in connection with the professional status of students and lawyers; and
• As otherwise required, hear and decide appeals from decisions of the Executive Director.

Members:

The mandate of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee is to:

• Examine discrimination and harassment issues arising out of the Articling survey including developing recommendations on safe reporting;
• Examine broader issues of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the legal profession including questions around retention in private practice including the implementation of entity regulation;
• Consider the intersection with the Law Society Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the work of the Indigenous Initiatives Liaison and the
  Indigenous Advisory Committee;
• Develop recommendations to address barriers to EDI in the legal profession considering both the proactive and reactive role of the Law Society;
• Liaise with the EDI Advisory Committee; and
• Report to the Benchers and make recommendations in response to their findings.

Members:

Established by Bencher consensus September 27, 2019 as Practice Foundations Advisory Committee in response to articling survey. Benchers agreed to disband Practice Foundations Task Force and replace with more targeted EDI and Lawyer Competence Committees December 5, 2019. Visit our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee page for more information.

Members:

The mandate of the Executive Committee is to:

• make recommendations to the Board for motions to be passed by the Benchers;
• monitor the Strategic Plan and Business Plan
• make decisions on any matter arising between Board meetings that in the opinion of the Committee requires immediate consideration
• determine the remuneration payable to the Executive Director

Members:

The Law Society of Alberta has committed to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action in a thoughtful and collaborative way that builds and strengthens relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities. As part of this response, the Law Society has established the Indigenous Advisory Committee to collect feedback and input on the initiatives of the Law Society. This will advance the goals of truth and reconciliation, particularly surrounding access to justice for Indigenous peoples and cultural competency development for lawyers. Visit our Indigenous Advisory Committee page for more information.

Members:

The mandate of the Lawyer Competence Committee is to:

• Examine the efficacy of articling as a training vehicle for new lawyers in Alberta and its intersection with CPLED;
• Examine strategies for ongoing training of lawyers beyond articling including changes to the Continuing Professional Development Program;
• Examine the role of wellness in lawyer competence;
• Liaise with the Lawyer Competence Advisory Committee; and
• Report to the Benchers and make recommendations in response to their findings.

Members:

Established by Bencher consensus September 27, 2019 as Practice Foundations Advisory Committee in response to articling survey. Benchers agreed to disband Practice Foundations Task Force and replace with more targeted EDI and Lawyer Competence Committees December 5, 2019. Visit our Lawyer Competence Advisory Committee page for more information.

Members:

The mandate of the Nominating Committee is to:

• recommend to the Board individuals for appointment to committees
• recommend to the Board individuals for appointment to other bodies as Committee members or representatives
• when additional people are required to staff a task force or sub-committee, make recommendations to the Board to fill vacancies from the list of practicing lawyer applicants who were not appointed to a committee

Members:

The mandate of the Policy and Regulatory Reform Committee is to:

• as directed by the Executive Committee and in consultation with the Executive Director, support the Board’s policy making process by ensuring due diligence and analysis of policy issues before they are placed before the Board for consideration;
• in consultation with the Executive Committee and the Executive Director, develop and maintain processes and tools to monitor the progress of all active policy initiatives; and
• ensure that all policy and Rule change initiatives take into consideration the direct and indirect cost and impact of regulation and to the largest extent possible align with the Law Society of Alberta Strategic Plan.

Members:

The mandate of the Practice Review Committee is to:

• Identify lawyers who may be encountering difficulties in their law practice;
• Take pro-active steps to assist such lawyers, including providing timely, practical, and achievable recommendations to them;
• As appropriate, refer such lawyers to Law Society staff for such assistance;
• As appropriate, refer such lawyers to the Conduct Committee with recommendations;
• Monitor such lawyers’ progress over a reasonable period of time;
• Refer circumstances that may put the public interest at risk to other departments of the Law Society of Alberta;
• Otherwise hear and decide matters referred to it in connection with the professional status of students and lawyers; and
• Ensure appropriate reporting to relevant parties.

Members:

The mandate of the Professional Responsibility Committee is to:

• determine whether or not to re-examine a complaint dismissed by the Executive Director, the Conduct Committee, or the Appeal Committee; and commence such determination only if the Chair of the Conduct Committee is of the view that the person dismissing the matter may have overlooked a significant legal or factual element or may not have been aware at the time of dismissal of all of the significant legal and factual elements

Members:

The mandate of the Trust Safety Committee is to:

• adjudicate claims to undisbursable trust funds
• hear appeals from decisions of the Manager, Trust Safety, or Executive Director
• ensure compliance with mandatory Trust Safety condition requirements
• ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements concerning lawyer trust accounts
  

  Members:

  Bill Hendsbee, QC, C	Barbara McKinley
  Margaret Unsworth, QC, VC	Bud Melnyk, QC
  Sony Ahluwalia	Sandra Petersson
  Ryan Anderson, QC	Stacy Petriuk, QC
  Lou Cusano, QC	Deanna Steblyk, QC
  Ted Feehan	Moira Váně
  Corie Flett, QC	Grant Vogeli, QC
  Kene Ilochonwu	Salimah Walji-Shivji
  Cal Johnson, QC	Louise Wasylenko, CPA, CMA
  Jim Lutz, QC
  Staff Support: Bernadette Charan Anjanie Marathe Chioma Ufodike