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; and
• report to Benchers all dispositions of the claims brought to it.

Members:

Benchers
David Tupper, Chair
A. Danielle Bourgeois
Ryan Callioux, KC
Arman Chak, KC
Stephanie Dobson
Adam Drew
John Evans, KC
Kene Ilochonwu, KC
Levonne Louie
Scott Matheson
Kelsey Meyer
Sharilyn Nagina, KC
Afshan Naveed
Mary Ellen Neilson
Sandra Petersson, KC
Ali Rakka
Erin Runnalls, KC
Ron Sorokin, KC
Nicole Stewart
Dr. Riad Tarrabain
Moira Váně, KC
Grant Vogeli, KC

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 budget work;
• work with the Executive Leadership Team to ensure alignment with the budget and Strategic Plan;
• ensure compliance with the Contingency Reserves 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; and
• review the Law Society annual budget and recommend to the Board.

Members:

Benchers

Ron Sorokin, KC, Chair
Mary Ellen Neilson, Vice-Chair
Stephanie Dobson
John Evans, KC
Scott Matheson
Afshan Naveed
Sandra Petersson, KC
David Tupper

Ex-officio voting member

Elizabeth Osler, KC

Volunteers

Tina Antony
Peter Bryan
Christopher Keliher
Kayla Thompson
Rory Tighe

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; and
• upon completion of the review, direct that the matter be dismissed or referred to the Conduct Committee.

Members:

Benchers

David Tupper, Chair
Grant Vogeli, KC, Vice-Chair
Danielle Bourgeois
Ryan Callioux, KC
Arman Chak, KC
Stephanie Dobson
Adam Drew
John Evans, KC
Kene Ilochonwu, KC
Levonne Louie
Scott Matheson
Kelsey Meyer
Sharilyn Nagina, KC
Afshan Naveed
Mary Ellen Neilson
Sandra Petersson, KC
Ali Rakka
Erin Runnalls, KC
Ron Sorokin, KC
Nicole Stewart
Dr. Riad Tarrabain
Moira Váně, KC

The mandate of the Conduct Committee is to:

• provide timely, efficient, consistent and fair review and disposition of conduct matters;
• review the conduct of lawyers or students, and direct that matters be dealt with by Mandatory Conduct Advisory, by a Hearing Committee, or be dismissed;
• during the course of its review, refer matters to be addressed by other Committees or Law Society departments;
• review applications, including Admissions of Guilt, discontinuances, and extensions for payment of hearing costs or fines; and
• otherwise, hear and decide matters referred to it in connection with the professional status of students and lawyers.

Members:

Benchers

Nicole Stewart, Chair
A. Danielle Bourgeois, Vice-Chair
Levonne Louie, VC
David Tupper, VC
Grant Vogeli, KC, VC
Ryan Callioux, KC
Arman Chak, KC
Stephanie Dobson
Adam Drew
John Evans, KC
Kene Ilochonwu, KC
Scott Matheson
Kelsey Meyer
Sharilyn Nagina, KC
Afshan Naveed
Mary Ellen Neilson
Sandra Petersson, KC
Ali Rakka
Erin Runnalls, KC
Ron Sorokin, KC
Dr. Riad Tarrabain
Moira Váně, KC

Volunteers

C. Nduka Ahanonu
Jason Bodnar
Lee Cutforth, KC
Tim Ellam, KC
Lisa Hodgson
Sean Jeffers, KC
Tyler J. Keddie
Amanda Lindberg, KC
Deanna Matchett
Emily McCartney
Lindsay Mullen
Tara Petersen
David Pick
Tim Ryan

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 appeals from decisions of the Executive Director; and
• otherwise hear and decide matters referred to it in connection with the professional status of students and lawyers.

Members:

Benchers

David Tupper, Chair
A. Danielle Bourgeois
Ryan Callioux, KC
Arman Chak, KC
Stephanie Dobson
Adam Drew
John Evans, KC
Kene Ilochonwu, KC
Levonne Louie
Scott Matheson
Kelsey Meyer
Sharilyn Nagina, KC
Afshan Naveed
Mary Ellen Neilson
Sandra Petersson, KC
Ali Rakka
Erin Runnalls, KC
Ron Sorokin, KC
Nicole Stewart
Dr. Riad Tarrabain
Moira Váně, KC
Grant Vogeli, KC

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;
• make decisions on any matter arising between Board meetings that in the opinion of the Committee requires immediate consideration; and
• determine the remuneration payable to the Executive Director.

Members:

Benchers

Bud Melnyk, KC, Chair – President
Jim Lutz, KC, Vice-Chair – President-Elect
A. Danielle Bourgeois
Kene Ilochonwu, KC
Mary Ellen Neilson
Erin Runnalls, KC
David Tupper

Past-President non-voting

Stacy Petriuk, KC

The mandate of the Lawyer Competence and Ethics Committee is to:

• examine the efficacy of articling as a training vehicle for new lawyers in Alberta, including practice readiness;
• examine strategies for ongoing training of lawyers beyond articling including initiatives to promote substantive law competency as a foundation for competent, ethical and effective legal service delivery;
• examine discrimination and harassment issues arising out of the articling survey;
• support lawyer well-being as a component of lawyer competence;
• examine educational strategies to support lawyer ethics and address trends respecting lawyer ethics;
• keep up to date with TRC Call to Action 27 initiatives within the regulatory landscape to consider an appropriate response in the Alberta context; and
• report to the Benchers and make recommendations in response to their findings.

Members:

Benchers

Kelsey Meyer, Chair
Scott Matheson, Vice-Chair
A. Danielle Bourgeois
Ryan Callioux, KC
Adam Drew
Kene Ilochonwu, KC
Levonne Louie
Ali Rakka
Nicole Stewart
Grant Vogeli, KC

Ex-officio

Bud Melnyk, KC, President
Jim Lutz, KC, President-Elect

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;
• recommend to the Board individuals for appointment as Bencher; and
• 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:

Benchers

Bud Melnyk, KC, Chair
Jim Lutz, KC
Kelsey Meyer
Mary Ellen Neilson

Past President

Stacy Petriuk, KC

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; 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:

Benchers

Erin Runnalls, KC, Chair
Sandra Petersson, KC, Vice-Chair
Arman Chak, KC
Kelsey Meyer
Sharilyn Nagina, KC
Ron Sorokin, KC
Nicole Stewart
Dr. Riad Tarrabain
Grant Vogeli, KC
Moira Váně, KC

The mandate of the Practice Review Committee is to:

• receive Statutory referrals from other departments and committees to review a lawyer’s practice or receive a referral pursuant to the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta relating to an application for reinstatement;
• delegate to the Practice Management department:
  • review of lawyers’ practices and work with and support lawyers who may be encountering difficulties in their practice;
  • identify specific challenges and take proactive steps to assist by providing timely, practical and achievable recommendations;
  • request undertakings to implement the practice improvements being sought; and
  • work with lawyers over a period of time and request status reports to gauge progress;
• for Statutory referrals, review the Final Report from Practice Management and determine whether the lawyer can be released from undertakings (if given), if undertakings should remain in place, if the Practice Management file may be closed and any other applicable directions, including reporting to the Conduct department or the Conduct Committee Panel or directing that Practice Management continue to work with a lawyer;
• for reinstatement referrals, sit as a reinstatement panel to hear and decide reinstatement applications including directing conditions as appropriate; and
• ensure appropriate reporting is provided during and at the end of a referral.

Members:

Benchers

Levonne Louie, Chair
A. Danielle Bourgeois
Ryan Callioux, KC
Arman Chak, KC
Stephanie Dobson
Adam Drew
John Evans, KC
Kene Ilochonwu, KC
Scott Matheson
Kelsey Meyer
Sharilyn Nagina, KC
Afshan Naveed
Mary Ellen Neilson
Sandra Petersson, KC
Ali Rakka
Erin Runnalls, KC
Ron Sorokin, KC
Nicole Stewart
Dr. Riad Tarrabain
David Tupper
Moira Váně, KC
Grant Vogeli, KC

Volunteers

Travis Bissett
Katie Clackson
Jared Craig
Alison Gray
Pat Heinsen, KC
Carla Murray
Jean-Pascal Siewe
Nerissa Young

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:

Benchers

David Tupper, Chair
Levonne Louie, Vice-Chair

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; and
• ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements concerning lawyer trust accounts.

Members:

Benchers

David Tupper, Chair
A. Danielle Bourgeois
Ryan Callioux, KC
Arman Chak, KC
Stephanie Dobson
Adam Drew
John Evans, KC
Kene Ilochonwu, KC
Levonne Louie
Scott Matheson
Kelsey Meyer
Sharilyn Nagina, KC
Afshan Naveed
Mary Ellen Neilson
Sandra Petersson, KC
Ali Rakka
Erin Runnalls, KC
Ron Sorokin, KC
Nicole Stewart
Dr. Riad Tarrabain
Moira Váně, KC
Grant Vogeli, KC