The revamped Trustee Act will come into force on Feb. 1, 2023. Lawyers practicing in wills and estates will need to understand the impacts of the new legislation and how it will affect their own practices and their clients.

Topics addressed in this webinar include:

• the pre-eminence of the trust instrument and the settlor’s intent (including use of extrinsic evidence);
• variation of trusts;
• temporary trustees; and
• principles of good trusteeship in light of the new Act.

Event details: 

Date: March 7, 2023
Time: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. MST
Cost: $206.25 – $275.00

Visit The Legal Education Society of Alberta website for more information and to register.

Would you like to know more about Alberta’s new Chief Justice?

Please join David Tupper, member of The Advocates’ Society’s Alberta Regional Advisory Committee, for a virtual fireside chat with The Honourable Chief Justice Ritu Khullar of the Court of Appeal of Alberta.

Event details:

• Date: Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023
• Time: 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. MT
• Location: Alberta
• Delivery: Live Online via Zoom 

Register to attend this free event.

The Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA) is hosting a number of programs in April.

Register for a program below, or view the full events calendar.

Visit the LESA website for more information.

The Advocates’ Society is hosting a two-part program that will cover practical information and updates about evidence that every litigator, irrespective of practice area, needs to know. This event includes a plenary session and an optional hands-on, skills-based workshop.

Plenary details | Tuesday, Feb. 28, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., live online
Esteemed members of the Bench and Bar will provide key insights into how to effectively obtain, use, admit and challenge evidence at trial. Join the session for dynamic presentations, panel discussions and demonstrations featuring skilled faculty.

Topics include:

• Evidence update: What every trial lawyer needs to know
• Top tips for handling hearsay and other objections at trial
• Live demonstrations of key skills featuring experienced members of the Bench and Bar
• Common evidentiary pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Do’s and don’ts from the Bench on how to present your evidence effectively and efficiently

Workshop details | Thursday, March 2, 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., in-person (Calgary and Edmonton) or live online
Participants of the Evidence for Litigators plenary session are also eligible to join the hands-on skills workshop. The workshop presents an opportunity to practice raising and responding to objections in a supportive environment. Each participant will be asked to prepare and present a slice of an examination-in-chief and a cross-examination with proper questions as well as one or two potentially objectionable questions. When not acting as examining counsel, paricipants will take turns listening to, identifying and objecting to the other side’s improper questions, while stating the basis for the objection. Participants will then get practical, individualized feedback on their performance from trained instructors, and will learn from peers while working through the interactive exercises in small groups.

Pricing:

Plenary and Workshop:
TAS members: *Discount: $261.75 + tax | Regular: $349.00 + tax
Non-members: *Discount: $441.75 + tax | Regular: $589.00 + tax

Plenary only:
TAS members: *Discount: $156.75 + Tax | regular: $209.00 + tax
Non-members: *Discount: $246.75 + Tax | regular: $329.00 + tax

Visit the The Advocates’ Society website for more information and to register.

The Distinguished Service Awards celebrate excellence in the legal profession. Jointly awarded by the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch and the Law Society of Alberta, these prestigious awards recognize the many outstanding contributions Alberta lawyers make to the profession, the community, legal scholarship, pro bono legal service, and in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

Members of the legal community being recognized this year include:

• Service to the Profession: Robert D. McDonald, KC
• Service to the Community: H. Markham Silver, QC (*awarded posthumously)
• Pro Bono Legal Service: Howard J. Sniderman, KC
• Service in Promoting Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Patricia L. Blocksom, KC, AOE

The in-person event will take place in Calgary on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at 11:30 a.m.

Visit the CBA website for more information and to purchase tickets.

As part of the Justice Partnership and Innovation Program, the Alberta Council of Womens Shelters in partnership with the Government of Canada is providing Danger Assessment Training to lawyers in Alberta.

The Danger Assessment (DA) tool assesses the level of danger a woman is in, including risk of being killed by a partner, and can validate experiences and help women stay safe(er) by creating a plan for moving forward. This tool can also assist those working with domestic abuse survivors to better understand the situation and how to best support survivors.

Lawyers are invited to participate in any of the below sessions:

• Jan. 17, 2023, from 9:30 – 4:30 p.m.
• Feb. 2, 2023, from 9:30 – 4:30 p.m.
• March 8, 2023, from 9:30 – 4:30 p.m.
• April 12, 2023, from 9:30 – 4:30 p.m.
• May 16, 2023, from 9:30 – 4:30 p.m.

The sessions will be hosted virtually and are free of charge. A certificate will be received upon completion of the training. 

Please note that registration is first come first served, as there are only 12 spots available for each training.

Register here.

Jointly presented by the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta, these prestigious awards shine a light on the outstanding contributions Alberta lawyers provide. The event will take place in Calgary on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at 11:30 a.m.

The Distinguished Service Awards recognize excellence in the below categories:

• Service to the Profession
• Service to the Community
• Legal Scholarship
• Pro Bono Legal Service
• Service in Promoting Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in the profession

The 2023 award winners will be announced in early January.

Learn more.

Women in Law Leadership (WILL), in partnership with the University of Calgary Faculty of Law and the Law Society of Alberta, is pleased to present the Women in Law Leadership Education Program.

This collaborative and transformative program is designed to empower women in the law profession and help them:

• Build strong networks for success
• Strategically address barriers and challenges to career growth
• Develop leadership skills
• Lead effective and high-functioning teams

Program dates:

• Feb. 3 – 4, 2023
• Feb. 10 – 11, 2023
• Feb. 24, 2023

Program Fee: $4,500 – includes tuition, program materials, meals and completion certificate.

Application Deadline: The early bird deadline is Dec. 12, 2022, and the final deadline to apply is Jan. 9, 2023.

If you are a woman in law who would like to further your leadership journey, or if you know of someone who might be interested in this program, visit the WILL website for more information and to apply.

The Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan (PATHS) is offering a four-day training event for Understanding the Dynamics of Domestic Violence for Family Law Practitioners.

The training will provide an overview of the dynamics of domestic violence in the context of separation, divorce, and child custody and access. The event will be hosted virtually through Zoom over the span of Jan. 23 – 26, from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. (CST) daily. A link and password will be sent out to registered participants prior to the training.

Price: $350

For more information and to register, visit the website.

Key elements of ethical practice are recognizing conflicts of interest, understanding how to prevent them, and what might happen if they do occur. Join Practice Advisor, Elizabeth Aspinall, as she walks through common and complex scenarios to help lawyers understand when conflicts may arise and how to resolve them. This webinar will build on the 2017 webinar to address issues that the Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association (ALIA) is seeing and issues specific to Crown or in-house lawyers.

Register to attend the free webinar on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 at 12 p.m. MT.