Jointly presented by the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) – Alberta, the Distinguished Service Awards shine a light on the outstanding contributions Alberta lawyers provide make in their communities and the profession. Members of the legal community being recognized this year include:

Service to the Profession – Michael Greene, QC
Service to the Community – Judith Hanebury, QC
Legal Scholarship – Professor Joanna Harrington
Pro Bono Legal Service – Cynthia Dickins
Service to Advancing Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession – Rani Wong

Join us on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 11:30 a.m. as we celebrate the accomplishments of this group of legal professions. Register for the virtual event and support your friends and colleagues.

The closing argument is when great advocates shine. It is an opportunity to tie the facts, law and evidence together in a way that paves the way for the decision-maker to decide in your favour.

This essential new program will teach you how to deliver credible, powerful and compelling closing arguments with skill and confidence. Judges and leading litigators from across Canada will share their top tips for delivering persuasive closings, both orally and in writing.

The plenary program will be held on Feb. 16 and the learning-by-doing skills workshop will be held on Feb. 17. There are two registration options: (one) plenary + workshop or (two) plenary only (see below for more information).

Plenary Details | Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (MT)

The plenary session will feature presentations and demonstrations by judges and leading practitioners to help you perfect the art of closing arguments.

You will learn how to:

• Effectively prepare your closing argument
• Know when to adjust your closing argument to accommodate surprises
• Use inferences and adverse inferences in your favour
• Perfect the art of rhetoric and helpful techniques of argument
• Deal with bad facts, avoid splitting your case, and more

Workshop Details | Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, 11 a.m to 2:30 p.m. (MT)

Participants of the plenary session are also eligible to join us for our hands-on skills workshop, which will be held fully remotely in an exciting new format. The workshop is your chance to practise and refine your closing argument skills in a safe and supportive environment. You will be asked to prepare and record a slice of a closing argument on video and submit it to our instructors in advance of the workshop. During the live workshop, you will receive individualized feedback on your recorded performance. You will then be given an opportunity to incorporate the feedback into your closing argument and deliver it a second time in your small group. Our trained instructors will also provide you with additional feedback on your live performance.

Please note that the workshop requires advance preparation based on a mock case file, which will be provided to you in advance of the workshop. Please ensure that you set aside enough time to prepare for the workshop, which may take up to a half-day to prepare for, depending on your level of experience.

Registration includes electronic materials, which will be provided prior to the program. Registration also includes access to the live webcast recording for 30 days from the date of the program.

*Due to current concerns with COVID-19, this program will be offered via webcast only.

To register, email the Alberta CABL chapter.

Changes in technology, the emergence of alternative service providers and an increasingly globalized legal market has changed the legal marketplace in Alberta, with no signs of slowing down. As these changes continue to shape the future of the delivery of legal services, law and the lawyers who practise it, accessible and affordable legal services continue to be an unmet need for the public.

The Law Society of Alberta’s Innovation Sandbox is a new initiative where legal service providers are encouraged to develop innovative models for the delivery of legal services that cannot be offered due to existing regulatory requirements.

The Innovation Sandbox is an addition to the regulatory options available to the Law Society, not an alternative. Lawyers play a critical role in the administration of justice in Alberta and will continue to do so.

The Innovation Sandbox concept and eligibility requirements were approved by the Law Society Benchers in Oct. 2021 and applications are now being accepted.

Applications can now be completed online. For more information on the Innovation Sandbox, FAQs and additional resources, click here.

Lawyers who may be interested in applying to the Innovation Sandbox or finding out more information about the Sandbox concept are welcome to join members of the Law Society’s Innovation in Regulation Group as they break down the Sandbox’s purpose and process, what a successful Sandbox participant can do and expect from the experience, and how to apply.

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022
Time: Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Via webinar – Register here

A short Q&A will follow the presentation.

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the webinar on Jan. 20, we are offering an additional session on March 2, where we will present the major thematic changes to the rules, highlight some of the key areas where the rules are modernized and discuss next steps.

For many lawyers in Alberta, the past two years have changed how they do their job. Whether through remote work, rapid digitalization or pressure to adapt to the “new normal” of work, lawyers and law firm staff have had to adjust to a rapidly changing practice of law.

The Law Society Benchers have approved newly modernized rules for trust accounting, starting January 2022. Please join us for a webinar, where we will present the major thematic changes to the rules, highlight some of the key areas where the rules are modernized and discuss next steps.

Date: March 2, 2022

Time: Noon – 1 p.m. MT

Register here.

Join the Calgary Public Library as they kick off Black History Month with a panel of noteworthy Calgarians Cheryl Foggo, author, documentary film director, and historian, Courtney Walcott, Ward 8 City Councillor, and Susannah Alleyne, President of CABL and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Counsel as they will be discussing the history and future of Calgary’s Black community.

Email CABL to Register

The Women in Law Summit Canada strives to recognize, celebrate and support women in the legal profession. Its aim is to inspire the next generation of industry leaders to take proactive steps forward in their personal and professional development, while also championing the creation of inclusive and diverse workspaces.

Featuring panel discussions, presentations and fireside chats on topics ranging from career development to programs for encouraging mentorship and sponsorship, to promoting gender diversity and allyship, and passing the torch to the next generation, the Women in Law Summit Canada agenda promises a day of inspiration and empowerment.

Join Women in Law Canada on Feb. 17, 2022 as they recognize the achievements of women in law while discussing solutions to building a more inclusive legal community with speakers from some of the country’s top law firms and organizations.

Check out the full event agenda and register today.

Date: Feb. 17, 2022

Time: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. MST

Cost: Please see the registration page for pricing.

Digital Law Forum 2022 AI and the Law: Myths & Reality is a two day conference on Gather.Town that brings together an interdisciplinary set of experts to look at legal and governance design challenges raised by digital technology. How will laws regulating software affect freedom, wealth and power? What challenges and opportunities does AI pose for access to justice? Who might be responsible for the risks and harms introduced by AI? These are some of the many questions our speakers will cover. Day two provides a forum for imagining future possibilities and practical action with a focus on the Law Society of Alberta’s Innovation Sandbox and other supports for legal innovation.

The Digital Law Forum, co-hosted by University of Alberta Faculty of Law, AI4Society and the Digital Law & Innovation Society, runs Feb. 15 and 16, 2022. Learn more and register.

How can lawyers and law firms adapt and thrive as emerging technologies change the way law is practised?

On Jan. 28, the Law and Business Association at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law will bring together experts from across Canada to discuss the latest developments in technology and automation in the legal industry.

Lawyers, students, academics and professionals are invited to join interactive sessions on the innovative tools and initiatives that are changing the future of law. Register today.

Date: Jan. 28, 2022

Time: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. MST

Cost: Admission is free.