Legal Practice - Law Society of Alberta

The following resources assist lawyers to accurately identify legal issues, employ research, analytical and problem-solving skills to formulate clear and appropriate legal strategies, communicate effectively and advance their clients’ interests within their practice-specific contexts.

Resource	Description	Topic	Audience	Format	Publisher
Communicating with the Court	Lawyers frequently call the Practice Advisors’ Office to discuss the ethics of communicating with the court.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit, Private Practice	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Simply Speaking	It’s hard not to fall into the legalese trap. From law school onwards, lawyers are conditioned to write and speak using academic language and legal terminology.	Communicate Effectively	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article, Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Amendments to the Condominium Property Act: New Deposit Rules Effective April 1, 2018	Effective Sunday, April 1, 2018, if a consumer is buying a new condominium in Alberta from a developer, the buyer’s purchase deposit must be held by an Alberta lawyer while the condominium is being built.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Canadian Bankers Association Contact List for Matters Involving Mortgage Discharges English Version French Version	Bank and contact information as of August 19, 2021.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Conveyancing Protocol	The Protocol prescribes enhanced standards of conveyancing practice, which will result in better service for clients.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Applying Protocol	The Protocol prescribes enhanced standards of conveyancing practice, which will result in better service for clients.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Conveyancing Protocol: FAQ	The Protocol prescribes enhanced standards of conveyancing practice, which will result in better service for clients.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Ethical Considerations Regarding Requests for Wills	When a lawyer receives a request to provide a will to someone other than the testator, the lawyer’s duty of confidentiality to the testator should guide how to respond and what information can be disclosed.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Giving Independent Legal Advice Independent Legal Advice Checklist	Independent legal advice is never routine, and a consultation may be the client's only opportunity to consider objectively a transaction that exposes them to significant liability. Considerations for giving or sending a person for independent legal advice are provided.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Template, Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Mortgage Instructions Toolkit	Prepared by the CBA Real Property Section, the practice tools in this toolkit can help you respond to some common lender instruction requests.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide	External Source
New Notaries and Commissioners Act in Force April 30, 2015	They will now both be governed under the Notaries and Commissioners Act. The legislative amendments also contain consequential amendments to the Alberta Evidence Act and the Guarantees Acknowledgement Act.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Non-Lawyer Representation of Corporations in the Courts	In some cases, non-lawyer agents may be permitted to appear for parties in civil matters before the Provincial Court, or in certain summary offence matters.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
OPCA Litigants - The Phenomenon of Freemen on the Land	The Law Society continues to hear concerns regarding “Organized Pseudolegal Commercial Argument” litigants (OPCA litigants), and specifically Freemen on the Land. Consequently, we want to remind lawyers of their obligations when dealing with OPCA litigants.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Understanding the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act	The Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act (the Act) came into force on Jan. 1, 2023. The Act will be in force for two years and real estate lawyers need to consider the impact of the Act on their practice and their clients.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Avoid the Penalty Box	The Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association (ALIA) manages the professional liability insurance program for lawyers in Alberta. Learn about the different trends in claims presented to ALIA, inspired by the names of NHL teams.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, In-House, Management, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Mastering Client Files	Adopting use of a Master Client File List will help you gain better control over your practice. Learn about the key pieces of information and the benefits of using a Master Client File List.	Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article, Podcast	Law Society of Alberta
Bridging the Gap	All too often, lawyers or their clients adopt a “my way or the highway” mentality. This type of approach tends to be counter-productive when trying to determine how to best resolve a dispute.	Communicate Effectively	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article, Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Original Wills: Privilege and Lien Issues	Although it is recommended that lawyers give original wills to the testator client with appropriate instructions for storage, they sometimes remain in the lawyer’s file or vault.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Air Conditioning Units and Window Wells on Real Property Reports	Recommended practice in the City of Calgary as to whether, and when (if at all), a Real Property Report must be updated to show (i) air conditioning units and (ii) window wells.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide	External Source
Recommended Rules Of Practice Respecting Real Property Reports	Report to reduce the uncertainty and disagreements that often arise between lawyers concerning Real Property Reports.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide	External Source
Signing Court Orders	Lawyers owe a duty to the court to sign orders to which they have agreed or which have been granted by the court.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Solicitor-Client Privilege and Demands for Disclosure	In response to inquiries from lawyers regarding demands for disclosure, the Law Society of Alberta developed a position statement to provide guidance when they are faced with such demands.	Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article, Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Trust Conditions Guidelines	Alberta lawyers appreciated the format of the previous Code rules respecting trust conditions – a familiar checklist or guide for working through trust conditions issues.	Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide, Checklist	Law Society of Alberta
Understanding and Avoiding Law Society Complaints	This article addresses the common issues that face practicing lawyers, and concludes with a list of tips and resources found on our website.	Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Conflicts Essentials	Lawyers must understand how to recognize conflicts of interest, how to prevent them from occurring, and what might happen if they do occur. View this webinar for more details on conflicts essentials.	Critically Evaluate a Matter	Private Practice, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Webinar, Video	Law Society of Alberta
Conflicts Essentials Part 2 Webinar	Key elements of ethical practice are recognizing conflicts of interest, understanding how to prevent them, and what might happen if they do occur. Practice Advisor, Elizabeth Aspinall, walks through common and complex scenarios to help lawyers understand when conflicts may arise and how to resolve them.	Critically Evaluate a Matter	Private Practice, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Webinar, Video	Law Society of Alberta