The Practice Management Assessment Tool (Assessment Tool) is an online tool developed by the Prairie Law Societies (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) to help lawyers, firms and other legal professionals examine their practice management systems and evaluate their firm policies and processes. Users rate their effectiveness in a variety of practice management areas and are provided with a curated list of free resources to help address gaps and manage risks. The Assessment Tool is available at no cost.

There are three different versions of the Assessment Tool based on practice setting:

• one for sole practitioners;
• one for lawyers responsible for the operations of multi-lawyer firms; and
• one for individual lawyers who are not responsible for firm operations but do manage their own practice within a firm.

Other legal professionals such as office managers or human resource professionals involved in firm operations can also use the tool as needed.

Users can complete whichever version of the Assessment Tool is most applicable to their circumstances.

The Prairie Law Societies partnered to explore a proactive approach to help lawyers, firms and other legal professionals improve their practice management systems and be responsive to a diverse and changing environment. The Assessment Tool was tested in each province and feedback from lawyers was incorporated.

The Assessment Tool also allows the Law Society to better track trends and progress in the practice management areas it covers. The ratings users provide when using the Assessment Tool are private and only accessible to the Law Society in aggregate form. They will help identify areas where further resource development is required. Any comments users provide are also private.

The Assessment Tool is a voluntary resource.

The Law Society of Saskatchewan launched the Assessment Tool in 2021 and the Law Society of Manitoba is working on launching their tool.

The Assessment Tool is available through a third-party online platform. See the Introduction and Instructions guide for additional information to access the Assessment Tool.

The Assessment Tool is comprised of five sections relating to different aspects of practice management. Each of the five practice management sections has a list of objectives to work toward. Users then self-assess their practice/firm against practices that demonstrate success for each objective.

At the end of each section, users are invited to record their strengths, list areas they want to follow up on and provide feedback for the Law Society.

Based on their self-assessments, users are provided with a curated list of free resources to help address gaps and manage risks. The Assessment Tool stores the user’s information, enabling them to track their progress or redo a section.

Corresponding printable workbooks are also available on the online platform for those who prefer to work alongside or solely from a document. There is also some additional guidance provided in the workbooks. Please note that the workbook on its own does not prioritize areas of focus or curate a tailored resource list. Only the online Assessment Tool has this functionality.

The five sections in the Assessment Tool cover competence and capacity; client management; file management and record keeping; financial management and business continuity; and relationships with third parties and the administration of justice.

We recognize there are other aspects of the practice of law that are determined at the firm level, such as hiring practices. Those areas are covered by other current resources or resources being developed by the Law Society. Contact Education for more information on these resources.

The Assessment Tool contains suggested resources applicable to legal practice in Alberta.

The suggested resources are primarily from law societies, the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) and other reputable Canadian legal organizations.

Sourcing resources for the Assessment Tool has helped the Law Society to identify gaps in resources and to prioritize resource development work in those areas.

The Assessment Tool is available at no cost.

The time to complete the full assessment varies but could take between 1.5 to 3 hours.

You do not have to complete the Assessment Tool all at once. However, once you begin a section, you must complete that section to save your ratings and comments.

Once the first section on competence and capacity is complete, users can complete the other sections in any order and at any time that works for them.

The Law Society is committed to removing barriers to accessing Law Society resources, programs and services. As part of that commitment, the Assessment Tool currently meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 Level A Conformance and work is being done to meet WCAG 2 Level AA Conformance. WCAG are the internationally recognized standards to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities.

If you have trouble accessing Law Society websites or resources, please contact Education for additional support.

The Practice Management department uses a different self-assessment tool in their proactive work with individual lawyers. The Assessment Tool is more self-directed so that any user can self-assess their needs and review resources on their own time. Individual lawyers can learn more about the Practice Management department on our website.

The Assessment Tool provides information and resources on implementing controls to manage risk for you and your firm; enhancing client services; promoting infrastructure that supports ethical practice; and contributing to the overall financial soundness and profitability of your firm.

Running a law practice takes a lot of time and attention to detail in different areas. The Assessment Tool organizes these elements in one place to help lawyers, firms and other legal professionals operate efficiently and ethically. Ratings are recorded within the online platform for easy reference to track progress.

Examining practice management systems is something that should be done on a regular basis, no matter how long one has been in practice. Lawyers, firms and other legal professionals must stay up to date with evolving technology, issues and client needs. The suggested resources may offer new information or a different perspective.

The PDP and the upcoming CPD planning tool provide guidance around a broad range of professional competencies that are relevant to all Alberta lawyers, while the Assessment Tool focuses specifically on practice management topics and is most helpful to lawyers or other legal professionals who are responsible for firm operations and/or manage a practice. Lawyers who choose to focus on practice management as part of their CPD plan can use the Assessment Tool to help assess their needs and access resources.

Yes, completing the Assessment Tool and accessing the suggested resources qualify as CPD learning activities.

The annual filing requirement is returning this fall and it remains the responsibility of every Alberta lawyer to maintain their own competence and self-assess areas for improvement.

The ratings users provide in the Assessment Tool are private and only accessible to the Law Society in aggregate form. They will help identify areas where further resource development is required. Any comments users provide are also private.

The Assessment Tool is hosted on a third-party platform called AvvyPro. For full information on privacy and security of the platform, visit the AvvyPro website or review the Introduction and Instructions guide.

As information is stored on the platform, users should not input any sensitive firm or client information into the Assessment Tool.

If you need technical support related to the online platform, please email support@avvy.pro.

Questions, feedback or suggestions related to the content or resources in the Assessment Tool can be emailed to our Education department.

Practice Advisors, Practice Management and Trust Safety are available to provide additional support in improving your firm policies and processes.