Learning Centre Lawyer Portal Careers Contact Us

Law Society of Alberta

  • Who We Are
    • The Future of Professional Development

      Includes the creation of a Professional Development Profile and the development of a new CPD planning tool.
      • About Us
      • Executive Leadership Team
      • Board & Committees
        • Board Directory
        • Board Meetings
        • Committees
        • Other Bodies
      • Key Initiatives
        • Innovation Sandbox
        • Indigenous Initiatives
        • The Future of Professional Development
      • Engagement with Public and Profession
      • Affiliations
      • Annual & Financial Reports
      • Strategic Plan
      • Awards & Scholarships
        • Distinguished Service Awards
        • Recognition of Service
        • Scholarships
      • Frequently Asked Questions
  • For the Public
    • Complaints

      Find out more about the types of complaints the Law Society can or cannot help you with and how to file a complaint.
      • Find a Lawyer
      • Complaints
      • Finding Files & Wills
      • Public Resources
      • Financial Claims
      • Notices
      • Careers
  • Lawyers & Students
    • Become a Principal

      Find out details about the new principal training requirement and the process of becoming a principal.
      • Become a Lawyer
      • Become a Principal
      • Membership Services
      • Forms & Certificates
      • Making a Payment to the Law Society
      • Trust Accounting & Safety
        • Responsible Lawyers
        • Filing Requirements
        • Anti-Money Laundering Model Rules
      • Professional Development
      • Fraud & Loss Prevention
      • Practice Advisors
      • Practice Management Consultations
      • Approved Legal Services Providers
      • Complaints
      • Equity Ombudsperson
      • Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association
        • Report a Claim
        • Group Policy
        • ALIAlerts
        • ALIAdvisories
  • Resource Centre
    • Recently Updated Resource:

      What Can a Student-at-Law Do?
      • Learning Centre
      • Student Resources
        • Articling Placement Program
      • Public Resources
      • Disaster Planning and Recovery
      • Upcoming Events
      • Media Room
      • eBulletins
      • Latest News
      • Lawyer Programs
        • Mentor Connect
        • Mentor Express
        • AdvisorLink
        • Locum Connect
        • Practice Management Consultations
        • SoloNet
        • Assist
      • Key Resources
        • Client Relationships
        • Communication & Research
        • Equity & Diversity
        • Ethics & Professionalism
        • Practice Management
        • Substantive Legal Knowledge
        • Trust Accounting & Safety
        • Wellness
        • Webinars
  • Regulation
    • Act, Code & Rules

      The Law Society of Alberta derives its authority from the Legal Profession Act and sets out standards through its Rules and Code of Conduct.
      • Act, Code & Rules
      • Adjudication
        • About the Tribunal Office
        • Hearing Schedule
        • Decisions & Outcomes
        • Complaint Dismissal Appeals
        • Adjudicator Directory
        • Book of Authorities
      • Notices
        • Custodianship
        • Disbarment
        • Reinstatement
        • Resignation
        • Suspension
      • Unauthorized Practice of Law
  • Find a Lawyer
Resource Centre
  • Learning Centre
  • Lawyer Programs
    • Mentor Connect
    • Mentor Express
      • Mentor Express FAQ
    • Mentor Moments
    • AdvisorLink
      • AdvisorLink Online Request
    • Locum Connect
      • Locum Listing
      • Locum Opportunity Listing
    • SoloNet
  • Key Resources
    • Client Relationship Management
    • Communication, Analytical & Research Skills
    • Ethics & Professionalism
    • Equity & Diversity
    • Practice Management
      • Returning to Practice
      • Leaving the Practice of Law
    • Podcasts
    • Substantive Legal Knowledge
    • Trust Accounting & Safety
    • Wellness
      • COVID-19 Updates
    • Webinars
      • 2022 Trust Safety Rule Changes
      • Respectful Workplace Model Policy Webinar
      • Approved Legal Services Provider Webinar
  • Disaster Planning and Recovery
  • Student Resources
  • Public Resources
  • Upcoming Events
  • Media Room
  • eBulletins
  • Latest from the Law Society
  • Search
  • Home
  • Resource Centre
  • Key Resources
  • Wellness
Wellness
This competency requires a lawyer to maintain awareness of his or her mental and physical health and wellness and identify ways to maintain a healthy practice.

COVID-19 Updates
ResourceSummary
Assist The mission of the Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society is to provide confidential help to lawyers, law students and their immediate families with personal issues.
CPD Tips: WellnessWellness is vital to daily living and a key component of competency, as we cannot be competent and help others if we are not well.
Ethically Speaking: AddictionA lawyer who knows that a colleague is impaired bears the burden of ensuring steps are taken to protect client interests, and may carry an additional burden: worry for their colleague. Empathy, the ability to share or understand another’s experiences, can help the lawyer navigate the difficult path of addressing lawyer impairment.
Ethically Speaking: Civility and BurnoutCivility is a concrete tenet of practice. In R v Felderhof, the Ontario Court of Appeal notes that civility is not merely an adornment. It holds the legal profession together and contributes to a just society. Uncivil conduct, conduct that is abrasive, hostile or obstructive, impedes the court’s ability to resolve conflict in a fair, efficient and effective manner.
Ethically Speaking: Competence and WellnessIf competence means doing something successfully or efficiently, a lawyer’s competence includes additional esoteric components.
Ethically Speaking: How Do I Minimize and Manage Conflict With Clients and Other Lawyers?Managing conflict with clients involves training clients to understand how the lawyer practises, educating them that not only is the lawyer not the aggressor they see on television programs, but that their interests are not served by such aggression for aggression’s sake. Taking steps at the beginning of a file to set out the lawyer’s practice style can allow the client to assess whether the practice style aligns with their values.
Ethically Speaking: Immune-Compromised Work ExpectationsWhat should I do if I’m immune compromised or someone in my family is immune-compromised but I’m still expected to come into work?
Fostering a Healthy Workplace for the LGBTQ CommunityLawyers, law firms, and law societies seeking to create a culture of inclusion and to support LGBTQ colleagues, staff, or clients, may find these tips helpful
Get a Practice Plus-OneIf you practice on your own, you may also have noticed how hard it is to take a vacation or just step back from the details of practice for a while.
Letter from Assist: Lawyers and Substance UseWhile we do not have a current study of Alberta lawyers, or even Canadian lawyers, and their consumption of alcohol and other substances during the pandemic, other research suggests that it is likely that some Alberta lawyers are drinking more during the pandemic. What does this mean for us as a community?
Letter from Assist: Q&A on Assist Trends over 25 Years With Bob Philp, QCAlberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society (Assist) has been helping Alberta lawyers for 25 years. Bob Philp, QC, who has served as a director of Assist through this entire period, talks about how the “lawyers helping lawyers” movement has developed during this time.
Letter from Assist: Trends in Assist Usage During the PandemicIndividual circumstances have caused large variations in individual stress and distress levels. What can we learn about how Alberta lawyers and students are managing?
Letter from Assist: Unspoken Conflict and BoundariesBurnout is a common issue faced by lawyers. We work long hours for extended periods of time, or chronically, and we postpone personal gratification because our professional commitments take precedence. Self-care takes a backseat because it is seen as an indulgence. This was true before the pandemic and has become even more embedded in our culture during our 24/7 remote work strategies.
Letter from the Law Society: A Year Into Working RemotelyThe move to and continuation of remote working, and the other social restrictions with which we have become all too familiar, are focused on protecting our families, our work families, our clients and society at large.
Letter from the Law Society: Building a Stronger TeamWith rising demand for good legal talent, and head-hunters routinely reaching out to offer big bonuses and salaries to our associates, now, more than ever, it is an absolute necessity to build a workplace where associates feel appreciated and valued.
Letter from Assist: “I am feeling burned out. Can you help me?”Admitting that you need help is hard especially for lawyers who are used to being problem solvers. Assist believes in acting promptly when a lawyer or student reaches out for assistance. Self-assessing whether you are in crisis can pose an extra barrier. Many people are reluctant to “bother” the psychologists after hours, but it is important for lawyers and students to know that Assist does not screen for crisis situations or judge callers who may not be in full-blown crisis — we would rather just help them.
Letter from the Law Society: Let’s Not Return to ‘Normal’Once our work environment returns to ‘normal’, however that looks for each of us, many of the same issues that contributed to the decline in our mental health pre-pandemic will continue to exist. Many of us will still face excessive working hours, high pressure and competitive environments, high-conflict situations, and be subject to both internal and external unrealistic standards of perfection. The transition may also come with its own additional stressors.
Letter from the Law Society: The Well-being Matrix – Why Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are Essential to a Healthy Legal ProfessionEach day in addition to the rigors of practising law, some of us, because of who we are and how we identify, weigh our words, check our facial expressions, agonize over a hand gesture and, wonder if our setting an otherwise reasonable boundary is being interpreted as rude.
Mental Health in the Legal Profession: Your Obligations and How to HelpIf you suspect a mental health issue is affecting another lawyer’s practice, what should you do?
Preparing for Parental LeavePreparing for maternity or parental leave may be a cause of stress and anxiety for both lawyers and law firms.
Psychological First-Aid: Alcohol UseSubstance use is a major problem. For professionals, like lawyers, whose job is safety-sensitive and decision-critical, chronic alcohol use would put those they serve at increasing risk. On average five per cent of lawyers seeking assistance from Lawyer’s Assist present with the primary issue being alcohol and/or drug problems.
Psychological First-Aid: Helping the Stressed/Distressed IndividualThe stress and distress that we experience is the result of many factors including work, family, finances, parenting, health, and fear about the future, to name a few.
Psychological First-Aid: Stepping Up to the PlatePsychological First-Aid (PFA) is an evidence-based intervention designed to reduce an individual’s level of stress or distress and to foster short and long-term adaptive functioning and coping. It is a supportive intervention designed to help the individual help themselves.
Psychological First Aid: Stress and BurnoutDo you feel helpless, disillusioned and completely exhausted due to constant stress? If so, you may be on the road to burnout. Psychologists use the term “burnout” in work world contexts to define a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
Psychological First-Aid: Understanding Internal Conflict at WorkWorkplace conflict is not just limited to conflict with colleagues, bosses and organizations, but can have far reaching implications not only for the practice of law but for the personal and mental well-being of lawyers and their families.
We Don’t Talk About Burnout – No No No!Burnout isn’t necessarily something lawyers are willing to openly discuss or admit. It is one of many mental health challenges that we often just don’t want to talk about. But until we do talk about it, healing is difficult. Burnout symptoms can range from things like low productivity and loss of motivation to the more serious extreme of feeling of hopelessness. We know that burnout is endemic.
A Word on Wellness: Dear Advy: Well Meaning, Well-Being AdviceDear Advy is an advice column by the Canadian Bar Association. Members of the legal community can submit questions anonymously on anything and everything related to well-being, dealing with stress and succeeding under pressure. If a question is chosen, Advy will respond with advice and helpful resources.
A Word on Wellness: Empathy in PracticeEmpathy is a critical skill to help effectively meet clients’ needs. The notion that a lawyer’s role is to dispassionately focus on the facts ignores the reality that for most clients, emotions cannot be separated from the issues at hand. It is important to remember that being empathetic does not mean you need to agree with everything your client says or become emotionally invested in their circumstances. Nor should empathy be equated with attempting to be a counsellor for your client.
A Word on Wellness: How to Talk About Addiction With DignityWords matter and when it comes to talking about the disease of addiction, we can all do a little better and expand our vocabulary to those living with or experiencing the impact of substance use disorder.
A Word on Wellness: Preventing Conflict in the Virtual OfficeAlthough healthy conflict is part of relationships, some conflict can be prevented by creating a positive virtual workplace. Here are three tips that might help you identify and prevent conflict.
Printed from https://www.lawsociety.ab.ca on May 23, 2022 at 6:08:35 AM
Law Society of Alberta ©2022 Law Society of Alberta.
  • Latest
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
  • Sitemap
  • Careers
©2022 Law Society of Alberta.
  • Who We Are
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Executive Leadership Team
    • Board & Committees
      • Back
      • Board Directory
      • Board Meetings
      • Committees
      • Other Bodies
    • Key Initiatives
      • Back
      • Innovation Sandbox
      • Indigenous Initiatives
      • The Future of Professional Development
    • Engagement with Public and Profession
    • Affiliations
    • Annual & Financial Reports
    • Strategic Plan
    • Awards & Scholarships
      • Back
      • Distinguished Service Awards
      • Recognition of Service
      • Scholarships
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • For the Public
    • Back
    • Find a Lawyer
    • Complaints
    • Finding Files & Wills
    • Public Resources
    • Financial Claims
    • Notices
    • Careers
  • Lawyers & Students
    • Back
    • Become a Lawyer
    • Become a Principal
    • Membership Services
    • Forms & Certificates
    • Making a Payment to the Law Society
    • Trust Accounting & Safety
      • Back
      • Responsible Lawyers
      • Filing Requirements
      • Anti-Money Laundering Model Rules
    • Professional Development
    • Fraud & Loss Prevention
    • Practice Advisors
    • Practice Management Consultations
    • Approved Legal Services Providers
    • Complaints
    • Equity Ombudsperson
    • Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association
      • Back
      • Report a Claim
      • Group Policy
      • ALIAlerts
      • ALIAdvisories
  • Resource Centre
    • Back
    • Learning Centre
    • Student Resources
      • Back
      • Articling Placement Program
    • Public Resources
    • Disaster Planning and Recovery
    • Upcoming Events
    • Media Room
    • eBulletins
    • Latest News
    • Lawyer Programs
      • Back
      • Mentor Connect
      • Mentor Express
      • AdvisorLink
      • Locum Connect
      • Practice Management Consultations
      • SoloNet
      • Assist
    • Key Resources
      • Back
      • Client Relationships
      • Communication & Research
      • Equity & Diversity
      • Ethics & Professionalism
      • Practice Management
      • Substantive Legal Knowledge
      • Trust Accounting & Safety
      • Wellness
      • Webinars
  • Regulation
    • Back
    • Act, Code & Rules
    • Adjudication
      • Back
      • About the Tribunal Office
      • Hearing Schedule
      • Decisions & Outcomes
      • Complaint Dismissal Appeals
      • Adjudicator Directory
      • Book of Authorities
    • Notices
      • Back
      • Custodianship
      • Disbarment
      • Reinstatement
      • Resignation
      • Suspension
    • Unauthorized Practice of Law
  • Find a Lawyer
  • Lawyer Portal
  • Contact

Email: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Counsel

Fill in the form below to get in touch with the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Counsel.
  • Drop files here or
    Max. file size: 20 MB.
      Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

    Email: Mentorship

    Fill in the form below to get in touch with the Education department.
    • Drop files here or
      Max. file size: 20 MB.
        Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

      Email: Indigenous Initiatives

      Fill in the form below to get in touch with Indigenous Initiatives.
      • Drop files here or
        Max. file size: 20 MB.
          Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.
        Innovation Sandbox Contact Form
        Fill in the form below to get in touch with the Innovation Sandbox team.
        • Drop files here or
          Max. file size: 20 MB.
            Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

          Email: Unauthorized Practice of Law

          Fill in the form below to get in touch with the Unauthorized Practice of Law team.
          • Drop files here or
            Max. file size: 20 MB.
              Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.
            • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

            Email: Legal Technology

            Fill in the form below to get in touch with Legal Technology.
            • Drop files here or
              Max. file size: 20 MB.
                Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

              Email: Governance

              Email: Governance Meetings

              Fill in the form below to get in touch with Governance.
              • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

              Email: Indigenous Law Mentorship Program

              Fill in the form below to get in touch with the Indigenous Mentorship Program.
              • Drop files here or
                Max. file size: 20 MB.
                  Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                Email: Practice Advisors

                Fill in the form below to get in touch with the Practice Advisors
                • 1500 character maximum
                • Drop files here or
                  Max. file size: 20 MB.
                    Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.
                  • If a matter is marked urgent, it will be prioritized accordingly. All other matters will be assigned and a Practice Advisor will try to respond within two business days.

                  Email: Education

                  Fill in the form below to get in touch with the Education department.
                  • Drop files here or
                    Max. file size: 20 MB.
                      Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                    Email: AdvisorLink

                    Fill in the form below to get in touch with AdvisorLink
                    • 1. AdvisorLink (operated by the Office of the Practice Advisors) and the Advisors accept no liability whatsoever arising from assistance given to lawyers or to any persons claiming through or under them.
                      2. Lawyers are obligated to independently verify statements of law, procedure or fact made to them by the Advisor, before relying on them.
                      3. AdvisorLink must not be used as a substitute for the lawyers’ own thorough research and analysis or for the lawyers’ own professional judgment.
                    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

                    Email: Accounting

                    Fill in the form below to get in touch with Accounting
                    • Drop files here or
                      Max. file size: 20 MB.
                        Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.
                      • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

                      Email: Customer Service

                      Fill in the form below to get in touch.
                      • Drop files here or
                        Max. file size: 20 MB.
                          Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                        Email: General Feedback

                        Fill in the form below to get in touch with General Feedback
                        • Drop files here or
                          Max. file size: 20 MB.
                            Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                          Email: Communications and Media Relations

                          Fill in the form below to get in touch with Communications and Media Relations.
                          • Drop files here or
                            Max. file size: 20 MB.
                              Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.
                            • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

                            Email: Membership Services

                            Fill in the form below to get in touch with Membership Services
                            • Drop files here or
                              Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                              Email: Manager, Membership Services

                              Fill in the form below to get in touch with Tina McKay
                              • Drop files here or
                                Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                  Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                Email: Elizabeth Aspinall

                                Fill in the form below to get in touch with Elizabeth Aspinall
                                • Drop files here or
                                  Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                    Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                  Email: Jesse Mackenzie

                                  Fill in the form below to get in touch with Jesse Mackenzie
                                  • Drop files here or
                                    Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                      Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                    Email: Allan Guty

                                    Fill in the form below to get in touch with Allan Guty
                                    • Drop files here or
                                      Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                        Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                      Email: SoloNet

                                      Fill in the form below to get in touch with SoloNet
                                      • Drop files here or
                                        Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                          Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                        Email: Practice Management

                                        • Drop files here or
                                          Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                            Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                          Email: Nancy Bains

                                          Fill in the form below to get in touch with Nancy Bains
                                          • Drop files here or
                                            Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                              Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                            Email: Inform Trust Safety

                                            Fill in the form below to get in touch with Inform Trust Safety
                                            • Drop files here or
                                              Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                              Email: Trust Safety

                                              Fill in the form below to get in touch with Trust Safety
                                              • Drop files here or
                                                Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                  Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                Email: Information Management

                                                Fill in the form below to get in touch with Information Management
                                                • Drop files here or
                                                  Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                    Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                  Email: Election

                                                  Fill in the form below to get in touch with Election
                                                  • Drop files here or
                                                    Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                      Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                    Email: Justicia Project

                                                    Fill in the form below to get in touch with Justicia Project
                                                    • Drop files here or
                                                      Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                        Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                      Email: Locum Connect

                                                      Fill in the form below to get in touch with Locum Connect
                                                      • Drop files here or
                                                        Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                          Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                        Email: Mentor Connect

                                                        Fill in the form below to get in touch with Mentor Connect
                                                        • Drop files here or
                                                          Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                            Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                          Email: Mentor Express

                                                          Fill in the form below to get in touch with Mentor Express
                                                          • Drop files here or
                                                            Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                              Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                            Email: Indigenous Law Student Summer Employment Program

                                                            Fill in the form below to get in touch with Indigenous Law Student Summer Employment Program
                                                            • Drop files here or
                                                              Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                                Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                              Email: ALIA

                                                              Fill in the form below to get in touch with ALIA
                                                              • Drop files here or
                                                                Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                                  Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.
                                                                • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

                                                                Email: ALIAlert fraud alerts

                                                                Fill in the form below to get in touch with ALIAlert fraud alerts
                                                                • Drop files here or
                                                                  Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                                    Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.
                                                                  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

                                                                  Email: Equity Ombudsperson

                                                                  Fill in the form below to get in touch with the Equity Ombudsperson.
                                                                  • Drop files here or
                                                                    Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                                      Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                                    Email: Tribunal Office

                                                                    Fill in the form below to get in touch with Tribunal Office
                                                                    • Drop files here or
                                                                      Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                                        Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.

                                                                      Email: Custodianship

                                                                      Fill in the form below to get in touch with Custodianship
                                                                      • Drop files here or
                                                                        Max. file size: 20 MB.
                                                                          Text, PDF, MSOffice, and Images only. Max size 20 MB.