2024-25

The CBA Alberta offices will be closed for the holidays from December 24 through January 3 and will be operating with limited staff working remotely during this period. We will return to our regular office hours on Monday, January 6, 2025. 

We are pleased to announce the 2025 Distinguished Service Award winners: Carsten Jensen, K.C. for Service to the Profession, David Benjestorf for Service to the Community, Eric M. Adams for Service to Legal Scholarship, Anna Jane Samis Lund for Pro Bono Legal Service, and Lillian Y. Pan, K.C. for Service in Promoting Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession.

Summary of Alberta Court closures for the 2024 holiday season.

The Government of Alberta is conducting a review of professional regulatory bodies in the province, including the regulation of the legal profession. As part of this review, Alberta lawyers are invited to provide their feedback. It is important that the Government hears from as many members of the legal profession as possible, and we encourage all CBA Alberta members to complete the survey linked below. The deadline to do so is Friday, November 29.

The second phase of the national study on wellness in the legal profession has been published, sharing critical insights into the mental, physical, and emotional challenges within the legal profession in Alberta.

World Mental Health Day is on Thursday, October 10, and the theme “Mental Health at Work” could not be more relevant for members of the legal profession. Lawyers are more likely to suffer from higher levels of psychological distress than the rest of the Canadian working population, and CBA Alberta is committed to working towards a healthier legal profession for all.

The Manitoba Bar Association is deeply concerned by the removal of NDP MLA Mark Wasyliw from caucus, which has been linked to his association with criminal defence lawyers. This decision raises serious concerns about the role and perception of defence lawyers in our justice system. 

CBA Alberta was pleased to receive notice of the successful signing of a new governance agreement for Legal Aid Alberta. This milestone is a testament to the collective efforts and commitment of the Government of Alberta, Legal Aid Alberta and the Law Society of Alberta; and it underscores the shared dedication of stakeholders across the legal profession to ensuring that legal aid services remain accessible for all Albertans.

Robert D.L. Bassett of Calgary, begins his year-long term as the President of the Canadian Bar Association, Alberta Branch, which represents over 5,400 lawyers, justices, legal academics and law students in Alberta. He succeeds Kyle Kawanami, K.C. of Edmonton, who remains on the Board of Directors as Past President.

Steve Levitt has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Bar Association, effective November 4, 2024.