President's Report

  • February 27, 2017

Welcome to 2017! On behalf of the Executive Committee of the CBA Alberta Branch, I want to extend our best wishes for a Happy New Year to you all.

One of the first highlights of the year in the CBA calendar is the Distinguished Service Awards, held jointly with the Law Society of Alberta. The dedication of our award winners to pro bono legal service, scholarship, the community, and the profession sets a shining example for the rest of our profession to aspire to in our careers. Please join me in congratulating the winners of the 2017 Distinguished Service Awards:

  • Pro Bono Service – Buddy Melnyk
  • Legal Scholarship – Professor Jonnette Watson Hamilton
  • Service to the Community – Robert A. Philp, QC
  • Service to the Profession – Virginia A. Engel, QC

Turn to page 14 to see photos of the awards luncheon, which took place on January 26. 

Some of you will have noticed that the Alberta Law Conference, normally held annually in late January, did not take place this year. Instead, we are pleased to be partnering with CBA British Columbia for CBA West scheduled to take place November 17 – 19, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Wynn Hotel. The CBA West organizing committee is currently finalizing professional development and registration details, and we expect registration to be open early this spring.

We have heard from some members who have expressed interest in hosting a firm retreat in conjunction with CBA West in November. The Wynn Hotel has generously extended the conference room rate to the three days prior and following the conference to accommodate retreats, and can assist with booking meeting rooms and other retreat needs. If this is of interest to your firm, please contact the CBA Alberta office at 403-263-3707, or email communications@cba-alberta.org for more information. 

I am extremely proud of the advocacy work that has been done by the CBA nationally, and by our Alberta Branch. The matter of judicial vacancies has been top of mind in a number of provinces, including Alberta, and we are now seeing the federal government take action to fill some of these vacancies. In December, we put forward three CBA Alberta members as nominees for CBA Alberta’s position on the Judicial Advisory Committee for Alberta. Minister of Justice & Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould announced the advisory committee appointees, and we are very pleased that Hanan Campbell will be our Branch’s representative. We look forward to seeing Alberta’s superior court vacancies filled, and the creation of new positions to meet the growing demand in our province. 

Canadian Bar Association staff and volunteers were busy throughout the fall contributing to the Re-Think initiative, with work continuing well into 2017. In September and October, CBA staff across the country were assigned to task groups, which laid out the roadmap for Re-Think work in 2017. This roadmap identifies the steps that will be taken in order to align various departments of the CBA with the opportunities laid out early in the Re-Think process, which are to develop deep, smart member intelligence, deliver distinct and relevant professional development, advocate on behalf of the profession, prepare the profession for the future, and cultivate an inclusive, engaged professional community.

We have already seen some exciting changes take place as a result of the Re-Think, including the CBA Connect program (see www.cba.org/CBA-Connect for more information), and look forward to further work aligning the CBA with the above opportunities. 

Here in Alberta, we are committed to delivering top-notch professional development through our Sections, and through the Savvy Lawyers Series of webinars that take place throughout the year. In January, we launched the "Bread & Butter" webinars as a part of the Savvy Lawyers Series, which focus on real estate and wills and estates. Part I of the series, Basic Real Estate, took place in early January, and is still available to purchase as an on-demand video. Part II, Basic Wills and Estates, is scheduled for March 17 at 12pm, and is available in person in our Edmonton office, or by live webcast. For more information or to register, visit www.cba-alberta.org/SavvyLawyers/Bread-Butter.

With the start of the New Year, our provincial Law Day committees are now in full swing planning events in April. Law Day is our opportunity each year to provide public legal education, and is an important event in providing access to justice to people across Alberta. Law Day events will be held in Calgary and Edmonton on Saturday, April 22, and in Fort McMurray, St. Paul, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat throughout April and May. This year, in addition to activities promoting access to justice and public legal education, Law Day events in Alberta are recognizing Canada 150 - celebrations that recognize the 150th anniversary of Confederation. 

Law Day is an excellent (and fun!) opportunity for members of the legal community to volunteer their time to improve access to justice in our province. For more information on Law Day events in your community, or to reach out to your local event organizer for information on getting involved, please visit www.lawdayalberta.com.


Jeremiah Kowalchuk is the 2016-17 President of the Canadian Bar Association - Alberta Branch. Prior to his involvement on the CBA Alberta Executive Committee, he co-chaired the Alberta Law Conference planning committee. Jeremiah is a partner at Field LLP, and serves as the Chair of the firm’s General Litigation Practice Group in Edmonton.