President & Executive

Alberta Justice & Solicitor General
Alberta Crown Prosecution Service
403.297.8444
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Rob is a member of the Alberta Bar (2000) and the British Columbia Bar (2005). He is a career Crown Prosecutor with Alberta Justice and Solicitor General in Calgary, specializing in domestic violence, early case resolution and youth criminal justice. Rob also trained with, and was seconded to for three years, the Alberta Public Service Commission as an Indigenous Awareness co-facilitator and trainer, proudly partnering as an ally with Indigenous colleagues, Elders and Knowledge Keepers. For several years, Rob has also been volunteering as Calgary and Siksika Nation Program Facilitator and instructor for Level Justice, a Canadian charitable organization for Indigenous youth outreach and justice education. In 2022, Rob was honoured to begin his new assignment of prosecuting in Calgary Indigenous Court.

While studying at UCalgary Law, Rob co-chaired the CBA Alberta Law Students Section (South) for three years. During articling, he was a member of the CBA Alberta Public Education Committee, with a mandate to improve education and access for self-represented litigants in the Alberta Court of Justice Civil Division. Rob next co-chaired the CBA Alberta Criminal Justice Section (South) with an emphasis on continuing education and membership retention. He was later elected to the CBA Alberta Council for three years, with a focus on developing a new governance framework. More recently, Rob co-chaired the CBA Alberta Access to Justice Committee and sat on the My Justice Skills Working Group, advancing public understanding of the judicial system through branch initiatives and early legal education in Alberta schools, respectively.

Rob has held faculty positions at UCalgary Law and SAIT, as a sessional instructor in clinical theory and trial advocacy, as well as criminal law, respectively. He is also the Board Chair and a long-term volunteer at Student Legal Assistance at UCalgary Law, and was recently appointed as an inaugural member of the Dean's Community Council. Rob is also an appointed Program Advisory Committee Member at SAIT, for a three year term. Rob was a volunteer adjudicator of Interviewing, Negotiating and Advocacy with CPLED for several years; and is a guest speaker for CBA Alberta, UCalgary Law and LESA on prosecutions and ethics. Rob is a passionate mentor to law students and young lawyers within his office, with the CBA Alberta Mentoring Program, and with the Law Society of Alberta Mentor Express Program.

Rob is a member of The Glencoe Club, where he enjoys exercising and spending time with his family, friends and colleagues.

In 2022, Rob was nominated for The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta) for outstanding contributions to serve Alberta, the community and the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General.

University of Alberta Faculty of Law
780 492 5045
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Christopher Samuel is currently the Director of Legal Research and Writing at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. Chris obtained his Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta and his law degree from the University of New Brunswick. He was elected as the valedictorian of his graduating class. After graduating from law school, Chris obtained a clerkship at the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench. He completed the remainder of his articles at the federal Department of Justice and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2011. Before joining the Faculty of Law as the Director of Legal Research and Writing, Chris worked as a crown prosecutor in the Edmonton office of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Chris maintained both a trial and appellate practice and has appeared at all levels of Court in Alberta. He began teaching as a sessional instructor at the Faculty of Law in 2014 and has coached the Clinton J Ford, Wilson, Gale Cup, Bowman Tax Moot, and Adam F. Fanaki Competition Law upper-year competitive moots. Currently, he teaches legal research, writing, and advocacy, criminal law, and is also responsible for coordinating the Faculty's Competitive Moot Program.

Throughout his career, Chris has been actively involved in his community and in the Canadian Bar Association. He has served on the executive committees of the CBA Alberta Young Lawyers Section and the Criminal Justice Section (both provincially and nationally) and served as co-chair of the Edmonton Law Day Committee. He has also served on the Board of Rapid Fire Theatre, an award-winning local improvisational theatre company, various City of Edmonton municipal tribunals, and as the President of his community league. When he's not working, Chris can be found happily spending time with his two young children.

Bow River Law
587 391 7603
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Sarah Coderre is a partner and co-founder at Bow River Law LLP in Calgary, where she primarily practices employment law, labour law, and human rights. Prior to starting her own practice, she worked for firms from boutique offices to one of the largest firms in Canada in both Calgary and Edmonton. Born and raised in Alberta, Sarah completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta, and her bachelor of laws at the University of Calgary, and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2012.

Sarah has been an active CBA member for much of her career and volunteered extensively with the association in that time. She most recently served on the CBA Alberta Board of Directors from 2000 – 2022 as the young lawyer(south) director. She has also served as the vice-chair of the Labour & Employment Section, vice-chair of the Inns of Court (south) Committee, and a member of the Agenda for Justice & Advocacy Committee.

A passionate advocate for civility, mentorship and diversity in the profession, Sarah is also known as a leader in the legal community outside the CBA. Among her many other roles, she is involved with the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association, served as the President of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers Alberta Chapter, is a director for the Association of Women Lawyers, is involved with Lawyers for Equity, Access and Diversity Alberta.

Beyond her practice and volunteer work, Sarah is also the mother of two young children.

Kathy Briere is a partner at Dentons Canada LLP and serves as a member in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. She has a highly-regarded practice focusing primarily on personal injury law, ranging from minor injuries through to catastrophic injuries. Having spent the majority of her career representing Plaintiffs in personal injury claims, Kathy has developed strong relationships with healthcare providers, allowing her to assist with her clients’ recovery and treatment.  She has been recently recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada rankings for her work in Personal Injury Litigation.  She also represents auto manufacturers with respect to product liability claims, and has maintained a robust real estate practice over the course of her career.  She completed mediation training at Harvard University in 2012, providing her with in depth experience and tools for effective claims resolution.

To complement her law practice at Dentons, Kathy is committed to giving back to the community in which she lives and works. She is heavily involved with Habitat for Humanity and provides legal counsel to the organization in the capital region and Northern Alberta. For the past several years and to present, Kathy is a member of the Canadian Bar Association Auto Insurance Working Group, advising on auto insurance reform in Alberta. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Diabetes Research Institute Foundation Canada (DRIFCan), an Alberta-based charity to fund cure-based diabetes research.

Emery Jamieson LLP
780 426 5220
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Kyle Kawanami is a partner at Emery Jamieson LLP in Edmonton where he primarily practices in civil litigation and creditors’ remedies. He is a graduate of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law where he received his LL.B. with distinction in 2006 and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2007.

Kyle first joined the CBA as a law student in 2003 and has been an engaged member ever since. An active Section member, Kyle has served as an executive member for several north Sections including Junior Lawyers (2007-08) and Creditor & Debtor Law (2008-13). He then went on to the role of North Section Coordinator in 2017-18. Apart from Sections, Kyle has also volunteered for the Edmonton Law Day Committee and the Engagement Task Force. Then in 2019, Kyle was elected to serve as one of the initial members of the CBA Alberta Board of Directors.

Kyle is active within the legal community in Alberta, having served on the Law Society of Alberta Retention and Engagement Task Force, volunteering as a coach for the University of Alberta Court of Appeal Civil Moot team, and presenting a numerous seminars delivered by the Legal Education Society of Alberta, the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association and more.

Outside of his legal practice, Kyle is also active in Edmonton’s arts community, having served on the board of directors for the Workshop West Playwrights Theater from 2009 – 2015.  Kyle is also an avid sports fan, and a keen supporter of the Edmonton Elks and Edmonton Oilers.

Canadian Bar Association - Alberta Branch
403 263 3707
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Maureen Armitage has extensive experience in association management and organizational transformation. She is a former general manager of Canadian Angus Association, where she assisted in the transition of the board to policy governance, was involved in the development of strategic plans, and the setting and achievement of operational objectives. Maureen was also the manager of student and academic services in the faculty of education at University of Calgary, where she was involved in a structural re-organization of the faculty in 2009. As the first Executive Director of Canadian Heavy Oil Association, Maureen guided that organization’s transition and development under a policy governance model.

With a degree in public administration from Carleton University in Ottawa, Maureen has also completed Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Education courses in Governance as Leadership and Leadership Decision-Making, and is a past participant of the Rotary International Group Study Exchange Program to Peru.