In 2020, the Benchers set the strategic direction for the Law Society to develop a new approach to continuing professional development (CPD) for Alberta lawyers. One key goal of the new approach was to make the annual planning process more meaningful and engaging for lawyers by providing guidance on what the Law Society believes are important areas of focus for professional development. An integral element was the development of a Professional Development Profile that will serve as the foundation for all our work to enhance lawyer competence and CPD going forward.

For more information, read our FAQ.

Professional Development Profile

About the Profile

Professional Development Profiles are used by organizations to understand the skills and abilities (competencies) that individuals should have to do their role effectively. Individuals may either already possess some of the competencies or can develop them with training and learning over time.

The Profile is designed to provide guidance to all Alberta lawyers, regardless of experience or practice area. The Profile is not intended to be a checklist and lawyers are not required to demonstrate competency in every area of the Profile each year. It is meant to provide guidance when lawyers are selecting areas for professional development that are meaningful to them and their practice.

The Profile does not include substantive areas of law, but broad areas of knowledge, skills and abilities that lawyers practising in all areas might look to develop or expand. As always, lawyers are encouraged to pursue CPD specific to their practice areas in addition to the areas in the new Profile.

The Profile outlines nine domains:

• Legal Practice
• Continuous Improvement
• Cultural Competency & Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Lawyer-Client Relationships
• Practice Management
• Professional Conduct
• Professional Contributions
• Truth & Reconciliation
• Well-Being

Each domain contains competencies or areas a lawyer may want to develop. The competencies should be thought of as a menu of options to pursue when creating CPD plans, rather than as a checklist of requirements.

Proficiency Scale

A proficiency scale, developed by Principia Assessments, Ltd., accompanies the Profile to help lawyers assess their current proficiency levels in various competencies and to set goals to improve or enhance those proficiency levels. For any competency selected from the Profile or elsewhere, different proficiency levels are expected at various career stages and in various practice areas or settings.

While the Law Society can offer guidance and suggestions, it is up to each lawyer to determine how to best improve proficiency in chosen areas of professional development, depending on level of experience, practice context and goals.

Development of the Profile

The Law Society hired ACT, Inc. (ACT) to facilitate the development of the Profile. ACT is a not-for-profit organization based in the United States. ACT’s Credentialing and Career Services group provides advisory and consulting services to organizations that educate, license and certify individuals in a range of professions.

The 2021–2022 Bencher Lawyer Competence Committee served as the project Steering Committee and provided guidance and oversight throughout the development process. The Law Society also assembled a volunteer Task Force comprised of Alberta lawyers to lead the drafting of the Profile and received feedback from four focus groups made up of Alberta lawyers.

The Profile was developed using a rigorous process that involved expertise, input and feedback from over 65 individuals at key points in the development process. The profession was surveyed (online) in January 2022 and asked to provide feedback to validate the draft Profile, which was approved by the Benchers at the April 2022 Board meeting.

Questions or Feedback

We welcome your questions or feedback about the new Profile and approach to CPD. Our FAQ may provide some answers, or you are welcome to reach out to the Education department.