The Labour Mobility Act (SA 2021 cL-0.7) was proclaimed in force on April 6, 2023. This legislation now applies to all applicants seeking membership in the Law Society of Alberta. The intention of the legislation is to streamline processes to recognize the credentials of certified professionals from elsewhere in Canada. The introduction of the LMA has significant impacts on our processes, notably application requirements, processing times and the direct issuance of licenses by the Law Society. Please consult this webpage frequently as we continue to update our website to clarify requirements.

Applications

To apply, please submit your Canadian Lawyer Application online using the Lawyer Portal, as we are no longer accepting new applications in paper form. Prior to completing your application, you will be required to certify immediate payment of the transfer application and enrolment fees payable to the Law Society of Alberta.

Please refer to our User Guide to assist with submitting your online Canadian Lawyer application.

As part of your Canadian Lawyer Application, you will be required to submit the following additional requirements:

• Proof of Identification: Provide a copy of government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or driver’s license, on which your full legal name appears.
• Certificate of Standing: You will be required to attach a Certificate of Standing from a Canadian law society where you are licensed, issued within the last two months.

If you are not able to upload one or both documents at the time of your application, please scan and email them to Membership.

Status and Business Location

You must submit an applicable status application that best fits your practice situation and provide us with your business location information. See our Status & Contact Information Changes page for more information on which status options you have to choose from.

Please note, if you hold a non-practising status in your home jurisdiction you will be licensed as a non-practising member of the Law Society of Alberta. If you are licensed as a non-practising member, you will have to reinstate prior to providing legal services in Alberta. If you want to be licensed as an Active/Practising lawyer of the Law Society of Alberta, you will be required to hold a practising status in your home jurisdiction until the transfer process is complete. If you do not have a status that allows you to practice, you will be required to reinstate in your home jurisdiction.

Sole Practitioners and New Firms

If you are planning to start a practice as a sole practitioner or start a new law firm, please submit the following information to Membership in advance of registering with Corporate Registries:

• Business name
• Main office address
• Main office phone
• Fax (if applicable)

Changes to your direct business email address and direct phone number(s) can be updated through the Lawyer Portal by selecting My Profile from the dropdown and clicking Business Telephone/Email on the left.

You are encouraged to review Chapter 4 of the Code of Conduct in advance, to ensure that you are abiding by firm name requirements.

Trust Accounts

If you want to operate a trust bank account, you must complete and submit the Application to Designate a Responsible Lawyer and/or Operate a Trust Account. If you do not want to operate a trust bank account, you must complete and submit the Application for Exemption form.

Please complete the form that best relates to your practice intentions and submit it to Trust Safety. Until you are set up as a sole practitioner and your application has been approved by Trust Safety, you cannot accept trust monies.

Fees

The Law Society of Alberta will invoice you for membership and indemnity fees based on the information you provided.

Reading List

Lawyers are expected to know the material identified in the below reading list that is relevant to the work they will be doing (Rule 66(4)(b)). This may require the review of material not included in the reading list as some areas of law are sufficiently specialized or advanced.

The materials in the reading list are set by the Executive Director:

1. The Alberta Practice Manual resource materials from the Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA) in the area in which you intend to practice. This material is also available through a subscription to the LESA Library – the basic requirement is that you must familiarize yourself with Alberta law to the extent required to be able to practise competently in the areas in which you intend to practise.
2. The Law Society of Alberta’s Code of Conduct – mandatory
3. The Trust Accounting Rules (being part 5 of the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta) – mandatory