Legal Practice - Law Society of Alberta

The following resources assist lawyers to accurately identify legal issues, employ research, analytical and problem-solving skills to formulate clear and appropriate legal strategies, communicate effectively and advance their clients’ interests within their practice-specific contexts.

If you have feedback on any resource, please email Education.

Resource	Description	Topic	Audience	Format	Publisher
Communicating with the Court	Lawyers frequently call the Practice Advisors’ Office to discuss the ethics of communicating with the court.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit, Private Practice	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Ethical Considerations Regarding Requests for Wills	When a lawyer receives a request to provide a will to someone other than the testator, the lawyer’s duty of confidentiality to the testator should guide how to respond and what information can be disclosed.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Giving Independent Legal Advice Independent Legal Advice Checklist	Independent legal advice is never routine, and a consultation may be the client's only opportunity to consider objectively a transaction that exposes them to significant liability. Considerations for giving or sending a person for independent legal advice are provided.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Template, Guide	Law Society of Alberta
New Notaries and Commissioners Act in Force April 30, 2015	They will now both be governed under the Notaries and Commissioners Act. The legislative amendments also contain consequential amendments to the Alberta Evidence Act and the Guarantees Acknowledgement Act.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Non-Lawyer Representation of Corporations in the Courts	In some cases, non-lawyer agents may be permitted to appear for parties in civil matters before the Provincial Court, or in certain summary offence matters.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
OPCA Litigants - The Phenomenon of Freemen on the Land	The Law Society continues to hear concerns regarding “Organized Pseudolegal Commercial Argument” litigants (OPCA litigants), and specifically Freemen on the Land. Consequently, we want to remind lawyers of their obligations when dealing with OPCA litigants.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Avoid the Penalty Box	The Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association (ALIA) manages the professional liability insurance program for lawyers in Alberta. Learn about the different trends in claims presented to ALIA, inspired by the names of NHL teams.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, In-House, Management, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Mastering Client Files	Adopting use of a Master Client File List will help you gain better control over your practice. Learn about the key pieces of information and the benefits of using a Master Client File List.	Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article, Podcast	Law Society of Alberta
Original Wills: Privilege and Lien Issues	Although it is recommended that lawyers give original wills to the testator client with appropriate instructions for storage, they sometimes remain in the lawyer’s file or vault.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Signing Court Orders	Lawyers owe a duty to the court to sign orders to which they have agreed or which have been granted by the court.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Solicitor-Client Privilege and Demands for Disclosure	In response to inquiries from lawyers regarding demands for disclosure, the Law Society of Alberta developed a position statement to provide guidance when they are faced with such demands.	Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article, Guide	Law Society of Alberta
Trust Conditions Guidelines	Alberta lawyers appreciated the format of the previous Code rules respecting trust conditions – a familiar checklist or guide for working through trust conditions issues.	Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm	Guide, Checklist	Law Society of Alberta
Understanding and Avoiding Law Society Complaints	This article addresses the common issues that face practicing lawyers, and concludes with a list of tips and resources found on our website.	Advance Client Interests	Private Practice, Management, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Article	Law Society of Alberta
Conflicts Essentials	Lawyers must understand how to recognize conflicts of interest, how to prevent them from occurring, and what might happen if they do occur. View this webinar for more details on conflicts essentials.	Critically Evaluate a Matter	Private Practice, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Webinar, Video	Law Society of Alberta
Conflicts Essentials Part 2 Webinar	Key elements of ethical practice are recognizing conflicts of interest, understanding how to prevent them, and what might happen if they do occur. Practice Advisor, Elizabeth Aspinall, walks through common and complex scenarios to help lawyers understand when conflicts may arise and how to resolve them.	Critically Evaluate a Matter	Private Practice, In-House, Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Government & Non-Profit	Webinar, Video	Law Society of Alberta
Real Estate Resources	Air Conditioning Units and Window Wells on Real Property Reports Amendments to the Condominium Property Act: New Deposit Rules Effective April 1, 2018 Applying Protocol Canadian Bankers Association Contact List for Matters Involving Mortgage Discharges (English Version) (French Version) Conveyancing Protocol Conveyancing Protocol: FAQ Mortgage Instructions Toolkit Recommended Rules Of Practice Respecting Real Property Reports Understanding the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice	Article, Guide	Law Society and External Collaboration
Resources for Staying Current on Substantive Law	Staying current on the substantive law applicable to one’s practice area is critical to meeting the professional obligation to provide competent services. Learn about the resources available to keep up to date with the latest developments and how to apply the learning towards Continuing Professional Development requirements.	Critically Evaluate a Matter, Advance Client Interests	Sole Practitioner & Small Firm, Private Practice, Management, Government & Non-Profit, In-House	Article	Law Society of Alberta

Educational resources in this section are intended for the legal profession as an aid and are not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice. Readers must exercise their professional judgment about the accuracy, utility and applicability of the material. The Law Society of Alberta and Alberta Lawyers Indemnity Association (ALIA) accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions in any resource. If you find any information that is unclear, inaccurate or outdated, please send an email with details to Education.

Any information pertaining to the ALIA Group Policy contained in any resource is provided for information purposes only. The Group Policy contains other terms and conditions that may affect coverage. Subscribers to the Group Policy should always review the Group Policy, to confirm their obligations in any circumstance.

Any third-party resources are suggested for information and reference only. The Law Society and ALIA are not responsible for the accuracy, content or information contained in these sites. Views expressed in these resources are the views of the authors individually and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Law Society or ALIA.