LSA Committed to Supporting Sole Practitioners, Small Firms
By Don Thompson, QC, Executive Director, Law Society of Alberta
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Services for lawyers, particularly for sole practitioners and those in small firms, are among the Law Society of Alberta's many offerings.
The LSA provides support to those who have chosen to practise law by hanging out their own shingles or by joining with one or several lawyers in a boutique firm. These include the services of the:
- Practice Advisors who are available to discuss legal, ethical, and practice concerns, and personal matters such as stress and addiction. They also mediate and arbitrate inter-lawyer disputes. The advisors - Nancy Carruthers and Ross McLeod with Jocelyn Frazer as back-up - provide assistance and resources on strategic planning, practice management, marketing, and technology and systems.
- Alberta Lawyers Insurance Association which manages the Law Society of Alberta's insurance program for Alberta lawyers. Similar to malpractice insurance, the program provides professional liability insurance to more than 5,500 Alberta lawyers.
- Mentor Program which is designed to provide the less experienced lawyer with the assistance of more experienced counsel, and is aimed at ensuring that the public continues to receive quality legal services.
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Please visit the website at www.lawsociety.ab.ca for more information, or to download any of the publications designed to support sole practitioners and those in small firms. Articles of interest, particularly those about law practice management, include: Critical Illness Checklist, Going Solo, How to make IT decisions, and Help, I Need a new Legal Assistant.
New Executive Director for PBLA
We are pleased to announce that Gillian Marriott, who practises family law with Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP in Calgary, has taken the position of Executive Director with Pro Bono Law Alberta. She assumes the role in early 2009 from acting Executive Director Susan Billington, QC, who was seconded from the LSA's policy and program counsel position to start PBLA. Gillian is currently vice-president of the Canadian Bar Association Alberta. She received her B.A. from Carleton University and her L.L.B. from Dalhousie University. She has worked as a dispute resolution officer for the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench.
Goals for Closing Complaints
For the second quarter of 2008, the LSA exceeded its goal of seeing 75 per cent of informal complaints closed within 90 days. In the current quarter which ended June 30, 2008, 82 per cent of informal complaints were closed within 90 days. The LSA continues to strive to reach its goal of closing 67 per cent of formal complaints within 10-11 months.
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