|
2008 Viscount Bennett Scholarship Winner
|
New "Know your Client" Rules Come into Effect December 31, 2008
|
New "know your client rules" will now come into effect December 31, 2008.
Please note this implementation date has been delayed for one month, from December 1st to December 31, 2008 to be consistent with the date set by other law societies across Canada.
New rules on client identification and verification requirements are based on a model rule developed by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. These rules are
|
 |
part of a national initiative to fight fraud and money laundering.
Visit www.lawsociety.ab.ca for more information on the application of the model rule in Alberta, and to download the sample forms.
The Law Society of Alberta will be communicating with Alberta lawyers over the next few weeks about the new "know-your-client" rules. Further updates and additional information will be available on the website and through E-bulletins. 
|
Sole Practitioners, Small Firm Lawyers Benefit More from CPD Program
By Margaret Hollis, Policy and Program Counsel, Law Society of Alberta
|
With so many challenges and issues facing them, small firms and sole practitioners could be forgiven for seeing the new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement as an additional burden.
Staying current is more difficult and more important in a small firm or a solo practice. The practice is likely more general - and the more general the practice, the more subject there is to keep up with. Lawyers working alone or in small groups do not have the advantage of sharing in the larger knowledge base of a big firm. And finally, they must manage the business themselves, and so must keep up not only with the law, but best practices in management, marketing, technology, and all the complications of running a small business.
The new CPD program preserves and encourages both the independence and professionalism of lawyers. It is a minimal intrusion into what is almost always a busy practice. The core requirement is that each lawyer make a plan annually for their own continuing professional development, which is broadly defined as any significant learning activity that is:
- relevant to a lawyer's professional needs;
- pertinent to long-term career interests as a lawyer;
| |
- in the interests of the lawyer's employer; or
- related to the professional ethics and responsibilities of lawyers.
The breadth of that definition allows a lawyer to plan learning activities on the basis of usefulness and convenience, not just what happens to be available in courses.
The online Resource Bank at www.CPDalberta.ca lists not only courses, but online learning programs, and the paper or electronic materials from past courses, and not only from Alberta, but Ontario, Manitoba and BC as well. For example, there are excellent online practice management courses offered free of charge by the Law Society of BC, that are available to Alberta lawyers.
Most lawyers are conscientious about staying current, but learning tends to take place on a "need to know" basis, and in a bit of a rush. Making a CPD plan can result in more effective, efficient learning efforts, and is an important part of any strategic planning. Visit www.lawsociety.ab.ca for more information
Congratulations to: CPD Early Bird draw winner Robert Drummond, of Justice Canada in Edmonton. He wins a copy of Just Works: Lawyers in Alberta 1907 - 2007.
|
|
