Effective and Timely Decisions of a Model RegulatorBy Don Thompson, QC, Executive Director, Law Society of Alberta | ||
| A priority identified in June 2005 by the Law Society of Alberta Benchers was to determine how long it should take for matters to proceed from complaint to hearing. We are trying techniques so that high risk complaints are dealt with on a priority basis if it appears that clients are at risk. A recent complaints performance history analysis showed that the time taken to close a formal complaint has dropped from an average of 14.3 months in 2002 to an average of 11.6 months in 2006. (A formal complaint is measured from initial contact to closure which is either dismissal or hearing.) Other highlights show that:
In the upcoming 2008 budget, the Law Society of Alberta anticipates increasing staffing levels in the complaints department to ensure higher service levels. |
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 Welcoming new staff. The Law Society of Alberta welcomed a new forensic investigator to its Calgary office. Karen Vanderzweerde, who holds a CA designation, is an associate member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Association of Certified Forensic Investigators, and the Alliance for Excellence in Investigative and Forensic Accounting. Raymond Cawling joined the Calgary office as an audit technician. He is currently enrolled in the Accelerated Accounting Program pursuing his CA designation. National Group formed on issues of safety of trust property. A small national group has formed to bring together auditors across the country to gain their perspectives on this issue. Billions of dollars pass through the trust accounts of Alberta lawyers each year, and we have encouraged this national discussion about whether our present systems manage that risk sufficiently.  |
2007 Peter Freeman Bursary Recipients | ||
| Two University of Alberta law students were awarded the Peter Freeman, QC Bursary for Indigenous Students in Law. Brandon Tralenberg has completed his second year in the Faculty of Law with a 2.7 grade point average. He received a $2,000 bursary. Shaun Emes, who received a $1,000 bursary, completed his first year in the Faculty of Law with a 2.7 grade point average. |
Each year the bursary is awarded to one student at the University of Calgary and one student at the University of Alberta enrolled in the faculty of law who is of aboriginal ancestry. The bursary was created by the Law Society of Alberta in 2001 in honour of Peter Freeman, QC, who served as the executive director from 1989 until his retirement in 2001. The principal amount for the bursary was established through generous donations from the legal community and the Law Society of Alberta. | |
2007 Viscount Bennett Scholarship Winners
By Jim Peacock, QC, President, Law Society of Alberta
Erica Bach
With experience spanning three continents, Calgary barrister and solicitor Erica Bach is poised to return to university as one of two recipients of the 2007 Viscount Bennett scholarship.
The second recipient is Adam Douglas of Calgary who is completing his Master of Laws at Columbia University where he is focusing on the reconciliation of commercial interests and human rights in developing countries.
Ms. Bach obtained her law degree from Dalhousie University, and is enrolled as a candidate for a dual degree of LL.M. in law and the global economy at New York University School of Law and National University of Singapore. Since being admitted to the LSA bar in 2003, her work experience includes stints as an associate with Macleod Dixon LLP in Calgary, visiting lawyer with Lawyers for Human Rights in South Africa, programs lawyer with the Law Society of Zimbabwe in Harare, and legal specialist with the UN Development Program in Mozambique.
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