In this issue:
• Message from the President
• Law Society Welcomes Incoming President
• Changes to the Legal Profession Act
• Alberta Law Libraries Survey
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 Message from the President
By Rod Jerke, QC, President, Law Society of Alberta
Two strategy statements, adopted by the Benchers last week, will enable the Law Society to advance its work in the areas of Conduct and Access to Justice.
Conduct:
This statement will strategically guide the Law Society in reviewing, improving and enhancing its conduct processes. The Law Society is guided by the principles of public transparency and fairness.
Over the past 20 years, the Law Society has continued to pursue its mission to serve the public interest by working diligently on honing and refining its conduct processes through changes based on its experiences, and the same important principles of public transparency and fairness.
Access to Justice:
This statement flows from the Law Society's strategic goal of upholding and preserving "the fundamental principles of justice including effective and equal access to justice." In 2009, the Access to Justice Committee began a process to identify issues and to review the role of the Law Society as a regulator in enhancing equal access to justice.
The Benchers have taken the next step, which is to outline and adopt a strategy aimed at the retention and re-engagement of lawyers in practices providing legal services to the public.
The strategy statement provides direction for the LSA to:
- Continue the examination of alternate delivery of legal services, including the delivery of such services by non-lawyers.
- Retain and re-engage lawyers, and
- Promote diversity and equity in legal work places.
With respect to the retention and re-engagement of lawyers from across Alberta in the private practice of law, this includes:
- Supporting the retention of women lawyers and lawyers from diverse backgrounds in the private practice of law, and
- Supporting sole practitioners, and small rural and remote firms.
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Law Society Welcomes Incoming President
Rod Jerke, QC becomes the third president of the Law Society of Alberta to come from Lethbridge, Alberta.
Rodney Jerke, QC, born in Edmonton, Alberta, received his science degree with distinction from the University of Lethbridge, and his law degree with distinction from the University of Alberta. He was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1980. Rod's practice focuses on civil litigation at trial and appellate levels. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1998.
As Bencher for Southern Alberta, Rod has served as Chair for the Professional Responsibility Committee, Pro Bono Committee, Conduct Committee, Equality, Equity and Diversity Committee, and Access to Justice Committee. Rod is Past President of Pro Bono Law Alberta and continues to serve as Chair of the Pro Bono Law Alberta Advisory Board.
The most recent President of the Law Society of Alberta to come from Lethbride was the late Charles Gladstone Virtue, QC, who was President from 1984 to 1985 and was elected Bencher in 1978.
Rod Jerke practises law with the firm Davidson & Williams LLP in Lethbridge, which was founded in 1885. The firm's founder, Dr. C.F.P. Conybeare, QC, went on to be a founding father of the Law Society in 1907 and its president in 1926-1927.
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Changes to the Legal Profession Act
By Scott Watson, QC, Chair, Corporate & Commercial Advisory Committee, and Bencher, Law Society of Alberta
The Professional Corporations Statutes Amendment Act, 2009, passed by the Alberta Legislature on November 26, 2009 provides a broader definition of who may hold non-voting shares in Alberta professional corporations (PC’s).
The Act amends the Medical Profession Act, the Regulated Accounting Profession Act, the Health Professions Act and the Legal Profession Act and extends non-voting share ownership to non-professional family members (spouse, common-law partner, and children).
While non-voting shares can also be held by a trust, only minor children of the professional can be beneficiaries of the trust.
The legislation will bring Alberta in line with other provinces. It will allow professionals to include family members as shareholders of their PC consistent with other small businesses, while retaining the need for professionals to be responsible and accountable.
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Alberta Law Libraries Survey
In a continuing effort to provide innovative, first class legal information services, Alberta Law Libraries is currently revamping its web presence and working to enhance the information, research and training services provided to members of the Alberta Bar. Your views and feedback will be invaluable to moving forward with these efforts in the coming months.
This survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and will remain open for four weeks from the date of this email. Click the following link to complete the survey.
https://extranet.gov.ab.ca/opinio6/s?s=4555
If you have any questions about the survey or are having technical difficulties with the survey, please contact Alberta Law Libraries by e-mailing alsl.cal@gov.ab.ca, calling us at 1-866-448-6148 or 403-297-6148 (in Calgary), or visiting us in person in one of our locations across the province.
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Welcome to New Bencher
The Law Society of Alberta welcomed new Bencher Harry Van Harten, a Calgary lawyer practising in the areas of criminal, child welfare and family law. He was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1987.
He has practised criminal defense along with child protection law for 21 years. He currently practises with the firm Van Harten Foster Iovinelli Joshi.
Over the years Harry has volunteered with such organizations such as: Student Legal Assistance at the University of Calgary, Calgary Legal Guidance, CBA, Woods Home Exit Program Outreach, the Elizabeth Fry Society in Calgary, and Citizens for Public Justice among others. He has also volunteered as an instructor for Legal Education Society of Alberta and CPLED.
Harry’s work passion is representation of children and youth, and ensuring a process of fairness for parents whose children have been apprehended by children’s services.
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2010-2011 Executive Committee
The Benchers of the Law Society of Alberta elected Douglas R. Mah, QC, as the President-Elect for 2010.
As well, the Benchers elected a slate of members for the 2010 Executive Committee. The Committee includes: Ron Everard, QC; Carsten Jensen, QC; Steve Raby, QC; and Dale Spackman, QC. The public representative on the Executive will continue to be Larry Ohlhauser, MD.
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