If a young person wishes to get a lawyer through Legal Aid Alberta (LAA) or if a Youth Justice Court judge has referred them to LAA, the young person must complete an application.
How To Apply
Contact your nearest Legal Services Centre to find out when you can apply. Some offices require appointments, while others offer walk-in service.
If you're at the courthouse: You can also apply for legal aid at the courthouse in Calgary and Edmonton. Duty counsel can also be found at the courthouse, so it may be helpful to speak with them before applying. Duty counsel provide assistance to young persons and their families at their first court appearance, and who are not represented by a lawyer.
| Calgary |
Edmonton |
| 9:00am – 12:00pm |
9:00am – closing of AM youth docket court |
|
Suite 605-S, Calgary Courts Centre
601 5th Street SW
Calgary, AB |
4th Floor North, Law Courts Building
1A Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB |
At your interview, you will NOT meet with a lawyer. (Exception: Edmonton and Calgary Legal Services Centre do have staff lawyers on site who may offer brief services.) You will meet with a legal services officer who will complete your application with you and answer any questions you have about the legal aid process.
You can tell us who you would like as your lawyer at the time of your assessment; however, please understand that Legal Aid Alberta reserves the right to appoint a lawyer to you from an existing list of lawyers who take legal aid cases.
Youth Criminal Defence Office (YCDO): In Edmonton and Calgary, Legal Aid Alberta refers the majority of its youth clients to the Youth Criminal Defence Office. The Youth Criminal Defence Office is a program of LAA that is made up of staff lawyers, social workers, and youth workers that provide legal representation and other services to youth that have been charged with a criminal offence.
The YCDO can also assist young persons who may not have criminal charges, but who have hearings for traffic matters of appearances before school attendance boards or expulsion hearings. For general information or questions about Youth Criminal Justice issues, please contact the YCDO.
Typically it takes anywhere from 2 – 7 days for LAA to appoint a lawyer to you.