Youth criminal law
Quality representation for young Albertans no matter where they live
In this section
Introduction
Better representation for Alberta’s youth
Legal Aid Alberta has created a panel of roster lawyers with interest, aptitude, and experience representing young people facing criminal charges.
Benefits
- Increases the quality of representation for youth clients across Alberta.
- Allows a selected group of roster lawyers to gain more experience in youth criminal law matters.
- Offers the possibility of a more steady stream of youth criminal law certificates.
Reasons to apply
You want to gain experience.
We hope experienced practitioners will apply to join the panel, but we will accept applications from lawyers of all levels of seniority. There is no minimum number of years at the bar required to apply. Some relatively new lawyers may be competitive applicants if they practice criminal law exclusively and if they have a strong plan for developing their skills as a youth criminal defence lawyer.
You share LAA values.
- Enjoy working with young people.
- Understand the needs of vulnerable young people facing criminal charges.
- Want to learn more about how to help young people.
You can help extend LAA’s reach.
We need panel members who practice everywhere in Alberta. We particularly encourage applications from roster lawyers who serve communities outside Edmonton, Calgary, and surrounding communities – where LAA does not have staff lawyers who accept youth certificates.
Note: Panel members will receive priority when LAA offers certificates to roster lawyers in this service area where choice of counsel has been waived.
What to Expect
First preference for youth criminal law certificates
LAA staff lawyers still represent many young people in proceedings under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, especially in Edmonton, Calgary, and surrounding areas. LAA will, however, try to appoint panel lawyers to represent young people across Alberta if our staff lawyers cannot represent the young person.
If LAA decides to issue a youth certificate to the roster, we will try to connect the young person with a lawyer who belongs to the panel. We will only offer the certificate to a lawyer who does not belong to the panel if we cannot find a panel lawyer willing to take the certificate in that geographic service area. Panel members will remain free to decline certificate offers.
Three-year panel membership
If you are selected, you will remain a member of the panel for about three years. You are eligible to reapply, and there is no limit on how long someone can remain on the panel. If you are not selected for the panel, you can apply again in about three years.
Training and education
If you are selected for the panel, LAA may ask you to complete continuing legal education related to the representation of young people. If lawyers reapply to the panel after their first term, we plan to give priority to lawyers who have completed some professional development.
Standards and Competencies
These documents explain how the panel will operate and sets out the formal competencies we want in panel members. We are looking for roster lawyers who either have the following competencies, or who have a plan to develop these competencies:
- Significant criminal law experience, including conducting trials and contested sentencing hearings. Specialization in criminal law and in related practice areas is an asset.
- Experience in proceedings under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and a deep understanding of the special nature of youth court proceedings. This includes, for example, understanding youth-specific principles that apply to the rules of evidence, judicial interim release, extrajudicial sanctions, and sentencing.
- Experience working or volunteering with the vulnerable young people and vulnerable populations who make up much of LAA’s clientele in this area.
- An understanding of the unique sentencing, extrajudicial sanctions, and other rehabilitative resources available to young people within the lawyer’s geographic service areas.
Selection process
First preference for youth criminal law certificates
LAA staff lawyers with experience in youth criminal law will review your application and decide whether to recommend you for the panel. Applications are confidential, but we may reach out to the references you mention in your application. LAA will balance several factors when deciding who to select for the panel, including:
- Whether you already have the competencies we are seeking.
- If you do not have these competences yet, whether you have a plan to develop them.
- How many lawyers have applied to join the panel in different parts of the province.
- The relative strengths of the roster lawyers applying to join the panel, and how well these lawyers have demonstrated their competencies.
- How many certificates we expect to issue to the roster in the parts of the province where the applicants practice.
Appeal
If you are not selected for the panel, you can appeal to the independent Appeals Committee, in accordance with our administrative policies.
How to Apply
To apply for the Youth Criminal Law Panel:
- Save the application form.
2. Submit the completed PDF (and any attachments) by email to: [email protected].
To apply for re-empanelment for the Youth Criminal Law Panel:
- Save the application form.
2. Submit the completed PDF (and any attachments) by email to: [email protected].
Important dates
Next application period: May 2026.
Disclaimer
The youth panel is not a certification of excellence or endorsement of a lawyer’s skills. If a lawyer is selected for the panel, LAA does not necessarily view the lawyer as an “expert” in youth law.
Similarly, if a lawyer is not selected for the panel, this does not reflect LAA’s views about whether that lawyer can competently represent a young person who faces criminal charges.
Lawyers who are selected for the panel must not mention their panel membership in their advertising materials.
Contact
For more information, contact [email protected].
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