Child representation panel off to a strong start
In accordance with the Governance Agreement, Legal Aid Alberta carefully represents children in high conflict parenting matters. If the Court decides that the parties are engaged in high-conflict litigation, LAA promptly assigns counsel to protect the interests of the children and to express their views and preferences in full. To ensure we have experienced […]
Best practices in timekeeping for criminal lawyers
When the files of our criminal lawyers require to provide timesheets upon request through Lawyer Portal or use them to access extra hours under tariff item 11.19, it is important that these timesheets are legible and contain enough information for our Certificate & Tariff Officers (CTOs). Here are some quick tips on what CTOs are […]
A day in the life of a Contact Centre Intake Officer
Contact Centre team members are on the front lines of the justice system It’s 8 a.m. on a Thursday morning. Susan Roth, Contact Centre Intake Officer (CCIO) at Legal Aid Alberta is beginning her shift for the day at LAA’s Contact Centre. Just minutes after clocking in, she answers a call from an individual […]
What to do with prematurely created Immigration certificates
Legal Aid recognizes that, at times, Immigration certificates may be created prematurely (i.e., where the matter has not yet been referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board). If you have been issued a certificate where this occurs, please immediately complete an Authorization Request asking Legal Aid to cancel the certificate and advise the client to re-apply […]
Ask a Lawyer: Upholding the rule of law for major cases
Legal Aid Alberta Advisory Counsel Katie Clarey appears on this month’s segment of Ask a Lawyer to talk about LAA’s Major Cases Panel When you’re faced with serious criminal charges, it’s critical to have quality representation by your side – a lawyer with years of experience, knowledge and understanding of criminal investigations can make […]
A stress-free summer for kids and co-parents: How to co-parent during summer breaks and holidays
Legal Aid Alberta staff lawyer Sunaina Kakkar shares four tips for co-parents on how to navigate the summer months and vacations There’s still a month left of summer break for many families across Alberta, and for divorced or separated parents, making summer plans for the kids isn’t always an easy feat. Between vacations, […]
50 years of access to justice: Legal Aid Alberta celebrates its 50th anniversary
Share your story, join a webinar and more ways to get involved Legal Aid Alberta is marking its 50th anniversary with a year-long celebration dedicated to honouring our past and energizing for the future. For 50 years, Legal Aid Alberta has been at the forefront of the fight for equal access to justice. […]
Tackling the cycle of addiction and crime
Legal Aid Alberta is playing an important role in Alberta’s therapeutic courts, supporting fairness in the criminal justice system Drug treatment courts across Alberta are literally saving lives, according to the LAA staff duty counsel lawyers who represent their clients through the therapeutic court – and to the clients themselves. “I was entrenched […]
What to do when your client has new charges
We value the commitment of our roster lawyers to high quality, effective client service. By expediting the appointing process for clients facing new charges, we are able to serve Albertans more efficiently. To request additional coverage for a client who already has a certificate and is facing new charges, there are two approaches. Familiarizing yourself […]
Make good use of billable tariff 11.10 for Gladue Reports
If you have a client who identifies as Indigenous, First Nations, Metis or Inuit, tariff 11.10 compensates counsel for focusing on individualized sentencing. This tariff item is billable once per certificate and provides counsel with 3 hours to ensure Gladue Reports and/or Gladue submissions are prepared and presented in court, or, when an IRCA report/submissions are […]