Legal Aid Alberta honours 51 long serving employees

LAA celebrates team members who have dedicated their careers to delivering access to justice for disadvantaged Albertans   The year is 2017. Unicorn food has taken over the food industry, Luis Fonsi’s Despacito is the top song in Canada and Legal Aid Alberta welcomed 28 new faces, including Family Lawyer Jessica Chapman.   Five years later, the […]

Ask a Lawyer: Focus on the kids while co-parenting during the holiday season

Legal Aid Alberta family lawyer Meghan Hanson advises parents to try to resolve holiday co-parenting issues out of court and to pause and put the best interests of their children first.    For families in which parents are living apart, the issues of child visitation can become challenging, especially during the holidays. According to Legal […]

Hundreds attend Legal Aid Alberta webinar on family violence

Emergency Protection Orders: Who they’re for, how they work and how to get one to stay safe.    Nearly 200 people from across the province attended a public webinar Nov. 30 to learn about the ways Legal Aid Alberta helps people facing family violence situations.    The webinar, held the final day of Family Violence […]

Remembering those who fought for the freedoms we enjoy 

On November 11, we remember the sacrifices made by those who fought tirelessly for the rights and freedoms we enjoy today. If it weren’t for them, we would not be blessed to live under the rule of democratic law.     Just two short weeks ago on Duty Counsel Day, Supreme Court of Canada Chief […]

Ask a Lawyer: How Legal Aid Alberta helps people facing family violence stay safe

November is Family Violence Prevention Month. It’s important to raise awareness of this issue and the legal tools and laws Legal Aid Alberta can use to help people stay safe in the face of family violence situations.   Legal Aid Alberta staff lawyer Gwen May, a member of the Emergency Protection Order Program, appeared on […]

Duty Counsel Day brings access to justice education to Alberta classrooms

Oct. 27 recognizes duty counsel as the unsung heroes of the justice system.    Duty Counsel Day in Alberta:    Alberta high schools join classroom “Ask Me Anything” events with Legal Aid Alberta lawyers  Alberta educators are being provided videos and fun learning materials to spark classroom conversations about the legal system  Calgary, Edmonton mayors proclaim Duty Counsel […]

Mayors proclaim Duty Counsel Day in Edmonton and Calgary, city landmarks to be lit up

The mayors of Alberta’s two largest cities have signed official proclamations declaring October 27 as Duty Counsel Day in Edmonton and Calgary. An initiative of Legal Aid Alberta and its 12 legal aid partner organizations across the country, this is a day to create awareness of Duty Counsel—legal aid lawyers who give free, on-the-spot legal […]

Celebrating duty counsel – the embodiment of access to justice

“Duty counsel lend a hand and a voice to those desperate for one, and they transform access to justice from a cherished principle to something tangible and real.”     Access to justice is the heartbeat of democracy and human rights in Canada yet its pulse seems to be fading as the years go by.   […]