Spreading the word: How to help someone in a family violence situation
Legal Aid Alberta staff lawyers share knowledge with the community during Family Violence Prevention Month. Every day, Legal Aid Alberta (LAA) helps Albertans facing family violence. This comes into sharp focus during Family Violence Prevention Month. This November, LAA staff lawyers attended public engagements across the province to spread the word about LAA’s Emergency […]
It’s harder than going to jail: How new drug treatment courts are breaking the chain of crime and addiction
Legal Aid Alberta has helped open new Drug Treatment Courts in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and Grande Prairie this year, bringing a new collaborative approach to courts in smaller cities to help break the cycle of crime and addiction. The Lethbridge Drug Treatment Court marks its first anniversary this month. The Medicine Hat court opened soon after, and […]
Ask A Lawyer: Family violence and the tools that can help protect victims
November is Family Violence Prevention Month. Sadly, many families across Alberta and the country are suffering domestic violence. It is a disturbing and complex situation that can happen to anyone. There are legal tools victims of family violence can access for free from Legal Aid Alberta – you can seek an Emergency Protection Order, […]
Hearts of fallen soldiers still beat in our justice system
To mark Remembrance Day, LAA President and CEO John Panusa writes: “Our nation rallied together to shield our democratic rights, embodied now in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” Lest we forget. Those three words are properly the cornerstone of our Remembrance Day celebrations. I’d like to add several hundred more to them and […]
Meet the new faces of access to justice
Three recent law school graduates are making the grade at Legal Aid Alberta. Guillaume Fogarty-Greenshaw, Annie Mushtaq and Serena Eshaghurshan are Legal Aid Alberta’s (LAA) new articling students. While their paths to practicing law have been quite different, they each share a passion for helping vulnerable people access justice. These “lawyers in […]
Duty Counsel Day national online event, now available to watch on demand, celebrates the unsung heroes of the justice system
Hundreds of Canadians from coast to coast to coast tuned into a virtual event marking the inaugural Duty Counsel Day Oct. 27. Hundreds of Canadians from coast to coast to coast tuned into a virtual event marking the inaugural Duty Counsel Day Oct. 27 — if you missed it, you can still watch and learn about our universal […]
October 27 is Duty Counsel Day: Time for Albertans to know and celebrate their legal rights
Anyone can end up in court. When the stakes are high, frontline duty counsel lawyers are there for you. Not commonly known to Albertans, every day in courtrooms across the province, duty counsel lawyers — the unsung heroes of the justice system — provide free legal services to ensure access to justice and fair treatment. They’re the legal team you didn’t know you have. October 27 is […]
Legal aid duty counsel stood by me at my lowest points
Everyone deserves to have someone by their side. My name is Sean Gallop. I’m 49 years old and just graduated law school. Legal aid duty counsel stood by me at my lowest points. I made mistakes but I got a second chance. Everyone deserves to have someone on their side. Join me in celebrating Duty […]
Duty Counsel Spotlight: Child Welfare and Family Law
“The court system is intimidating and complex, and involves a set of rules that are different from day-to-day living. There are a number of myths out there about legal rights.” Sara Peacock started her law career with the goal of helping people with legal problems. She was in private practice, focusing on family matters until […]
Ask A Lawyer: Duty Counsel Day and the impact of duty counsel lawyers
Duty Counsel Day is Oct. 27 during Access to Justice Week in Canada. Every day, in every courthouse in Alberta, duty counsel lawyers working with Legal Aid Alberta give free, brief legal advice to anyone making a first appearance in court. Any one of us can find ourselves in court and in need […]