The Alberta Law Society (LSA) announced that following a vote at a special meeting Monday, the society will retain the power to prescribe the professional development courses lawyers must take, on threat of suspension for noncompliance.
In a vote of 2,609–864, of 3,473 total votes cast by eligible Alberta lawyers on Feb. 6, the resolution was defeated by a large majority.
The meeting was called after a group of 50 of the province’s lawyers petitioned for a member vote to repeal a new regulation, Rule 67.4, which allows the LSA to mandate specific courses as part of mandatory professional development.
Even if the majority of lawyers had voted in favour of repealing the rule, the vote was not binding on the LSA’s benchers, but merely a recommendation, Calgary lawyer Glenn Blackett told The Epoch Times on Feb. 1….