May 16, 2022 This year marks the 20th anniversary since the Government of Canada declared May as Asian Heritage Month. This milestone is an opportunity to celebrate the profound contributions of Asian Canadians to Canada and to reflect on historical and present anti-Asian discrimination in our country. According to a Statistics Canada report, police reported hate crimes increased 37% from 2019 to 2020. Hate crimes against the East or Southeast Asian population increased 301% in the same time frame. The report showed that the rates of hate crimes per 100,000 population increased by 39% in Alber ..read more

Drew Thomson, MBA, FCPA, FCMA Drew Thomson was reappointed to the Foundation Board by the other directors in February 2022, and is currently serving his second 2-year term as a director. Drew has also served as the Chair of the Foundation’s Finance, Audit & Risk Management Committee since his first appointment in 2020. Drew has brought to the Foundation a wealth of experience in accounting, financial and investment matters, as well as the legal sector in general. His combined experiences have already contributed greatly to the board’s financial oversight role and to the internal policies ..read more

April 2022 National Volunteer Week is approaching and we would like to celebrate it by highlighting two law student volunteers (and exceptional human beings): Hero Laird (University of Alberta) and Mackenzie Cook (University of Calgary). We interviewed both to learn more about their journey, passions, and perspectives about volunteerism in the law student community. Hero Laird has been involved as a volunteer in a variety of initiatives contributing to systems change and access to justice. Hero is the founding President of the Digital Law & Innovation Society and an executive member of the ..read more

April 2022 Volunteers play a critical role in the non-profit sector, lending their expertise on the board of directors, to fundraising campaigns and special events, and often working in direct contact with the people non-profit organizations exist to serve. In the justice sector, lawyers volunteer their time and expertise on the front lines providing pro bono legal information, advice, and representation to some of the most vulnerable individuals in our province. Volunteer lawyers are a vital piece of the work done by summary legal advice clinics that are offered by the community clinics acros ..read more

The Alberta Law Foundation welcomed Moira Vánĕ to the board of directors on April 1, 2022. Moira is the Law Society of Alberta Bencher appointment to the board, succeeding Bill Hendsbee who recently stepped into the role of President Elect of the Law Society of Alberta. After receiving her law degree at the University of Alberta, Moira began her career working as a prosecutor for the provincial government in rural Alberta in 2003. During a break from practice, Moira served in the office of the former Alberta Minister of Justice & Solicitor General. For the last ten years, she has worked w ..read more

April 1, 2022 Dear Grantees and Stakeholders, RE:      ANNUAL FUNDING GUIDELINE After two full years of constraint and restraint resulting from the pandemic, we approach the coming year with more optimism. While it is not completely behind us, our collective capacity to deal with the coronavirus and related fallout has improved immensely. It will be some time yet before Albertans can return to what we knew as “normal”, as we continue the recovery from the pandemic and face new challenges including higher inflation and threats to our democratic institutions. But there i ..read more

We are pleased to announce that Stephanie Dobson was reappointed to the Foundation board of directors, and designated by the Minister of Justice & Solicitor General as Chair of the Board for another 2-year term, effective February 1, 2022. As sole proprietor of Henka Divorce Law & Mediation, Stephanie is a caring, results-focused, and experienced Collaborative Divorce Lawyer and Mediator who helps growth-minded, coachable parents navigate a family separation while they connect with and support their children, empowering them to make a plan to write a new family story based on developi ..read more

The Alberta Law Foundation will be closed on September 30th to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This federal statutory holiday was one of the 94 Calls to Action from the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report. It is a day to reflect about the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, and to honour survivors and children who never made it home. The Foundation staff has been actively participating in opportunities for learning and reflection and will continue to do so during the Truth and Reconciliation Week. We encourage settlers to join us in this ..read more

We are pleased to announce that Timmi Shorr has joined the ALF Grants Team as a Grants Coordinator on a contract basis, effective September 20, 2021. Timmi has an extensive background in the non-profit sector with experience in domestic violence, education and mental health programming. She has worked in various regions across the province. Most recently, Timmi worked as the CEO of Rowan House Society in High River, an emergency shelter providing domestic violence related services to clients across Southern Alberta. In all of her past roles, Timmi has demonstrated skills in leadership, fund de ..read more

The Alberta Law Foundation is pleased to announce the publication of Remote Legal Services to Low-Income Albertans: Challenges and Best Practices. The report was developed based on feedback from the Bridging the Gaps group and extensive online research and interviews. The report includes: Silver linings of the transition to remote legal service delivery during the pandemic Challenges with remote legal service delivery Service modifications in response to the pandemic Literature review about best practices Innovative projects and hubs in the US and Canada Technology tools and resour ..read more