What is the Role of the Law Society?

The Law Society operates independently of the government, with authority from the Legal Profession Act of Alberta to set standards for lawyers and articling students through the Code of Conduct and the Rules of the Law Society of Alberta. The purpose of the Law Society is to uphold and protect the public interest in the administration of justice by:

• ensuring the independence, integrity, competence and ethical conduct of lawyers;
• establishing standards, programs and education and training with respect to the competence, ethical conduct and professional responsibility of lawyers and students at-law;
• regulating the practice of law; and,
• supporting and assisting lawyers and students-at-law in fulfilling their duties in the practice of law.

Who can vote?

Active members of the Law Society of Alberta, as of Oct. 20, 2026, are eligible to vote. Voters who become inactive after that date, due to a change in status, suspension, resignation or disbarment, will be removed from the eligible voter list.

Voting information will be emailed to the preferred email address on file with the Law Society. It will be emailed on Nov. 10, the day voting opens.

When can I vote?

Voting opens Nov. 10 and closes at 4:30 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time – GMT-07:00) on Nov. 17. Voting takes place using eBallot, an independent voting platform.

How many votes do I get?

There are 19 Bencher seats that must be filled in this election.  The Rules of the Law Society require representation from districts outside of Calgary and Edmonton. If an eligible nominee is the sole candidate from the district, they will be declared elected as a Bencher.

Each member will be entitled to select up to 19 Benchers, less the number of Benchers who are declared as a result of being the sole candidate from their district.

As set out in s.12(4) of the Legal Profession Act, a Bencher holding the position of President-Elect is considered an elected Bencher for the purpose of the election. As such, Jim Lutz, KC’s name will appear at the top of the ballot solely to reflect that he is considered elected.

Can I vote for candidates who are not in my geographic region or district?

You can vote for any candidate, whether or not they are in your geographic region or district.

Candidates are elected from all votes cast throughout the province, not just votes from voters in their region or district.

How do I vote with eBallot?

If you are an eligible voter, you will receive your voting credentials (username and password) from eBallot on Nov. 10 via your preferred email address.

To vote in the 2026 Bencher Election, follow these steps:

1. Visit the voting site directly, or use the link found in the email from eBallot.
2. Log in using your Law Society of Alberta Member ID and your eBallot-provided password.
3. Electronically mark the ballot next to the names of candidates of your choice.
4. Follow the instructions on the page to submit your votes.

If you did not receive a copy of your original credentials, check your Junk/Spam folder on your email account. If you need to update your contact information, follow the instructions on the Law Society website.

Once a day during the voting period, eBallot will send out credentials to any lawyer who has updated their contact information since the start of voting.

If you voted in previous Bencher Elections, you may already have your Member ID and password auto-completed on the login page for eBallot. To access the 2026 ballot, you must enter your new password provided in an email from eBallot for the 2023 election. Logins using the old password will be directed to the 2023, 2020 or 2017 ballots only.

For issues logging into your ballot, contact eBallot via email or call their Voter Support hotline at 1 (866) 984-3125.

Please note: If you do not have a copy of your email with your login credentials, click this link, enter your Member ID and click Submit. If you did not receive a copy of your original credentials, check your Junk/Spam folder on your email account.

What should I do if I have issues logging in?

For issues logging into your ballot, contact eBallot at help@eballot.com or contact their Voter Support hotline at 1-866-984-3125.

If you voted in the 2017, 2020 or 2023 election, you may have your previous password saved in the password autofill field on the ballot. Please ensure you use the new password provided in your email to access the 2023 ballot.

I never got my voting credentials. What do I do?

If you do not have a copy of your email with your login credentials, click this link, enter your Member ID and click Submit.

If you did not receive a copy of your original credentials, check your Junk/Spam folder on your email account.

My email address has changed since Oct. 20. How do I vote?

If you update your email address in the Lawyer Portal after Oct. 20, eBallot will automatically reissue credentials to you within one business day. However, if you change your email address on Nov. 17, the final day of voting, we cannot guarantee you will be reissued credentials in time for voting.

Can Articling Students Vote?

Articling Students are not eligible to vote. Only active lawyers (lawyers with Active – Indemnified, Active – In-House, Active – Non-Practising, Active – Part-time, Active – Pro Bono status) are eligible to vote.

Who wins the election?

Candidates are elected based on the total number of votes received, subject to the district calculation, explained below.

How do you determine the winners and District Representatives?

The Law Society of Alberta has five districts:

• The Northern District covers all areas north of Wetaskiwin and all areas lying north of the 53rd parallel, excluding Edmonton;
• The Southern District cuts through the centre of Calgary and along the top of the Tsuut’ina Nation. It excludes Calgary (All areas lying south of the 52nd parallel);
• The Central District falls between the 52nd and 53rd parallels, excluding Calgary;
• The City of Edmonton; and,
• The City of Calgary.

For voting purposes, all candidates, regardless of location, are in one large general pool.

All voters throughout the province will vote for their entire selection of up to 19 candidates from amongst all of the candidates, regardless of location. They do not have to select 19 people, but can choose 1 – 19 candidates.

We do not have specific elections for the district representatives.

Once all of the votes are tabulated, the Law Society identifies the North, Central and Southern District representative candidates and determines who among them has the highest number of votes.

The district candidate with the highest number of votes in that district becomes the District Representative.

All remaining candidates, including the remaining district candidates, continue to the general pool. The Law Society reviews the results for the remaining candidates and determines the candidates with the 19 highest total votes to fill the 19 remaining seats. The Bencher table is determined by going down the list of all remaining candidates starting from the highest number of votes until all seats are filled.

What are the attributes of most successful Benchers?

While Benchers bring a range of experiences and viewpoints to their work, ideal Bencher candidates are:

• Accountable;
• Curious;
• Decisive;
• Diplomatic;
• Empathetic;
• Ethical;
• Fair;
• Intuitive with people and situations;
• Objective;
• Pragmatic; and,
• Respectful.

Knowledge & Experience

Ideal candidates either have knowledge, experience or training in several of the following areas, or are interested in learning and becoming proficient in several of the following areas:

Governance & Oversight

• Policy
• Board governance
• Risk management
• Strategic planning

Technical Expertise

• Adjudication & decision writing
• Finance and audit literacy
• Administrative law
• Professional regulatory law
• Professional discipline
• Technology and cyber security

Understanding the Legal Profession

• Professional negligence
• Professional responsibility and ethics
• Access to justice issues
• Mental health and wellness issues in the legal profession
• Legal practice management

Skills

Ideal Bencher candidates demonstrate skills in several of the following areas:

• Active listening
• Critical thinking
• Effective written and oral communication
• Leadership
• Working effectively with others

How do I submit my nomination for the Bencher Election?

If you are considering running in this year’s election, please note that the online nomination form will be open from Sept. 29 – Oct. 13.

The nomination form includes the following required fields:

• Legal name
• Preferred name, if different from legal name
• Member ID
• Firm, organization or practice setting name
• Location of practice
• Location of residence
• Year of call
• Practice area(s)
• The names of two nominators who are active members of the Law Society of Alberta
  CV, in PDF format
• Headshot photo for use on the Bencher Election website in jpg, png or gif format
• Candidate Statement, no more than 500 words in length

Additionally, each candidate will be required to collect the certifications of two active members of the Law Society of Alberta. The certification process is completed via the application through the Lawyer Portal.

Nominations must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 13 to be eligible for the election.

What are the election rules?

The Law Society provides the Bencher Election website to serve as a single platform that will give each candidate a place for their information, and we strongly encourage candidates to take advantage of this one-stop shop for their candidacy.

Other forms of campaigning, including electronic messages, social media, letter-writing or any other form of communication will not be shared or supported by the Law Society directly.

Please note that the Rules of the Law Society specifically prohibit statements that constitute a campaign promise or similar comment, are libellous or are in breach of the Code of Conduct.

The Law Society’s purpose is to protect the public interest. As such, candidates are precluded by the Rules from including campaign promises in their candidate statements.  Once elected, Benchers are required to govern in the public interest, and cannot advance personal or political objectives through their governance role.

Am I allowed/obligated to complete third-party surveys?

As a candidate, you may receive surveys from third-party organizations who may be looking for information on your views and candidacy.

The Law Society does not expect or mandate the completion of these surveys as part of your candidacy; you are welcome to complete them as long as you remain in compliance with the Rules pertaining to campaigning.

Is there a specific period in which I can campaign?

You may begin campaigning on Oct. 20, 2026, providing that you have received notification from the Law Society that your nomination process is complete.

What is the time commitment for Benchers?

Benchers spend 300 – 500 hours each year on Law Society work. Benchers who chair committees and actively participate in adjudication work will be at the higher end of that range. Committee work is divided amongst the Benchers and external volunteers, and Benchers may sit on a number of committees and task forces in a given year.

How often do the Benchers meet?

Bencher meetings are held in-person, in Calgary. The Benchers hold meetings five times each year, with four meetings held in Calgary and one meeting being an annual planning retreat in Jasper.

All Committee meetings are held virtually. Committees typically meet five times a year and the meeting times are generally toward the end of a working day (3 p.m. – 5 p.m.) or prior to the workday starting (7:45 a.m.).

What are Benchers' responsibilities regarding governance?

As a Board, the Benchers set the policy of the Law Society, enact rules pursuant to the Legal Profession Act, set standards of admission and practice, and carry out corporate responsibilities such as policy-making, business planning and budgeting.

• Benchers sit on a number of committees and task forces that may have adjudicative and policy making responsibilities.
• Committees are chaired by Benchers but may be comprised of Benchers, lawyers and members of the public.
• Benchers may be appointed as Law Society representatives or delegates to outside but related bodies. The Bencher appointed shall provide information or reports to and shall obtain direction from the Board as appropriate, to be determined by the Benchers or the Executive Committee at the time of appointment.

When exercising their governance function, Benchers are expected to:

• Abide by the Board Relations Guideline;
• Attend and participate in Board meetings and meetings of committees to which they are appointed;
• Attend orientation and education sessions; and,
• Be familiar with materials provided in advance of general and committee meetings.

What are Benchers' responsibilities regarding adjudication?

Benchers are expected to participate in various adjudicative roles, including hearings on disciplinary matters, admission and membership matters.

• Benchers will participate on panels made up of one, three, seven or 13 adjudicators, depending on the nature of the proceedings.
• While the duration of a proceeding varies, typically, most proceedings take one to four days.
  Benchers have decision writing responsibilities.
• Benchers are provided with adjudication training before participating in any adjudication work.

When exercising their adjudicative role, Benchers are expected to:

• accept appointments to hearing panels;
• act as Chair of those panels from time to time, and to write hearing decisions in a timely fashion;
• review and be familiar with materials;
• be conversant with the guidelines approved by the Benchers; and,
• act with fairness and in accordance with the principles of natural justice as a decision-maker in an administrative law context.

Benchers are required to complete adjudication training provided by the Law Society before they are assigned to hear matters.

Do the Benchers get paid?

The Benchers are volunteers and donate their time to regulate the profession.

The Law Society reimburses Benchers for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with their duties, including attending board and committee meetings, hearings, and meetings with outside bodies.