Law society schedules vote after 50 lawyers petition to get rid of mandatory Indigenous course
CBC
The fate of a required Indigenous course for Alberta lawyers is at risk after a group petitioned the Law Society of Alberta (LSA) to remove a rule that allows the regulator to mandate legal education.
Currently, all Alberta lawyers are required to take a free, five-hour online course called The Path, which teaches Indigenous cultural competency. Those who don't face suspension.
After receiving a petition signed by 50 of the province's 11,100 lawyers, the law society has issued notice of a special meeting set for Monday. On that day, lawyers will vote on LSA Rule 67.4 regarding mandatory education.
"The law society is dedicated to protecting the public interest by promoting and enforcing standards of professional and ethical conduct by Alberta lawyers," wrote Elizabeth Osler, CEO of the society.
"We are committed to ensuring a fair and transparent special meeting format."
The mandatory course was developed in direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Call to Action 27, which asks the Federation of Law Societies of Canada to "ensure that lawyers receive appropriate cultural competency training."
Since it was enacted in 2020, Rule 67.4 has been used only to mandate The Path.
Indigenous defence lawyer Krysia Przepiorka says she was disappointed to learn of the efforts to get rid of the required course.
"Indigenous people are underrepresented in the legal field and overrepresented in the legal system," said Przepiorka.
"Cultural competency is important because it helps … repair systemic biases and mend broken relationships and trust with Indigenous peoples and communities."
The course launched on April 21, 2021, and lawyers in the province were given until October 2022 to complete it.
In November, the LSA handed administrative suspensions to 26 lawyers who failed to complete the course within the 18 months provided.
"We are not asking you to immerse yourself in our culture, we are asking you to understand what was taken away and the subsequent impacts that followed," said Przepiorka.
Calgary-based lawyer Roger Song is the first signature on the petition and the organizer of the effort.