The Law Society of Alberta is centralizing all hearings and Bencher meetings in Calgary beginning in 2021.
In 2019, we completed a cost-benefit analysis of holding hearings and Bencher meetings in two locations: Edmonton and Calgary. Our findings show it is not financially sustainable to continue this practice when all other Law Society operations are based in Calgary.
“We are accountable to more than 10,000 lawyers in Alberta to ensure that we are operating efficiently and in a fiscally responsible manner,” says Kent Teskey, President of the Law Society of Alberta. “By eliminating the extra costs of holding hearings and Bencher meetings outside of Calgary, resources can be redirected towards achieving our
strategic goals.”
Hearings Costs over five years
The cost-benefit analysis looked at hearing costs over a five-year period. We can estimate a per day cost for a hearing, in both Edmonton and Calgary, by looking at hard costs. This includes travel costs and expenses for adjudicators, counsel, external counsel, Tribunal Office and administrative support staff.
For example, in 2019, there were 23 hearing days in each city. By comparing the per day costs, we learned that it cost 10 times more to hold a hearing in Edmonton ($9,269 / day) than in Calgary ($850 / day).
To learn more about our findings, read our FAQs and infographic detailing this decision on the Law Society Website.
