The Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) is excited to announce that Susan Emam is joining its team as Research Associate. Susan arrives at ALRI with a background in public interest law. Prior to relocating to Alberta, she practiced in British Columbia, focusing on a broad range of civil litigation and human rights matters. She appeared before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the Provincial Court of British Columbia, and the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. [...]

Recently, the Alberta Law Reform Institute’s (ALRI) report, Creation of Electronic Wills was cited in an AllAboutEstates post about video wills. Dave Madan wrote the post to follow up on a Supreme Court of Montana decision, In re: Estate of Beck, 2024 MT 249. Mr. Beck died in a motor vehicle accident. Just four days earlier, Mr. Beck had sent his brother a video recording over his cell phone.  The video recorded Mr. Beck’s intention [...]

Georgia is a law student at the University of Alberta and will be entering her final year of studies in the fall. Originally from Calgary, she has (somewhat surprisingly) grown to enjoy life in Edmonton. Before law school, Georgia completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Calgary, majoring in International Indigenous Studies and Law and Society. During law school, Georgia served on the executive team of the Panda Bearristers Rugby Club, organizing tournaments [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute has just published its 2024-2025 annual report. The report highlights the changes in its board and staff along with several accomplishments and project milestones this year. Download the 2024-2025 annual report.   Photo by Lisa Simpson from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-riding-bike-across-modern-bridge-11632841/

Joe Sellman arrives at ALRI having most recently worked in Policy Management and Regulatory Compliance for a Bank, and before that Joe was a litigator, primarily practicing in the area of insurance. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Joe worked as a professional technical communicator for over a decade, with experiences in a range of industries including Oil & Gas, Engineering & Construction Management, Manufacturing, and Banking. Joe is originally from the UK, and obtained his [...]

I have lived in or around Edmonton for most of my life and originally graduated from the U of A with a bachelor of science in computing sciences in 2018, before working as a police officer for 4 years and an investigator with the Government of Alberta. I am now heading into my third and last (but who's counting) year of law school in the fall. What is your favourite food? Definitely tacos If you [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) is seeking applications for Legal Counsel Apply here at the University of Alberta Website. Legal Counsel individually and as part of the ALRI team, plan and carry out complex legal research and policy analysis. They also manage reviews of legal issues to create reports and advise the ALRI Board on recommendations to improve the law. This involves elements of problem solving, and communicating with many Albertans and professionals to [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) has published Residential Tenancies Act: General Issues. This is the first in a series of reports summarizing issues in the law faced by tenants and landlords on a daily basis. The Residential Tenancies Act is important because it affects over 25% of households in Alberta. While issues frequently involve money, there can also be broader impacts for landlords and tenants and their families. Download Residential Tenancies Act: General Issues [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) is thrilled to welcome Debbie Klein to its Board of Directors. Debbie Klein has worked in the delivery of free community-based legal services since 1990—at the Society for the Retired and Semi-Retired (now SAGE), at Credit Counselling Services of Alberta (now Money Mentors), and as the Executive Director of the Edmonton Community Legal Centre since 2008. She grew up on a mixed farm in southeast Saskatchewan, and has lived [...]

The Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) is excited to welcome Donald Scott K.C. to its Board of Directors. Currently serving as the Board Chair for Keyano College, Don is also the Executive Director for McMurray Metis. Don pursued his legal studies at the University of New Brunswick and obtained a master’s in law from Cambridge University. While in England, he was an Assistant Solicitor for the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. Having established roots in Fort McMurray [...]