From all of us at LESA, thank you for your support in 2019. We wish you a happy holiday season and prosperous New Year!
LESA will close at 12 PM on Tuesday, December 24, 2019, and will reopen on Thursday, January 2, 2020, at 8 AM.
We’re pleased to be your lifelong partner in continuing legal education. See you in the New Year!
Lawyers are seeing an increasing number of clients entering and exiting diverse relationships. Join Co-Chairs John-Paul E. Boyd and Jonathan F. Griffith this February 4 (Calgary) or February 12 (Edmonton) for to understand these types of relationships as they relate to your family law or wills and estates practice.
We recently spoke with our co-chairs to find out a bit more about them and this exciting program. Here’s what they had to say.
Happy reading!
John-Paul E. Boyd | I’m a family law arbitrator, mediator, and parenting coordinator, and also provide a range of children’s legal services, such as non-evaluative views of the child reports and independent legal advice when children’s informed consent is required. I’m in private practice with my own firm and serve as counsel to Wise Scheible Barkauskas.
Jonathan Griffith | I am a family law lawyer, mediator, and arbitrator. I also occasionally teach at post-secondary institutions in Calgary. Most recently, I taught family law at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law. When I’m not teaching I work in private practice. On a more personal note, I also identify as queer and have been polyamorous for years now. I’m excited about the Understanding & Advising Non-Traditional Families program in part because it represents a very good opportunity to talk about polyamory professionally while also sharing my personal experience with it.
John-Paul E. Boyd | With this course, I’m hoping that lawyers dealing with families and family breakdown, including will and estates practitioners, will have a better understanding of the incredible diversity of polyamorous and other non-traditional families and their varying legal needs. I’m going to be talking about the challenges involved in drafting cohabitation agreements for multi-adult families, along with an experienced senior lawyer from British Columbia, barbara findlay QC. We’ll be talking about the creative approach counsel have to take to these agreements, the incredible variety of issues they need to deal with, and how to manage negotiations with lawyers representing each party. The number of people who identify as polyamorous is increasing and I except that we’re going to be seeing more and more of these families in the future.
Jonathan Griffith | Perhaps now more than ever, Canadian families are challenging our institutional perception of what makes a family. Our laws and legal institutions operate as a “one size fit’s all” but are typically built on a narrow conception of the Canadian family. Individuals belonging to families that do not fit into the mold for a “traditional” Canadian family can end up with unique problems and will often need expert help solving those problems. Understanding & Advising Non-Traditional Families will provide legal practitioners with the opportunity to learn some of the non-traditional ways families are built in Canada, some of the legal challenges facing those families, and some tools for addressing those challenges.
Learn more about this program and register online today! Register by December 17, 2019 and save.
Understanding and Advising Non-Traditional Families
Find out what’s happening in the legal community this month!
Find out what’s happening in the legal community this month!
On behalf of the LESA Board of Directors, it is our pleasure to announce that Christine Sanderman will be continuing her excellent service to LESA in the role of Executive Director.
Christine has been an invaluable member of the LESA team since 2010. She began her work with LESA as the Associate Director for Educational Resources and has served as our Interim Executive Director and Counsel since May of 2018.
In addition to Christine’s outstanding contributions to LESA, she comes to the Executive Director position with solid educational credentials. In 2003, Christine earned a Bachelor of Commerce followed by her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta in 2006. She then earned her Masters of Law from Columbia University in 2010 as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.
Throughout Christine’s tenure at LESA she has consistently brought a wealth of knowledge, experience, and leadership. She has the unique ability to understand the needs of LESA clients, the legal community, and the LESA team.
Under Christine’s leadership, LESA is in the best position to integrate innovation and expand upon the current exceptional continuing legal education opportunities LESA offers for the Alberta legal community now and in the future.
Don’t miss these exciting events coming up in October!
Continue reading NEW Program Materials Now Available – 52nd Annual Refresher
September has arrived and we’re starting the educational year off with some exciting events. Kick start your CPD plan!
Find out what’s happening at LESA and in the legal community this month!
We are pleased to announce the development of a brand-new Business Law Resource and would love to get your feedback on its contents.
As a token of appreciation, we’re offering all who complete the short 3-question survey a $50 discount to apply to any LESA product or program you’d like.
To complete the survey, click here.
NOTE: Survey closes August 23, 2019. Discount code expires December 31, 2019 and cannot be combined with any other offer.
