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62483.01This paper provides an overview of recent cases which forecast emerging trends of the use of artificial intelligence in various types of criminal offending, how the advent of AI has impacted considerations regarding the authentication of evidence at trial, and how the courts are navigating this novel legal landscape. It also provides a primer on police use of AI facial recognition technology, including current efforts to ascertain the extent of law enforcement’s use and reliance on such technology, and current legislative efforts that aim to address privacy concerns surrounding the use of this evolving technology. This paper was presented at LESA’s Cybercrime and AI: Navigating the New Frontiers of Criminal Law webinar on January 30, 2025.
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62456.07Unbundled legal services offer significant advantages for certain and provide flexibility and affordability, empowering clients to better control their spending while tailoring legal support to specific tasks. Unbundled legal services also provide a number of benefits to legal practitioners including access to a large and growing market, a way to differentiate from competing firms, and the possibility of remote work. This paper explores these and other aspects of unbundled legal services. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Alberta Family Law Institute: Survive, Strive, Thrive program in Calgary on November 28–November 29, 2024.
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62387.01This paper provides strategies and best practices for legal writing in Alberta, with topics including three principles of legal writing, drafting emails, drafting blogs, and practicing your writing. This paper was presented at LESA’s Effective Legal Writing Skills webinar on April 16, 2024.
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62402.02Designed specifically for legal support staff across a variety of practice areas, this paper explores how to build your own digital notebook using Microsoft OneNote, and how to organize your schedule and tasks using Microsoft Planner. This paper was presented at LESA’s Tech Tips for Legal Support Staff webinar on April 3, 2024.
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62402.01Designed specifically for legal support staff across a variety of practice areas, this paper explores helpful tech tips when using Microsoft Word Mail Merge and Adobe PDFs. This paper was presented at LESA’s Tech Tips for Legal Support Staff webinar on April 3, 2024.
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62358.01A strong foundation in expert evidence is critical to being an effective criminal lawyer. This paper examines strategies that can assist criminal lawyers when navigating this element essential to many complex criminal trials. Topics include advice for selecting and qualifying your own expert witness, and advice on cross-examining an expert witness. This paper was presented at LESA’s Practice Foundations: Expert Evidence in Criminal Law webinar on November 17, 2023.
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62370.01Legal research is a critical part of the legal profession as it provides the framework for legal advice, and it creates and confirms the advice lawyers give clients. This paper outlines common legal databases, and examines key steps in the legal research process. This paper was presented at LESA’s Legal Research Skills for Internationally Trained Lawyers webinar on October 11, 2023.
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62352.02As courts across Canada continue to struggle with reasonable expectations of privacy in the digital age, cell phones (and the information that can be gleaned from them) have become the cutting edge of this analysis. This paper explores the basic search and seizure concepts as they apply to cell phones, including the nature of the privacy interest and the relevant search and seizure jurisprudence. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Search & Seizure and Digital Spaces program in Edmonton on September 22, 2023.
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62352.01Reviewing and challenging search and seizure orders is a time consuming and multi-step process. Due to the evolving nature of privacy jurisprudence, even some of the simplest cases can raise extraordinarily complex legal issues. This paper discusses the processes for reviewing orders, identifying legal issues, and crafting viable Section 8 challenges. It explores practical aspects of evaluating search cases and identifying the questions relevant to the issues that matter. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Search & Seizure and Digital Spaces program in Edmonton on September 22, 2023.
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62329.03Legal assistants and paralegals are extensions of their responsible lawyers. At times legal support staff may be called upon to support lawyers in conducting legal research. This paper introduces legal research at a foundational level and serves as a starting point for junior legal professionals seeking to gain more knowledge in this area. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Law Office Fundamentals for Legal Support Staff program in Edmonton on May 26, 2023.
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62329.02Understanding the roles and responsibilities as a legal support staff is essential to a successful practice. This paper discusses communication and time management skills, including communication between legal support staff and “their” lawyer(s), how to work with difficult personalities, how to communicate with other legal professionals, and best practices for efficient time management. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Law Office Fundamentals for Legal Support Staff program in Edmonton on May 26, 2023.
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62283.07This paper examines effective writing styles and approaches generally and in the context of affidavits, orders, and concise letters. It also provides tips for written advocacy in summary trials and case conferences. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA's Refresher 2023: Family Law in Jasper from May 4–7, 2023.
