If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a hundred times … we couldn’t do what we do here at LESA without the incredible contributions of our volunteers. Giving a shout out is the least we can do to say thanks, and today we’re highlighting the dedication and commitment of Alexander W. Yiu at Akroyd LLP. Alex is one of those amazing volunteers who has done it all here at LESA. Not only has he been on our Board since 2023 but he’s also been a part of numerous programs (including volunteering at our annual, week-long Intensive Advocacy course for many years), and just recently Alex contributed to his first LESA publication, when he helped author a chapter in our brand new Alberta Employment Law Practice Manual. Alex, we sincerely value all you do for LESA. The contributions of your time and talent in so many ways have not gone unnoticed.
Like so many other LESA volunteers, Alex is motivated by a desire to give back to others in the profession and to model the mentorship he was a beneficiary of early in his career. He’s also passionate about wellness (did you know he’s a certified yoga instructor!?) and prioritizing self-care that is so easily neglected in a field as demanding and driven as the legal profession is.
We recently asked Alex to share more about his practice, his volunteerism, and his tips for anyone looking to maintain or regain work-life balance in their own life. He graciously shared his insights, which we’re happy to pass along to you.
Here’s our conversation with Alex, where he shares a little about himself, wellness, staying connected in the profession, and his take on what you can get out of LESA’s programs and resources.
Tell us a little bit about yourself: your background, experience, education, how you came to practice law, etc.
I was born and raised in Edmonton. After graduating from Harry Ainlay High School, I attended the University of Alberta where I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2003 as well as my Bachelor of Laws in 2006 from the U of A Faculty of Law. After articling with my father, Bosco Yiu, I then joined Prowse Chowne LLP and worked as a junior associate before deciding I was not done with my legal education. I subsequently pursued my LLM studies in international human rights and refugee law at the Institute of Comparative Law at McGill University in Montreal. After two unforgettable years, I obtained my LLM from McGill in 2010, and I returned to Edmonton where I worked at a small boutique Edmonton firm before working as a junior litigation associate with Field Law from 2010 to 2014. I then accepted a unique opportunity to work as legal counsel with the Court of Appeal of Alberta. After two years working at the Court of Appeal, I decided to return to private practice and joined the Ackroyd LLP firm in 2017 as a senior litigation associate. I am currently a litigation Partner at Ackroyd LLP and have enjoyed building my practice in the areas of Aboriginal law, administrative (including environmental law), and all areas of civil litigation over the last 9 years at Ackroyd.
What have been some of the most meaningful moments in your career so far?
One of the most meaningful moments in my career so far has been the opportunity to serve as legal counsel to the Alberta Court of Appeal from 2014 to 2016. This opportunity allowed me to see the administrative of justice unfold in real-time. The opportunity to work with the Justices of the Court on a wide range of legal issues in administrative, civil, and criminal law and also to have the opportunity to provide informal mentorship to the Court of Appeal articling students was simply an unforgettable experience.
I’ve heard that you enjoy teaching yoga, and I know you’ve led “Wellness Wednesday” sessions for our Intensive Advocacy program. How do you try to maintain work-life balance in your own life? What’s your best advice for colleagues who may be feeling burnt out or who are trying to regain some balance for themselves?
One of the best things I’ve learned over the last nearly 20 years of legal practice to maintain work-life balance is placing in my calendar “non-negotiable” personal time during the week. For some people, this might be their early-morning work-out routine, while for others it could mean getting outside for a nature walk during the noon hour or trying a new recipe on the weekend. For me, I have found that taking 15 minutes every morning for my mindfulness mediation practice has helped to regulate my breathing which has, in turn, helped to ground me for whatever challenges I may encounter during the day. My best advice to colleagues who are feeling burnt out or who are seeking balance in their life is to make sure that you prioritize in your weekly schedule those “non-negotiable” items that are dedicated for you to pursue the things that bring you joy and fulfillment outside of the practice of law. The practice of law is incredibly stressful; however, this does not mean that we as members of the legal profession must bear this stress without question. Prioritizing your “non-negotiable” personal time helps to remind us that our personal well-being is essential to our ability to maintain a healthy and effective legal practice.
How do you make sure you stay connected with others in the profession?
I have tried over the years to maintain connection to others within the profession through in-person lunch or coffee meetings, virtual coffee catch up meetings, as well as attending as many in-person CBA or LESA programs and conferences as possible.
When thinking about your own continuing legal education, what do you prefer – attending in-person programs or accessing resources online? Or do you like keeping up-to-date in some other way?
I have always found in-person LESA programs to be incredibly meaningful in that attendees have the opportunity to engage one-on-one with their fellow colleagues practicing in the same area. These in-person programs also allow for attendees to learn from each other as to the most recent or current developments in their area of practice and to socialize with colleagues outside of the office setting.
While my preference is in-person programs, I have also found online LESA programming to be valuable and effective as well. For example, I have found noon-hour webinars very attractive to me in the past due to my work schedule. It is great that LESA offers its programming in not only in-person and online formats but also hybrid options as well. This tells me that LESA understands the needs of the diverse legal community that it serves and has been able to adjust its programming accordingly to the changing needs of the legal profession.
You’ve done many different things with LESA over the years. Do you have a favorite LESA volunteer experience or memory?
I have many fond memories of my experiences volunteering with LESA over the years. One of my favorite memories was being asked in 2019 to serve as a guest Faculty Instructor for the annual Intensive Advocacy program that was held at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law. It was incredibly humbling and exciting for me to serve as a guest Faculty Instructor, as I recalled vividly the transformative experience I had in 2011 as a participant in the Intensive Advocacy course. It was an even greater honour for me to be asked to serve since 2022 as a Team Leader for the Intensive Advocacy program and to be able to work with a group of distinguished Team Leader and guest instructor colleagues. It is a source of great pride for me to be able to join my fellow Faculty members to offer what I believe to be the leading trial advocacy course for advocates of all vintages in Alberta.
What keeps you motivated to continue volunteering and giving back to the profession?
I believe strongly in giving back to our profession and paying it forward to the next generation of lawyers in Alberta. I have been lucky in my career to have been mentored by a number of senior members of the Bar who cared about my professional development and who took the time out of their busy schedules to teach me both the practice and business of law. Because of their invaluable mentorship, I have always felt the need to impart my own knowledge of the practice and business of law to the next generation of lawyers in our province so that they know they are not only supported but also that their professional development genuinely matters to members of the Bar. This is why for me teaching civil procedure and legal ethics as a sessional instructor at the U of A Faculty of Law brings me immense personal fulfillment as a member of the profession.
Recently you’ve been involved as a LESA Board member, as a Team Leader at our annual Intensive Advocacy program, and as a contributing author to the brand new Alberta Employment Law Practice Manual. In general, how can LESA’s programs and resources support a growing law practice?
I have always viewed LESA as the gold standard of professional development of lawyers in Alberta. My opinion has not changed over the last nearly 20 years of practice. I would recommend that any articling student or junior member of the Bar in their first 5 years of practice consult the myriad of offerings from LESA in any area of legal practice. LESA’s programs and resources should be the default resource for any lawyer who is seeking to grow their practice in their preferred area. Given LESA’s commitment to excellence, I encourage any lawyer seeking to grow their practice to adopt LESA as their life-long professional development provider.
In particular, what makes Intensive Advocacy such a valuable program and who should consider attending?
There are several aspects of the Intensive Advocacy program that I believe make it an invaluable experience for litigators of all vintages and areas of practice. First, the Faculty. You will not find a roster of more accomplished or distinguished advocates or jurists dedicated to seeing participants grow and improve their oral advocacy skills in real-time, from the time of the first exercise on Monday morning until the final exercise on Friday morning. Second, the structure. There is a reason why the Intensive Advocacy course is described as “intense”. It has been described as the closest that an advocate will get to preparing for a Trial without it actually going ahead in real life. Every minute of a participant’s time during the IA course is accounted for carefully and methodically. The immersive nature and structure of the IA course is one that participants remember long after their graduation from the course and many years – even decades – later attempt to deploy in their respective legal practices. Third, effective feedback. There is no other advocacy program, in my view, that offers the type of live and continuous feedback that the IA program offers to its participants from a diverse Faculty made up distinguished legal practitioners and members of the judiciary. The feedback that participants receive from Team leaders and guest instructors is specific, pragmatic, and constructive. Anyone who is at 5 or more years at the Bar and is seeking to improve their oral advocacy skills should seriously consider this course.
What about the Alberta Employment Law Practice Manual … why should someone consider adding it to their personal library or reading list?
Anyone who is thinking about expanding their practice in employment law or looking to add a comprehensive resource manual to their library should consider obtaining a copy of the Alberta Employment Law Practice Manual. As a contributor to the Manual, I am pleased to be able to join the list of co-authors of this incredibly informative and practical Manual for employment law lawyers of all vintages.
Are you also interested in getting involved? Submit a volunteer form to join our database of potential volunteers so that we’ll have your information on hand when we have volunteer assignments we need to fill. If you have questions about what LESA does or how you can get involved, send us an email at [email protected]. We’d love to chat!
