The firm is proud to congratulate Bill Hendsbee, Q.C., on his election to the role of President-Elect of the Law Society of Alberta (LSA) for the 2022-23 term (starting February 2022). Bill will also be sitting on the LSA’s Executive Committee. After serving a one-year term as President-Elect, Bill will become the President of the LSA for the 2023-24 term.
It is no surprise to us that Bill was elected to fulfill this vital role. Bill has consistently been a thoughtful and active member of groups and associations that work to strengthen Alberta’s legal institutions throughout his career. In addition, since 2018, Bill has been one of the twenty lawyers elected annually as Benchers to govern the Law Society of Alberta (LSA).
The LSA is an independent regulatory body whose duty and core function is to proactively protect the public interest in the delivery of legal services. This work includes:
- taking steps to implement and enforce high standards of professional and ethical conduct among the province’s 9,000+ lawyers in a manner that is fair, transparent, efficient, proactive, proportionate and principled,
- promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and in the delivery of legal services,
- promoting access to legal services and justice, and
- protecting those who use legal services.
In his capacity as President-Elect, Bill will be working on implementing the LSA Strategic Plan 2020-2024 that is focused on making progress in four areas:
- Innovation & proactive regulation
- Competence & wellness
- Access to legal services
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The Strategic Plan is particularly important at this unprecedented time. The pandemic has had a significant impact on all aspects of the lives of Albertans, including access to justice, the efficient functioning of our legal system, mental wellness (across the board), and it has highlighted the divisions and disparities in our communities. As Bill notes:
“We are at a unique point in time. The transition back from the pandemic will require strong and thoughtful leadership. The Law Society of Alberta will need to ensure that we constantly evaluate how we do our work to ensure that we meet the evolving needs of Alberta lawyers and the public interest we serve.”
We are confident that Bill’s experience in governance and access to justice issues will provide the depth of understanding and leadership needed to ensure the LSA continues to fulfill its mandate.
