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LESA is a unique entity. Established in 1975 as a not-for-profit society, LESA is the Alberta bar’s independent provider of legal education across the entire spectrum, from the pre-call education of bar admission students through the continuing professional development needs of lawyers and their support staff. Although we are independent, we are also collaborative, with strong ties to the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch, the Faculties of Law at both the University of Calgary and University of Alberta, the Courts, and the Law Society of Alberta. Each is represented on our Board of Directors, along with a diversity of members of the profession from across the Province. The Board works with us in setting a strategic vision and overseeing the execution of our business plans. LESA’s continuing professional development activities are self-funded. Registration fees, materials costs and subscription fees must cover our costs and the need for ongoing initiatives. Our annual budget is $3.5 million. Only the CPLED Program (the bar admission training program) attracts external funding, with 15% of the cost of that program coming from the Alberta Law Foundation, 31% directly from the Law Society of Alberta, and the remaining 54% by way of tuition fees. The budget for the CPLED Program is $1.5 million. Annual enrollment in the CPLED Program averages approximately 325 students. LESA has a staff of 16 organized in focused, functional teams, according to their core competencies. The Live Events team, a team of three, is responsible for all our live events, including seminars, conferences, and the face-to-face sessions of the CPLED Program. The Regulatory Affairs team, a team of three, is responsible for our activities that interface with the Law Society of Alberta, including the CPLED Program [which also engages our regional partners in Saskatchewan and Manitoba]. Our Educational Resources team, a team of three, is responsible for our print resources, our upcoming online library, and our online self-study modules–including our Rules of Court modules and those on the Law Society of Alberta’s new safety of trust funds initiative. Our Communications team, a team of three, manages all of our communication in print and online to the profession, and provides customer service. Finally, the Leadership Team, the Managing Director and Executive Director, are supported by a Business team of two. Lastly, we would be remiss to overlook the hundreds of volunteers who are so crucial in all of our efforts – working with CPLED students, speaking at a seminar, appearing in a video, providing educational content – across the entire spectrum of what we do. These players are critical in helping us to work towards our Vision: To set standards of excellence in the education of lawyers, articling students, and their staff. |
