text:
PBLA Blog
News & Events from Pro Bono Law Alberta
PBLA Court-Based Programs
Posted on May 21, 2019 by info@pbla.ca
PBLA administers the Civil Claims Duty Counsel project and Queen's Bench Court Assistance Program in Calgary and Edmonton. These programs provide assistance for civil matters at courthouses in each city. No appointment or pre-registration is required; all programs operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that these programs do not assist with family, criminal or corporate law matters, matters at the Court of Appeal or other Appeal Courts, or pre-trial conferences and mediations.
Civil Claims Duty Counsel
The Civil Claims Duty Counsel (CCDC) project is a legal advice clinic that provides assistance for those involved in civil matters in the Provincial Court in Calgary and Edmonton. Examples of these matters include landlord and tenant disputes, small claims, insurance or personal injury, and employment matters (all valued under $50,000). Volunteer lawyers are available to provide free 30-minute consultations and can provide summary legal advice; information on court procedure; help preparing for trials, motions and other appearances; and help completing forms.
Calgary Courts Centre (601 – 5 Street SW)
15th Floor, Rooms S15-06, S15-23, S15-39
Monday 12:30 PM – 4:00PM
Tuesday – Friday 9:00AM – 12:00PM, 12:30PM – 4:00PM Edmonton
Edmonton Law Courts (1A Sir Winston Churchill Square)
2nd Floor, Provincial Court, Ante Room 262A
Tuesday 10:00AM – 2:00PM
Wednesday 12:00PM – 4:00PM
Queen's Bench Court Assistance – Calgary
The Queen's Bench Court Assistance Program in Calgary provides assistance to the public in civil matters at the Court of Queen's Bench. In the morning, volunteer lawyers are available to provide assistance to those without legal representation who need help with their Morning Chambers appearances. This includes assistance with applications, bankruptcy, motions and other appearances. This is not a legal advice clinic.
In the afternoon, volunteers are available at a legal advice clinic for civil matters at the Court of Queen's Bench. Examples of these matters include foreclosure and bankruptcy, builder's liens, wills and estates, or other civil matters. Volunteer lawyers are available to provide free 30-minute consultations and can provide summary legal advice; information on court procedure; help preparing for trials, motions and other appearances; and help completing forms.
Morning Chambers
9th and 10th Floors, North
Tuesday – Thursday 9:00AM – 12:30PM Legal Advice Clinic
8th Floor North, Room 8-49
Tuesday – Thursday 1:00PM – 4:00PM
Queen's Bench Court Assistance – Edmonton
The Queen's Bench Court Assistance Program in Edmonton provides assistance to the public in civil matters at the Court of Queen's Bench. Volunteer lawyers are available to provide assistance to those without legal representation who need help with their Morning Chambers appearances. This includes assistance with applications, bankruptcy, motions and other appearances. This is not a legal advice clinic.
Law Library, Room 2028C
2nd Floor, South Tower
Wednesday 9:00AM – 12:30PM
*Assistance in all court-based programs is subject to meeting program guidelines and is not guaranteed.
PBLA Recognizes Black History Month
Posted on February 28, 2019 by info@pbla.ca
Each February, Canada recognizes Black History Month and honours the contributions of Black Canadians. This month, we are highlighting the commitment to pro bono service exemplified by the following Pro Bono Law Alberta volunteers and champions.
Angela Egbase
Angela Egbase has volunteered with the Civil Claims Duty Counsel Project and the Queen's Bench Court Assistance Program. She was awarded a 2017 PBLA Outstanding Volunteer Award in recognition of her volunteer activities on these programs.
Angela completed her legal education in Nigeria, where she practiced for a number of years before immigrating to Canada. She was called to the Alberta Bar in 2015, and now practices at AE LEGAL with a focus on estate planning, family law, and real estate law. Outside of her pro bono work with PBLA, Angela is also a past volunteer at Calgary Legal Guidance, one of Alberta's pro bono legal clinics, where she donated her time as a volunteer researcher.
Rukaiyat Lawal
Rukaiyat Lawal began her time with PBLA as a volunteer for both the Civil Claims Duty Counsel and Queen's Bench Court Assistance programs, and later joined the PBLA staff as the Edmonton Court-Based Program Coordinator. During her time as a volunteer, she was the recipient of two 2018 PBLA Outstanding Volunteer Awards for her contributions to both programs.
Rukaiyat completed her legal education in Nigeria, and after immigrating to Canada received the Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. When not supporting the Edmonton court-based programs for PBLA, Rukaiyat is an avid volunteer in the pro bono sector, volunteering for the Elizabeth Fry Society of Edmonton and the Edmonton Community Legal Centre. She is an active member of the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch, where she sits on the Legislative Review Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and commenting on bills introduced in the Alberta Legislature. Outside of the legal sector, Rukaiyat volunteers for the Kids Food Basket Campaign, where she collaborates with the Edmonton Food Bank to empower, educate and provide food to Canadian families in need.
Wasiu Omotoso
Wasiu Omotoso is a former PBLA volunteer who was a recipient of the 2016 Outstanding Volunteer Award for his volunteer work at the Civil Claims Duty Counsel Project, which provides free legal consultations to members of the public on civil matters at the Provincial Court.
Wasiu began his legal education in Nigeria, and went on to complete his Master of Laws at the University of Manitoba in 2014. After completing his articles at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in Calgary, he was called to the Bars of Alberta and Ontario in 2016. Wasiu has since moved to Toronto where he is now Legal Counsel at Walsh Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of The Walsh Group, one of the largest construction companies in North America.
Charles Osuji
Charles Osuji is a champion for pro bono causes, and an active mentor for internationally trained lawyers in Alberta. Through his work with internationally trained lawyers, he was referred numerous volunteers to pro bono organizations around our province, including PBLA.
Charles received his legal education in Nigeria, and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 2014. He began articling at what was then called Smith Law Office, and became a named partner in 2016, and sole owner of Osuji & Smith in 2017. Charles currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Calgary Regional Immigrant Employment Council, where he also volunteers as a mentor to other internationally trained professionals. He has previously volunteered for the Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary and the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre. Charles is also a volunteer for the Igbo Cultural Association, the Mustard Seed, and Habitat for Humanity.
Chidinma Thompson
Chidinma Thompson is an active PBLA volunteer, having been involved in both the Civil Claims Duty Counsel and Queen's Bench Court Assistance programs with her firm Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, one of PBLA's longstanding program partners. Chidinma is a partner in the Commercial Litigation and Regulatory Group at the BLG office in Calgary.
Chidinma received her law degree from University of Nigeria and her Master of Law at the University of Calgary. She also received her Ph.D. in law from the University of Calgary in 2014, being the first Ph.D. graduate from the faculty of law. She has taught various law courses at the University of Calgary. In addition to her pro bono work with PBLA, Chidinma is an active volunteer at Youth Law at the Alex (formerly the Children's Legal and Educational Resource Centre), a law student mentor through the Canadian Bar Association and a student mentor at Student Legal Assistance.
These volunteers represent only a small number of the dedicated volunteer lawyers, law students and internationally trained lawyers who generously donate their time to support pro bono causes in Alberta. PBLA is thankful for the contributions of all its volunteers; their support is invaluable in providing access to justice for unrepresented people across our province.
PBLA Technical Difficulties
Pro Bono Law Alberta is currently experiencing technical difficulties that are affecting email access.
If you need to contact a member of the PBLA team, please do so by phone. Staff can be reached on their direct lines, or you can contact the PBLA general phone line at 403-541-4804.
Our response time may be delayed as we work to restore email service. We thank you for your patience at this time.
PBLA Board President to Receive Distinguished Service Award
Posted on February 1, 2019 by info@pbla.ca
Join us in congratulating PBLA Board President Kevin Feth, QC, who has been announced as the winner of the 2019 Distinguished Service Award for Service to the Profession.
Kevin is a partner at Field LLP where he primarily practices in the areas of labour & employment, education and aboriginal law, and civil litigation. A graduate of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, Kevin completed his Bachelor of Laws in 1989 and was called to the bar in 1990.
A long-time supporter of access to justice in our province, Kevin has volunteered his time with a number of organizations with the aim of providing pro bono legal services to those in need, and increasing access to justice for all Albertans. Kevin first joined the PBLA Board of Directors in March 2009 and was elected Vice President in September of the same year. He served as Vice President through 2013, when he stepped down to serve as President-Elect, and then President of the Law Society of Alberta. Kevin returned to PBLA in March 2015 and was elected President in June of that year.
Prior to joining PBLA's Board, Kevin was active with Student Legal Services of Edmonton, the student-run pro bono legal clinic at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, where he served as a case worker and later Board Chair. He also served for five years as a supervising lawyer with Pro Bono Students Canada. Most recently, he was the Chair of the Law Society of Alberta Legal Aid Agreement Task Force, and was instrumental in negotiating the new Legal Aid Alberta Governance Agreement and the $70 million increase to legal aid funding, which were announced by Premier Rachel Notley and Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley in October 2018. Alberta's legal aid system is expected to serve an estimated 7,000 additional people as a result of those changes.
In addition to his extensive work in the community, Kevin has distinguished himself within the legal profession. He is the current Chair of Field Law's Post-Secondary Education Practice Group, and past Chair of the Labour and Employment Practice Group in Edmonton. He previously taught Labour Law at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, and co-authored Remedies in Labour, Employment and Human Rights Law (Carswell, 1999). He was a member of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) provincial and national Councils, Chair of the CBA National Civil Litigation Section and Sections Council, and has sat on numerous Law Society of Alberta committees and task forces since early in his career.
PBLA is honoured to have such an outstanding member of the profession serving as Board President, and we ask you to join us in congratulating Kevin for this well-deserved honour.
The Distinguished Service Awards are jointly awarded by the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch and the Law Society of Alberta. The awards luncheon will take place on Tuesday, February 5 in Edmonton.
PBLA is Hiring!
Posted on January 25, 2019 by info@pbla.ca
Applications are now being accepted for PBLA's 2019 summer law student position.
We are looking for a student who has successfully completed their second year of law school to work with us at our Calgary office from May to August 2019.
The summer law student will support the delivery of PBLA programs and key initiatives. Key responsibilities include:
Providing support to various programs and projects including the Civil Claims Duty Counsel (CCDC) project and the Queen's Bench (QB) Amicus Program;
Reviewing and updating legal resource manuals on broad areas of law;
Revising and updating volunteer training manuals;
Researching legal topics touching on pro bono legal service delivery and pro bono models that incorporate technology in the delivery of pro bono legal services; and
Other program and administrative support, as required.
The deadline to apply is Friday, March 8, 2019. Click here to view the full position details and application information.
LawNow Magazine May/June 2018 issue
Posted on May 8, 2018 by info@pbla.ca
LawNow Magazine is a free digital magazine published six times per year by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta.
Read the May/June 2018 issue
Posted in Reports & Resources, Uncategorized	| Tagged bankruptcy, Civil Matters, court, employment, employment law, family law, foreclosures, homepage, immigration, landlord & tenant, landlord tenant rights, legal help, Legal Information, Public Interest, unrepresented litigants, Wills & Estates
Central Alberta Community Legal Clinic is moving, effective April 10
Posted on April 3, 2018 by info@pbla.ca
The Central Alberta Community Legal Clinic (CACLC) office is moving to #106, 4916-50 Street Red Deer, AB T4N 1X7 effective April 10th, 2018.
The office will be closed April 6th and 9th**
Community Legal Clinic
Central Alberta – Medicine Hat – Lloydminster – Fort McMurray
Telephone: 403-314-9129 Fax:403-314-9194
Toll Free: 1-800-314-9129 Website: www.communitylegalclinic.net
Posted in Events, Legal Community News, Pro Bono News, Public Legal Clinics, Uncategorized	| Tagged bankruptcy, Civil Matters, employment law, family law, foreclosures, Free Legal Advice, homepage, landlord & tenant, landlord tenant rights, legal community, legal help, Legal Information, legal tips, pro bono law, pro bono legal clinic, Public Interest, unrepresented litigants, Wills & Estates
Law Firm Meetings
Legal Community News
Legal Employment
Pro Bono Conferences
Public Legal Clinics


Norstone Ochre Blend stone cladding was specified by Atkins for the communal, kitchen and bathroom areas for this care home in West Byfleet, Surrey.
Norstone's Ochre Blend is a perfect match for the Canadian Cedars on the outer perimeter of the buildings and the natural sedimentary slate within. The warm, subtle tones create a soothing and reassuring natural environment.
Norstone keeps larger stocks in its UK warehousing, so that any stacked stone ordered can be quickly dispatched to projects thus reducing time delays and therefore project costs.
Norstone welcomes any project, whether it be small or large and will work closely with your builder, architect or interior designer. Our expertise, plus the warranties that are provided by Laticrete (Adhesives) and HARDIE Substrates, allow the customer to enjoy the planning and installation process, of the Norstone stacked stone system.
Talk to us today about your Building plans and how Norstone can bring your dreams alive.
Norstone, a new dimension in life.


text:
require  'spec_helper'

describe Admin::Config::TaxStatusesController do
  render_views

  before(:each) do
    activate_authlogic

    @user = Factory(:admin_user)
    login_as(@user)
  end

  it "index action should render index template" do
    get :index
    response.should render_template(:index)
  end

  it "show action should render show template" do
    @tax_status = TaxStatus.first
    get :show, :id => @tax_status.id
    response.should render_template(:show)
  end

  it "new action should render new template" do
    get :new
    response.should render_template(:new)
  end

  it "create action should render new template when model is invalid" do
    TaxStatus.any_instance.stubs(:valid?).returns(false)
    post :create
    response.should render_template(:new)
  end

  it "create action should redirect when model is valid" do
    TaxStatus.any_instance.stubs(:valid?).returns(true)
    post :create, :tax_status => {:name => 'Jewels'}
    response.should redirect_to(admin_config_tax_statuses_url())
  end

  it "edit action should render edit template" do
    @tax_status = TaxStatus.first
    get :edit, :id => @tax_status.id
    response.should render_template(:edit)
  end

  it "update action should render edit template when model is invalid" do
    @tax_status = TaxStatus.first
    TaxStatus.any_instance.stubs(:valid?).returns(false)
    put :update, :id => @tax_status.id
    response.should render_template(:edit)
  end

  it "update action should redirect when model is valid" do
    @tax_status = TaxStatus.first
    TaxStatus.any_instance.stubs(:valid?).returns(true)
    put :update, :id => @tax_status.id
    response.should redirect_to(admin_config_tax_statuses_url())
  end

  it "destroy action should destroy model and redirect to index action" do
    @tax_status = TaxStatus.create(:name => 'Jewels')
    delete :destroy, :id => @tax_status.id
    response.should redirect_to(admin_config_tax_statuses_url)
    TaxStatus.exists?(@tax_status.id).should be_false
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Published: May 10, 2014 12:00 am Updated: May 10, 2014 9:06 a.m.
In this Thursday, April 17, 2014 file photo, South Korean rescue team members try to rescue passengers trapped in the ferry Sewol sinking in the water off South Korea's southern coast near Jindo. Internal partitions in the ferry have become waterlogged and started to bend, said government task force spokesman Ko Myung-seok. Coast guard officials said this can prevent divers from entering different parts of the ferry. Ko also said divers were unable to carry out underwater searches Saturday because of bad weather.
SEOUL, South Korea — Bad weather and the deterioration of internal partitions in a sunken ferry are hampering the search for those still missing in the disaster, South Korean officials said Saturday.
More than three weeks after the ferry sank, 29 passengers remain missing, with 275 bodies recovered so far, most of them high school students.
Internal partitions in the ferry have become waterlogged and started to bend, said government task force spokesman Ko Myung-seok. Coast guard officials said this can prevent divers from entering different parts of the ferry.
Ko also said divers were unable to carry out underwater searches Saturday because of bad weather.
Search teams took advantage of improved weather this past week, but later were hampered by strong currents and floating debris inside the ship. A civilian diver fell unconscious while searching and died on Tuesday.
Only 172 people survived the April 16 disaster. Most of the passengers were students from a high school south of Seoul.
All 15 surviving crew members involved in the ferry's navigation have been arrested on suspicion of negligence and failing to protect passengers. Besides possible freight problems, prosecutors say they are looking into other factors, such as the turn made during the time the ship began listing, ocean currents and modifications made to the ship.
On Friday, Kim Han-sik, head of Chonghaejin Marine Co. Ltd., which owns the sunken ferry, was arrested after investigators raised suspicions that improper stowage and overloading of cargo might have contributed to the accident. Kim is facing allegations that he was aware that the ferry exceeded its cargo limit but didn't do anything to stop it from leaving port, according to prosecutors.


This navy donegal waistcoat is made on the Racing Green tailored block to give a trim silhouette. The 5 button waistcoat is made from 70% wool and looks great when teamed with chinos or dark jeans for a more semi formal look. Wear with the matching jacket to make a statement this winter.


Ten years ago I was 14. I did not know anybody directly affected. I did not read many articles or watch much tv. I was in my own small world, a world that yes, was affected but no not greatly affected. I did watch the towers collapse in class at school, 9th grade, and it was horrifying. My brother and sister-in-law lived in Weehawken, NJ and worked in Manhattan, my sister-in-law even worked near the World Trade Center. Luckily they were both fine. So fear and anxiety and strong emotions, for me, receded quickly.
Things have changed. I've been working on a series of videos for the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and in the process my eyes have been opened to tragedy, to anguish and to courage. I've learned so much about what happened on 9/11 and how it affected people that I now know. I met Ann and Dutch and Susan and the Yancy's. For these people, it was all real and close to their hearts and heads ten years ago, and for them, they never had learn about it through other people's experiences, they always knew first hand.
One of the guys we interviewed, Dutch, emailed me with some pictures I'd asked for. Dutch lives in Boulder with his three sons and wife. We interviewed him because his younger sister Nina worked in the World Trade Center and died that day. Dutch and Nina were really close. I'd asked Dutch if he was willing to share any pictures of himself and his sister. He returned my email late late into the night. In it, he included some lovely lovely pictures and a few words..
"I found more but some were too personal and others were too embarrassing…I spent a couple of hours going through old photos. it was good for me, brought back some really fond memories. though I have to say I miss her more than ever right now…"
It was such a seemingly small gesture for him to have included these words in an email to me, someone whom he has met once and talked on the phone with twice. But when I read it I thought about Dutch and his sister laughing at the dinner table when they were kids and that they used to write letters in code to each other. Memories he was able to share with us, but memories nonetheless that he does not bring to the surface often because it is too painful, memories of a lost sister.
Due to my growing personal connection to this event in the past weeks, my fascination has snowballed. And I think it's because I'm looking and reading with a new perspective. I've been reading articles written back in the days directly after 9/11, I've been reading retrospective articles, I've been watching StoryCore animated videos (which, by the way are interestingly different, check them out), and videos telling the story from the photojournalist's perspective (Witness to History: The Photographers of 9/11). I've listened to The 9/11 Tapes: The Stories in the Air. I've looked through tons of photo galleries. There is so much happening around the world and for me to take the time to really read and investigate and understand something that happened far away from me, be it physically far away, or emotionally, I need to find a way to connect personally to it.
I guess in the end, this post is about my growing understanding of what journalism means to me. So, broadly, journalists are responsible for bringing as a real an understanding of 'what happened' to their audience as possible. More specifically for me right now, journalists have the opportunity to take a big far away event and give someone an avenue into understanding it on a personal or individual basis.
To show how it affected real people, and what it felt like to be affected personally so that that person can relate and empathize and understand with their hearts.
Before, I knew 9/11 as a whole, as an event. It was big and horrible, too big really for me to comprehend at age 14. Now, when I read all these articles and look and pictures and videos, I think about what it meant for the people I interviewed for this story. Now I can see 9/11 in small heart-wrenching pieces as well as hopefully begin to better see the mosaic. I hope the videos I've contributed to the Denver Post's 9/11 - 10 years later can give some people that avenue in.
This video is one of eight vignettes of people connected and effected by the attacks of 9/11. My colleague, reporter John Ingold, and photographers Craig. F. Walker and RJ Sangosti also worked hard on the written and picture portions of these profiles, you can check out their work and the rest of my work here.
Ten years ago, Ann Wichmann took her dog Jenner to New York as part of a local Federal Emergency Management Agency Administration rescue team that searched the rubble of ground zero.
CETH "the light that shines through my life."


Visionary landowners Nancy Aten and Dan Collins completed the donation of a 17-acre conservation easement to the Door County Land Trust this fall. The property, located near the 274-acre Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve, adds to a complex of ecologically rich lands where several rare and threatened species have been identified. Waters from agricultural lands to the east are filtered through wetlands on the property before draining into the bay of Green Bay, resulting in cleaner freshwater and shoreline habitat.
Dan and Nancy pass their passion for nature on to the next generation as they share their knowledge and their land with grad students and grade-school students, visiting conservationists and backyard naturalists.