The coffee shop conversations among Calgary’s legal community have shifted dramatically this week. Indigenous cultural competency training is no longer mandatory for Alberta’s lawyers.
I’ve covered countless policy shifts in this city. This one feels different. The Law Society of Alberta announced it would scrap mandatory Indigenous education requirements. They’re also cutting their equity, diversity, and inclusion committee entirely.
The changes stem from Bill 13. Premier Danielle Smith calls it the “Peterson law.” It prevents professional regulators from forcing cultural competency or diversity training on members.
Smith referenced psychologist Jordan Peterson at a United Conservative Party convention last November. Peterson faced sanctions in Ontario for controversial online comments. The premier told delegates no professional would lose their license for political beliefs.
“That came from you,” Smith said to convention attendees. “We’re calling it the ‘Peterson law.'”
The timing matters. Major U.S. corporations have rolled back diversity initiatives since Donald Trump returned to office. Canadian organizations are following suit.
The Program That’s Ending
The Law Society introduced “The Path” in 2021. It was a one-time requirement tied to Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations. All Alberta lawyers had to complete it.
Society leaders argued lawyers are key contributors to Alberta’s social fabric. They believed every lawyer needed baseline knowledge of Indigenous experiences with the justice system. This applied regardless of whether they worked with Indigenous clients.
Kent Teskey served as society president when the program launched. His letter emphasized the justice system’s obligation to understand Indigenous perspectives.
But resistance emerged quickly. Glenn Blackett practices law in Calgary with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. He called the course “re-education” and “indoctrination” in a 2023 blog post.
I’ve watched this debate unfold across Calgary’s legal circles. The divide runs deep.
In 2023, fifty lawyers petitioned to remove the society’s power to mandate continuing education. The society held a special meeting. Over 3,400 lawyers logged in.
The vote wasn’t close. Only 864 lawyers supported removing mandatory education powers. A total of 2,609 voted against the change.
Roger Song was among those fifty petitioners. He sought judicial review after the vote. A judge dismissed his challenge last September.
Song told reporters Friday he “rejoiced” at the society’s decision. He believes lawyers should individually decide what cultural competence means to them.
“I think we should leave that to the lawyers,” Song said.
Completion Numbers Tell a Story
Bud Melnyk now serves as Law Society president. He shared some revealing statistics in an email response.
Over 10,500 Alberta lawyers completed The Path during the past five years. Melnyk said the society responded meaningfully to the Truth and Reconciliation call to action.
The course will remain available. It just won’t be mandatory once Bill 13 takes effect.
That distinction matters enormously to Jessica Buffalo. She became the Law Society’s first Indigenous initiatives counsel in 2022.
Buffalo said she long feared EDI initiatives would face the axe. Her email response carried frustration.
“It shouldn’t have to be mandatory,” Buffalo wrote. “But that was the only way most of the profession would engage with it.”
She questioned what happens now. Buffalo asked who the public interest actually includes if the society can’t ensure lawyers work competently with Indigenous communities.
I’ve interviewed Buffalo before for other stories. Her concerns reflect broader Indigenous community worries about access to culturally competent legal representation.
The Committee Getting Eliminated
The equity, diversity and inclusion committee won’t be re-established for 2026. Melnyk cited the Regulated Professions Neutrality Act as the reason.
He said permissible EDI initiatives would continue through other strategic committees. What “permissible” means remains unclear.
Jeffrey Westman served on the committee from 2022 until 2025. He highlighted work often overlooked in political debates.
The committee focused heavily on breaking down barriers for internationally trained lawyers. Westman said these efforts helped foreign-trained professionals join Alberta’s legal ranks.
“I think the law society might be changing its practices in response to a political climate,” Westman said. “But I think the contributors to the political climate don’t fully understand EDI.”
He emphasized that beyond politically-charged terminology, the committee addressed real barriers to professional participation.
I’ve covered Calgary’s growing immigrant population for years. The city’s legal needs increasingly require diverse professional backgrounds.
Broader Legal Sector Upheaval
These changes don’t exist in isolation. Alberta’s legal landscape is experiencing significant turbulence.
The Alberta Law Foundation saw all fourteen employees resign in January. New government powers gave the justice minister increased control over the organization.
Melnyk wrote in a letter this week that the society would help stabilize the foundation through transition.
The simultaneous disruptions raise questions about provincial government influence over traditionally independent legal institutions.
Calgary’s legal community is grappling with what comes next. Some celebrate increased professional freedom. Others worry about eroding commitments to reconciliation.
The downtown courthouse hallways buzz with competing perspectives. Partners debate at firm meetings. Junior lawyers question what this means for their careers.
More than 10,500 lawyers completed The Path. That represents nearly every practicing lawyer in Alberta. The knowledge gained doesn’t disappear just because the requirement does.
But Buffalo’s question lingers. If lawyers aren’t required to understand Indigenous experiences with law, how many will choose to learn?
The answer will shape Calgary’s legal landscape for years to come. Indigenous communities depend on culturally competent legal representation. Access to justice hangs in the balance.
Smith’s government prioritized professional freedom from what they consider ideological mandates. The legal profession now decides individually whether cultural competency matters.
I’ll be watching how this unfolds. Calgary’s diversity continues growing. The legal system must serve everyone effectively.
Whether voluntary education achieves what mandatory training aimed for remains the open question.
