PBLA resumed in-person delivery of the Civil Claims Duty Counsel Project and King’s Bench Amicus Program (jointly known as the Court-Based Programs) on January 9, 2023. During this time, virtual applications were accepted on a pilot basis to assist self-represented litigants through telephone and videoconference. Following an assessment of the pilot phase, PBLA has made the decision to revert to the pre-pandemic format of delivering the court-based programs in person. As such, virtual applications will no longer be accepted for the Court-Based Programs effective April 1, 2023. The decision to offer the programs wholly in-person was made with careful consideration and an assessment of the virtual program’s usage.

While the programs will now be delivered only in person and applications accepted only at the Courthouses in Calgary and Edmonton, much of the program scope and process will remain the same. Self-represented litigants with civil matters in the Alberta Court of Justice and Court of King’s Bench who apply for assistance and meet program criteria will be able to receive up to 30 minutes of free legal advice from a volunteer lawyer. In addition, self-represented litigants with civil matters in the Court of King’s Bench Applications Judge and Justice Chambers can receive assistance with regular morning chambers applications in person through the King’s Bench Amicus Program.

For those seeking in-person assistance at the Calgary and Edmonton courthouses, no appointment or pre-registration is required. The programs operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Please click here for program schedules and more information.