In 1975, a group of visionary individuals gathered together to create a remarkable instrument designed to meet the needs of the legal profession and the public that it serves: the Legal Education Society of Alberta. Our organization was structured to assume existing continuing legal educational activities, and to respond to future needs as they would evolve. Our two main mandates were sound pre-call training for students-at-law, and quality continuing professional development for the entire profession thereafter.

In 1976, the first Executive Director of LESA was hired. Peter Owen, Q.C. was a distinguished Edmonton barrister with the kind of reputation and personality that could imbue our organization with the recognition and stature so necessary for its success. Peter Owen was followed in 1979 by William Galloway who served as Executive Director until 1983; Professor John Law then held the office for nine months. Hugh A. Robertson, Q.C. became the Executive Director in 1984. Paul F. Wood succeeded Hugh Robertson in 2008, and currently serves in the position.

The Executive Director - in addition to participating in Meetings of the Benchers of the Law Society, the Council of the Canadian Bar Association, and other activities - plays a key role in pre-call admission training as the Director of the Canadian Centre of Professional Legal Education (CPLED) Alberta. Over the years, nearly 9000 students have benefited from our pre-call admission training activities. Our Bar Admission Course has evolved from lectures in hotel meeting rooms into the regional CPLED Program with both online and face-to-face learning and testing.

Since inception, we have developed over 850 continuing legal education programs and courses, accounting for an estimated 125,000 attendees over roughly 2000 sessions. We have sold nearly 4500 books in our Practice Manual series - not counting regular updates - along with thousands of other publications. Our flagship Annual Refresher Course, which pre-dates the formation of our organization, celebrated its fortieth anniversary in May of 2007.

Today, we continue to focus on delivering exceptional face-to-face legal education and educational resources to the entire spectrum of Alberta legal community.

Through the vision of our forebears, our organization is supported by hundreds of loyal volunteers, assisted by a team of dedicated professionals, and respected for its excellence across Canada and beyond. The organization created in 1975 continues to evolve to support the legal profession. While our content, delivery, and educational methodologies have changed, our essential function has not. We remain the lifelong partner of the legal profession in a common pursuit of continuing legal excellence.