The legal profession in Alberta consists of approximately 6,500 lawyers who are employed by corporations, governments, non-profit organizations, or law reform, or are in private practice. Many lawyers are also elected representatives municipally, provincially or federally.

It is a basic democratic principle that lawyers are independent of governments. This is necessary because lawyers are often required to represent unpopular people and advocate unpopular positions.

Lawyers are bound by a Code of Ethics which forms the benchmark against which a lawyer's behaviour is judged.

A core value of the legal profession is the privilege which attaches to lawyer-client communications.