The Legal Profession Act establishes the legal profession as a self-governing institution. The Law Society of Alberta:

• determines who can practice law in Alberta. In order to practice law, an individual must be a member of the Law Society of Alberta, which sets its own admission requirements. A person must have a law degree and complete a period of articles (i.e. a one year period during which the individual works under the supervision of a principal and is required to complete bar admission exams).
• is responsible for the discipline of lawyers. Complaints about lawyers must be directed to the Law Society, and not to government. The Law Society may then conduct an investigation, hold a disciplinary hearing, and impose a sanction. The ultimate sanction would be to disbar the lawyer, meaning the individual can no longer practise law in Alberta.
• is responsible for the administration of the legal profession. For example, although lawyers currently do not formally specialize in particular areas of the law, the Law Society is considering whether there should be formal specialist designations in criminal and family law.
• maintains a fund to compensate people who may suffer financially because of improper conduct by their lawyer. The Law Society also requires all lawyers who provide services to the public to have liability insurance.
• does not control fees charged by lawyers. It does, however, provide a mediation service for individuals who have a dispute with their lawyer. Individuals who are not satisfied with their lawyer's account can make application at the Court of Queen's Bench to have their account reviewed independently. This review is called "taxation." Taxation officers can, if circumstances warrant, reduce the amount of a lawyer's bill.