The purpose of the Legal Archives Society of Alberta is to preserve complete and accurate documentation and provide resources for research on the evolution of law and society in Alberta.

Archives are the only original, authoritative, primary evidence of past actions; if the archival record of the private sector legal community is not preserved, our understanding of the history of law and society in Alberta will remain speculative and inadequate. The Legal Archives Society of Alberta maintains the only repository actively collecting and preserving the archives of the private sector legal community. The archives of the private sector legal community have unique characteristics and management requirements; directly supported by the legal profession, the Legal Archives Society of Alberta is the only institution with the mandate and resources to manage and maintain these records.

LASA maintains seven program areas to preserve and promote Alberta's legal history:

Archives – the archival program is LASA’s core mandate. LASA’s archival holdings represent the most extensive, authoritative evidence of the history of the legal profession in Alberta. The collection consists of over 900 metres of documents, photographs, audio-visual recordings generated by the Law Society of Alberta, as well as the legal and judicial communities throughout the province.

Oral History – the Society has an extensive collection of Oral History interviews of prominent lawyers and judges dating back to 1980. Used in conjunction with traditional documentary sources, oral histories provide a personal context to the history of the legal profession.

Exhibits and Interpretation – in addition to the interpretive displays constructed in the courthouses throughout the province, LASA has designed online exhibits on our website (www.legalarchives.ca). LASA participates in the annual online exhibit promoting Alberta archival institutions at the Archives Society of Alberta (www.archivesalberta.org/virtual-exhibits). These exhibits make use of documents and artifacts to celebrate and educate the public about the roles of the legal community in the history of the province. LASA also designs and assembles exhibits for centennials, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

Research Services – an automated reference system along with services to support research projects such as family histories, academic papers, and biographies. LASA serves the Law Society of Alberta, lawyers, judges, scholars, students, educators, genealogists, and the broader public by providing access to its collections.

Legal History Library – LASA’s research library houses a rare and unique collection of books, including non-fiction, fiction, biographies and memoirs, and legal references materials. LASA also maintains a collection of pamphlets, serials, directories, newspaper clippings, along with other publications documenting the history of law and society in Alberta.

Publications – historical studies, biographies, records, and references works on Alberta’s legal past. We currently have five ‘occasional papers’ available for PDF download, as well as our newsletter, Architypes, dating back to 2005. LASA’s available books are listed on our website.

Records and Archival Consulting – archival consulting services to individuals, firms, and organizations to help with their information retention and storage concerns. The purpose is to aid with the identification of files of historical and archival value. The Archives offers fee for service technical assistance and consultation with experts in the fields of archival preservation, conservation, and repair.