Compliance Analyst

The Law Society of Alberta (Law Society) regulates the legal profession in the public interest.

In alignment with the Law Society’s mandate, vision, and strategic priorities, the Trust Safety department delivers a program that endeavors to protect the public by helping ensure lawyers manage client trust funds responsibly. This includes evaluating lawyers' (and law firms’) compliance with the Rules of the Law Society, setting standards for trust accounting, requiring financial reporting, offering guidance and education and taking appropriate steps where concerns are identified.

Trust Safety Compliance Analyst (CA) is a substantive regulatory operations role in a modern risk-informed environment. Working with other team members, the position reviews applications, annual and interim reporting, financial information, and other incoming information; applies established risk indicators; validates data; monitors compliance obligations; and escalates matters that require advanced regulatory judgment.

The Trust Safety Compliance Analysts (CA) share the responsibility of processing applications, monitoring and reviewing filing requirements and providing customer service. The Compliance Analysts are a strong group of customer service oriented team members who work together in a fast-paced environment with a high-volume workload.  The CA role requires an aptitude towards trouble-shooting and the ability to develop skills to interpret the Law Society Rules and Legal Profession Act, as well as an understanding of the regulatory role of the Law Society.

Success in this position requires excellent communication, organizational, and time management skills, with strong attention to detail, along with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a self-motivated environment. A strong aptitude for financial analysis is an asset.

Key Requirements: 

As a member of the Trust Safety team, you will:

• Manage the Trust Safety Service Requests, responding to queries as required and forwarding mail to the correct Trust Safety department members.
• Respond professionally to lawyers’ inquiries in accordance with the Service Level Agreement.
• Participate in Project work for the Department.
• Provide department administrative support to the department, as required.

When Assigned to the Compliance Monitoring and Review:

• Monitor standard compliance obligations, filing requirements, deadlines, approved conditions, and routine remediation activities in accordance with documented procedures.
• Review, report, and evaluate high-risk lawyers, including those with imposed conditions and escalate situations where trust funds may be at risk.
• Provide customer service support and technical assistance to members
• Process various applications
• Compile monthly department statistics
• Review required reporting or financial forms from Lawyers/Law Firms
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives including identifying business process improvements and supporting the transition of key business processes online.

When Assigned to the Annual Reporting and Data Integrity:

• Review and follow up on annual and interim trust accounting reports/financial forms and related financial information for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with applicable requirements.
• Administer the submission of annual trust accounting reporting and assist with inquiries and related troubleshooting.
• Maintain and enforce high data-integrity standards for all database entries. Update member database, including scanning and attaching forms.
• Provide support and assistance to audit program, if required.
• Provide department administrative support as required

Qualifications: 

• Post-secondary education in accounting.
• Experience in compliance, financial operations, accounting or bookkeeping, professional regulation, law-firm administration, audit support, legal operations, customer or member service, or another rules-based environment is considered an asset.
• Excels in a fast-paced and demanding environment; responsible for a variety of tasks and multiple deadlines.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Superior customer service and communication (listening, written, and verbal) skills.
• Aptitude towards troubleshooting, the judgment to apply a risk ranking to lawyer submissions, and the ability to review the trust accounting information submitted by lawyers.
• Sound knowledge of Trust Safety processes and Financial Rules of the Law Society of Alberta.
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Microsoft 365 tools; ability to learn CRM, SharePoint, portals, and case-management systems.
• Excels in a fast-paced and demanding environment; responsible for a variety of tasks and multiple deadlines.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Experience managing large volumes of paper and electronic documents.
• Ability to assess and manage risk.
• Reliable, flexible and adaptable.
• A team player who is also able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work overtime after hours during peak periods.