Local lawyer joins King’s Counsel

Attorney AJ Fox at Fox Wakefield is believed to be the first female attorney in Lloydminster to receive the prestigious King’s Counsel (KC) designation. Fox will also receive her master’s degree in alternative dispute resolution in June. Supplied photo

Lloydminster attorney Andrea Fox, called AJ. Professionally, Fox can add the title of King’s Counsel (KC) to her credentials at Fox Wakefield in the coming weeks.

She is one of 103 lawyers in Alberta who recently received the honorary QC designation in recognition of outstanding contributions to the legal community.

Fox is also believed to be the first female lawyer in Lloydminster to be appointed QC.

“The appointment as King’s Counsel is a valued distinction within the Canadian legal system. By making a positive contribution to the profession, these awards represent the legal profession at its best,” said Mickey Amery, Secretary of Justice and Attorney General, in a statement.

Fox specializes in real estate and estate planning and has become a champion of alternative dispute resolution to ensure everyone has access to justice.

“The big challenge right now is trying to ensure that access to justice is easily available, and that is an uphill battle. That is an important part of today’s legal world,” said Fox.

“It’s always in the back of my mind. Access to justice is certainly a very important element that I am concerned about.”

Fox says the legal system is so clogged right now that it could take three to four years for anything to go to trial.

That led her to pursue a master’s degree online from Osgoode Law School in Toronto in alternative dispute resolution, which she says is a burgeoning and exciting field.

“I’m meeting in June,” she said.

Fox says alternative dispute resolution focuses on arbitration and mediation as ways to resolve legal disputes and can save clients time and money.

She says it is an area with a lot of potential.

“That was part of the reason I did my master’s degree to potentially shift the focus of my practice to what’s called a ‘neutral practice,’ where I act as a mediator or arbitrator,” she said

“That’s something I’m looking at.”

Fox says alternative dispute resolution is now mandatory in some jurisdictions.

“Before you can proceed in court, the rules of the court require you to proceed to judicial dispute resolution and mediation. It’s something that most courts are really in favor of,” Fox explains.

She says she was “very surprised” by her inclusion on the list of King’s Counsel appointees.

“I’m humbled to think I’m part of that group. I am very happy with it,” said Fox.

The selection committee consists of representatives from the government, the three levels of the court, the Law Society and the Canadian Bar Association.

Fox was nominated for the KC award by her firm and two supporters.

She currently serves on the Practice Review Committee of the Law Society of Alberta and has served as a board member of the Environmental Appeals Board of Alberta and the Public Lands Appeal Board of Alberta.

Fox grew up on a farm just outside Lloydminster Saskatchewan and after graduating from Lloydminster Comprehensive High School, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a law degree from the University of Tasmania in Australia.

After working as a lawyer “Down Under” for a while, Fox returned to Lloydminster to pursue a career close to home.

She and attorney Jeremy Wakefield acquired the firm as partners from its former owners 20 years ago and have since added attorney Jordan Bolt and student Spencer Bossaer to the staff.

Fox will receive her QC designation at a ceremony at the Law Courts Building in Edmonton on June 5, with the following procedures in place.

The Chief Justice of Alberta will summon each counsel individually, in order of seniority, and direct him/her to come forward when his/her name is called.

The new King’s Counsel will proceed to the front of the courtroom, bow to the Court and then to the other King’s Counsel, and then return to his/her assigned seat in the inner bar.

For this ceremony, the counselor is required to dress in silk clothing or, if not available, in a regular dress.

The tradition of appointing lawyers as King’s Counsel dates back to 16th century England. In Canada, the practice predates Confederation, with the first KC appointees admitted to Upper Canada in 1841.