About CPLEA - WillowNet (2024)

The Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta, also known as CPLEA, is a not-for-profit, non-government organization committed to making the law understandable for Albertans. We offer free legal information and learning resources in plain language.

Our resources increase awareness and understanding of the law and help empower Albertans to take action and, ultimately, gain better access to justice.

In addition to this website about abuse and the law in Alberta, CPLEA informs and educates on other areas of law that impact Albertans.

Our purpose

Our mission is to create resources that help people understand their rights and obligations under the law. We strive to improve both access to justice and the quality of justice available to Albertans.

Our vision is for Albertans have the knowledge, skills and confidence to deal with legal issues and to contribute to a just society.

What we do

For almost 50 years, CPLEA has been providing Albertans with current, practical and plain language legal information and education about the law and legal processes. We provide information in multiple formats including web, print, videos, webinars and more.

Our process includes legal research, writing, review, design, publishing and evaluation.

Our multidisciplinary team has training and experience in the law, plain language writing, web and graphic design, search engine optimization and evaluation best practices.

Through our work, we aim to help people make informed decisions about important legal issues by:

• building awareness and understanding of the law and related skills that equip people to take meaningful action
• providing practical, useful information about how to navigate the justice system
• conveying essential practical guidance on how people interact with the law in their everyday lives
• monitoring and responding to the needs of groups in civil society, such as the needs faced by newcomers to Canada, those who are elderly or disabled, and those who cannot afford a lawyer
• providing training for frontline service providers
• serving as a bridge between the justice sector and the community, working closely with a range of community organizations and other “justice navigators”

Testimonials

“CPLEA is an invaluable information and referral resource for the ECLC, particularly for people experiencing family law or landlord-tenant issues. CPLEA is one of our Top 3 referral resources, along with Legal Aid and Student Legal Services. We refer people most often to CPLEA videos about rights and responsibilities, as well about going to docket court.”

See Also

So You Want to Make a Will in Alberta? - LawNow MagazineAbout CPLEA – CPLEA Family LawThe Law is All Around Us: A Case for Public Legal Education and Information - LawNow Magazine

–Debbie Klein, Executive Director of the Edmonton Community Legal Centre

“We at Calgary Legal Guidance would like to express our appreciation for CPLEA as a valued legal resource in Alberta. We often refer our clients and self-represented litigants to CPLEA to supplement our advice, as CPLEA offers comprehensive, up to date, easy to understand legal information materials. Their library is a wonderful resource for community groups, social agencies, and others to find legal information relevant to diverse legal interests. CPLEA is a valuable contributor to accessible justice in our Province.”

–Calgary Legal Guidance

“The law is complicated. CPLEA helps simplify it so that Albertans can protect themselves, resolve disputes, and if necessary, navigate legal processes like court. As a teacher and a lawyer, I often rely on CPLEA resources to help others – and myself – understand the law.”

–Professor Anna Lund, University of Alberta Faculty of Law

FAQS

You might still have a few questions about our work. Below are some common ones we get.