Craig Sutherland
Senior Legal Assistant | Civil Litigation & Court Practice
Chinook Commercial Litigation Group
Dear Hiring Committee,
I am writing to express my interest in the Legal Assistant position with Chinook Commercial Litigation Group. With extensive experience supporting commercial dispute resolution practices in Calgary, I am eager to contribute my procedural knowledge of the Alberta Court of King's Bench, rigorous document management, and court administration skills to your litigation practice.
In my current role as Senior Litigation Legal Assistant at Highwood Litigators LLP, I coordinate active litigation workflows for three senior partners focused on commercial claims. My core responsibilities include drafting formal pleadings, affidavits of records, notices of application, motion records, and bills of costs in strict compliance with the Alberta Rules of Court. I handle document submissions and tracking through Alberta Courts digital filing portals, maintaining a record of zero procedural rejections, while overseeing trial preparation logistics such as witness scheduling, questioning transcripts, and electronic joint books of documents.
Beyond routine file administration, I directed our firm's litigation practice modernization project, leading the transition of over 400 active litigation files into structured digital workspaces aligned with Court of King's Bench electronic document standards. As part of this initiative, I authored an internal office procedure manual detailing portal submission rules, bookmarking conventions, and electronic exhibit pagination, and I regularly train and mentor junior administrative personnel on firm conventions and court calendar management. My background also encompasses due diligence searches through SPIN2 and PPRS, as well as an active appointment as a Commissioner for Oaths in Alberta.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my civil litigation background and established organizational standards align with the needs of Chinook Commercial Litigation Group. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Craig Sutherland