A Lack Of Candor

The Alberta Law Society Hearing Committee has suspended an articling student for one month for lack of candor in an investigation of drug use of another student

Jacob Roth received his Juris Doctorate in 2021 and started articling in Calgary with a National Firm on August 9, 2021. He continued to work at that firm as a student under an approved working agreement until February 1, 2024. As of the date of the hearing, Mr. Roth’s status was inactive articling student.

In September and October 2021, the LSA was investigating another student. Mr. Roth was interviewed as part of that investigation. Those interviews revealed information indicating that Mr. Roth may have been involved in locating cocaine for that student. As a result, the LSA opened an investigation into Mr. Roth’s conduct.

The LSA investigation into  Roth’s conduct uncovered multiple occurrences of Mr. Roth not being candid with the LSA:

•      He failed to admit to cocaine use in his application to become a Student-at-Law;
•      He lied to the LSA investigator about his recent cocaine use;
•      He told the LSA investigator that he did not attend a hair follicle drug test when, in fact, he had attended and failed that test; and
•      He denied receiving funds from a third party related to the purchase of drugs when, in fact, his bank records disclosed that he had received the funds.

(Mike Frisch)