Susan V. R. Billington, QC, is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary and Executive Director of Student Legal Assistance (SLA).
Susan joined the Faculty of Law in August 2019 to lead, teach and manage the clinical practice program at SLA. She also teaches ethics and professionalism.
Admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1986, Susan practiced law in both litigation and as a solicitor before she joined the Law Society of Alberta as Counsel in 1994. During her 20 years there, Susan developed policy and program initiatives for the legal profession, including Western Law Societies Conveyancing Project (Protocol); the Continuing Professional Development program, the Fee Mediation program; equality initiatives, including the Equity Ombudsperson, the Justicia Project, and the Aboriginal Summer Student program; and access to justice initiatives including the Alternate Delivery of Legal Services Project and the Retention and Re-engagement Task Force.
Susan fostered the development of the pro bono community legal clinics throughout the province, including in Edmonton (ECLC), Red Deer (CACLC), Lethbridge (LLG) and Grande Prairie. In 2007 Susan was seconded from the Law Society for two years to be the founding Executive Director of Pro Bono Law Alberta (PBLA), an access to justice initiative celebrating the 100th-anniversary legacy project of the Law Society of Alberta.
From 2014-2019, Susan practiced law with Billington Barristers in civil and corporate/commercial litigation. Susan also led the management team at Billington Barristers, focusing on fostering excellence in delivering legal services.
Susan served as a Municipal Councillor for the Kananaskis Improvement District and an Appeal Panel member for the Real Estate Council of Alberta. Susan holds an LL.B and a BA from the University of Calgary. She holds memberships in the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association, the International Association of Facilitators, and the Calgary Bar Association.
Susan was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2008. She was awarded a Woman in Law Leadership Award in 2012 by the Association of Women Lawyers and, in 2021, was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association for contributions to the Legal Profession.
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SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.