Recently, I had the opportunity to spend an evening with Justice McLeod (Ontario Court of Justice), Justice Braid (Superior Court), Justice J.L. Waddilove (Ontario Court of Justice) and Justice Jain (Superior Court), all remarkable female judges in the industry. This event was an initiative by the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) (amongst several other similar events being organised by law schools across Canada), to encourage young female lawyers to join the judiciary. The IAJW is actively working towards removing impediments faced by female lawyers and judges in the world with a focus on the high attrition rate of females in the profession. The evening was full of riveting and intriguing conversation as our judges talked about increasing representation, equity and diversity within the law, and what it takes to be a judge.
By virtue of Osgoode’s Women Network, attendees of the evening received the chance to personally interact with the Judges. Attendees not only learned from the fierce personal experiences narrated by the esteemed judges that formed the panel but were also allowed time to ask direct questions.

Continue reading “An Evening with Women Judges: An ITL’s Perspective” →

The Articling Program has been a challenging journey for many law students. It is intended to satisfy the Law Society that the applicant has practical & substantive knowledge of being a lawyer in Canada. It is a significant step in a law student’s legal career that enables the transition from school to practice. The Law Society of Alberta’s (“LSA”) admission program requires an eight-to-twelve-month articling term. Students must also enrol in the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) administered by the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED). You can learn more about the process of becoming a lawyer in Alberta here.

The Articling Placement Program has been introduced by the LSA with the goal of assisting articling students exit their current position and find replacement articles if they are placed in untenable or unsafe work environments and subjected to harassment or discrimination.

Harassment or Discrimination during Articling

Continue reading “The Articling Dilemma & LSA’s Intervention” →

The journey to becoming a licensed lawyer in Canada involves various stages of examinations and plenty of studying. We understand that sometimes, Internationally Trained Lawyers (“ITLs”) are unsure of which province to launch or recommence their legal career in. That is why in this blog post, we will examine the different licensing requirements of the major provinces in Canada that may assist ITLs in deciding which one compliments their experiences more.

British Columbia (“BC”).

The first step for ITLs to get licensed in BC is to complete a common law program at a Canadian law school and complete their National Committee on Accreditation (“NCA”) requirement. For information on completing NCAs, kindly click on this link. Consequently, they must complete the Law Society Admission Program that takes a period of 12 months. This program involves a 10-week Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC) examinations, and a 9-month articling period in a law firm or legal workplace. The PLTC essentially concentrates on building practical skills, ethics, and training for lawyers to use what has been taught in law school into practice. The examinations cover some of the core practice areas in which ITLs will be examined: business (commercial and company), real estate, wills, civil, criminal procedure, family, professionalism (ethics and practice management).

The final step in becoming a lawyer in BC is to apply for call and admission with the necessary documentation. Thereafter, new lawyers declare the barristers and solicitor’s oath in a call ceremony and become eligible to practice law in the province of BC. More information can be found on this link.

Alberta

Becoming a licensed lawyer in Alberta is a four-step process that begins with completing the NCA exams and obtaining a Certificate of Qualification. After this certificate is sent to the Law Society of Alberta, ITLs must apply for a student-at-law status. It is important to note that ITLs must secure an articling position before applying for the student-at-law status. The articling period can range from 8 to 12 months. 

Continue reading “Becoming a Licensed Lawyer in Canada: A Marathon, not a Sprint.” →

Landing in a new country is always daunting. Especially for Internationally Trained Lawyers (ITLs), all of us landed here with our bags, hopes, dreams and a big eerily alive hook with a dot at its bottom asking us “what next, buddy?”. From finding accommodation, satisfying the NCA requirements and finding an articling position many such semantic figures float around in our minds at all times.

Continue reading “I’m here, what’s next?” →

The ITL Network is seeking nominations for election of three (3) Directors to take office for a two-year period commencing from December 17, 2021. We are seeking nominees from across the country, from different backgrounds, various career stages and lawyers working in a range of roles and who demonstrate:

• Commitment to the vision, mission, and strategic objectives of the Network;
• Willingness and ability to commit time and resources to serve on the Board and its committees, participate during events and other strategic initiatives of the Network;
• Willingness to facilitate effective connections and discussions with individuals and organizations working on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues;
• Capability and willingness to hold a portfolio; and
• Commitment to attend Board meetings diligently, committee meetings and undertake other responsibilities as may be assigned by the Board.

Governance experience, including familiarity with Board processes will be an asset but not required.

Nominations must be received on or before 5:00pm ET December 9, 2021. To apply, please visit www.itlnetwork.ca/nominations