Wednesday, May 8, 2013

ITLP commencement ceremony, 2013

The Faculty of Law’s innovative Internationally Trained Lawyers Program celebrated its third commencement ceremony April 29, 2013, with 37 graduates from 19 countries. And for the first time this cohort had lawyers from Albania, Guyana, Ireland, Malaysia, Moldova, Nepal, Sudan, and Venezuela.

“We were a group of strangers with a wealth of knowledge and experience and the largest combination of accents in one room that I had ever heard,” said Nadia Singh, the valedictorian. “Thirty-seven strangers became 37 friends.”

The ITLP, the only program of its kind in Canada to help new Canadians transition to their legal career in Ontario, combines coursework on how to best prepare for accreditation and licensing exams, with networking and internship opportunities, and small group meetings with law firms, legal departments and various members of the profession and judiciary. Students also learn about Canadian life and cultural fluency.

We had a student who was the author of the first book on environmental law in his home jurisdiction.

For Jane Price, acting director of the ITLP, each cohort brings new hope and new experiences. She’s been with the program since it launched, and in her commencement address, she said this year’s class was no different.

“Class members were UN lawyers, criminal prosecutors, corporate lawyers, human rights activists and military officers. We had lawyers from China—one who started studying law immediately following the Cultural Revolution—and offered our class a perspective quite unlike that any Canadian-educated lawyer could have. And we had another student who was the author of the first book on environmental law in his home jurisdiction.”

Students gathered with their family members and friends in the Great Hall at Hart House for an official ceremony to receive their certificates of completion, and an informal lunch.

And since this is the third completion ceremony, Price had some good news to share: “Our grads from years one and two are getting called to the bar, entering practice and making their way. All of you have survived this last year, and you are on your way to meaningful work in Canada, to making a contribution to this country.”

Valedictorian Nadia Singh
Valedictorian Nadia Singh