Alternative path to licensing lawyers in Ontario

  • November 21, 2013

Ontario Bar Association in strategic alliance with Ryerson University to assist in delivering new Law Practice Program

TORONTO – The Ontario Bar Association is pleased that the Law Society of Upper Canada is moving forward with the Law Practice Program, an innovative new alternative path to licensing lawyers in Ontario, to be delivered by Ryerson University.

Through a strategic alliance with Ryerson University, the OBA will provide on going input and advice on the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of the Law Practice Program and the work placement components of the LPP.

The OBA will assist Ryerson University in identifying and securing qualified instructors and mentors for the LPP students. The OBA will also assist Ryerson in identifying appropriate work placements for the LPP students.

KEY FACTS:

  • The OBA has more than 17,000 members who practise in all areas of the law, in all parts of the province and in every practice setting, ranging from sole practice to in-house counsel and to large multi-national firms.
  • The OBA is a branch of the Canadian Bar Association and is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in Ontario.
  • The OBA assists government and other decision makers by providing policy advice both in the interest of the legal profession and in the interest of the public.

QUOTES:

PascaleI am pleased that the voice of practising lawyers will be heard in the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of this innovative new program. The OBA believes the advice of the legal profession will be instrumental in assisting Ryerson deliver a Law Practice Program that represents an excellent alternative path to licensing.

Pascale Daigneault, president of the Ontario Bar Association, and a practising lawyer from Sarnia.

 

Doug DowneyThe OBA will help Ryerson University ensure that this is a successful program by building in the practical skills and knowledge that law graduates need to acquire as they enter the law profession so that, as lawyers, so they can best serve the public interest. The LPP will provide additional opportunities for law graduates who want to practise in smaller centres and in rural and northern communities, which will have a positive impact on access to justice in Ontario.

Doug Downey, treasurer of the Ontario Bar Association and chair of OBA’s Law Practice Program committee. He is a practising lawyer from Orillia.

 

Contact

Greg Crone

416-869-1047 ext. 364
gcrone@oba.org

On Friday, November 15, 2013 the Ontario Bar Association partnered with the Law Society of Upper Canada and County and District Law Presidents' Association at the annual Articling & Beyond program.