Osgoode Hall Law School of York University will provide free professional development programming to all of its students starting in May with the launch of its Learning and Leading Series.

The Learning and Leading Series will be unique to Osgoode and will complement the Law School’s current course offerings in select areas as well as augment various seminars and experiential education programs already offered by the Law School. The Learning and Leading Series will be open to all Osgoode JD and full-time LLM students on a first-come, first-served basis, and there will be no additional cost for students to participate. Students will not receive academic credit for completing an offering in the Learning and Leading Series, but will receive a certificate for successful completion.

“We want to prepare all of our students for success in every way we can,” said Dean Lorne Sossin. “The Learning and Leading Series complements the academic program and enables students to develop the knowledge and skills they will need to thrive.”

The Learning and Leading Series will eventually feature a broad array of certificate programs in subjects ranging from business fundamentals to community organizing, from innovation through technology to social innovation, and from French language skills to leadership skills.

“As one of the top law schools in Canada, Osgoode aims to provide students with the tools they need to be successful in a wide range of legal practice areas,” said Kimberley Bonnar, Manager of Experiential Education and Career Development at Osgoode. “The goal of the Learning and Leading Series will be to increase students’ confidence, fluency and capacity in various areas so they can hit the ground running when they graduate and join the work force.”

Bonnar said the first offering in the Learning and Leading Series – a Business Fundamentals for Law Students program lead by Beppino Pasquali, CPA, CA, an Adjunct Professor at Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Professional Development – will run from May 2 to 6, 2016 at Osgoode Hall Law School. A Canadian chartered professional accountant with 20 years’ experience, Pasquali teaches in the Schulich School of Business and the Kellogg-Schulich EMBA Program. He also teaches one of the most popular courses in the Schulich Executive Education Centre (SEEC) called “What the Non-Financial Manager Needs to Know About Financial and Managerial Accounting.”

“The program content will complement Osgoode’s current course offerings in business law and practice management by providing law students with general basic accounting concepts as well as the ability to read and interpret different types of financial statements and documents,” Pasquali said.

He said the program’s goal will be to tailor the content and problem-solving methodology specifically to the work of various areas of legal practice and law student experience, including:

• How to deploy business fluency in a variety of corporate settings ranging from the purchase and sale of a business to a corporate reorganization;
• How to integrate accounting principles in effective advocacy from the perspective of both plaintiff and defence counsel in different litigation scenarios;
• How business principles affect family law files including valuation and spousal support matters.

More information about the Learning and Leading Series and how current Osgoode students can apply for Business Fundamentals for Law Students will be posted on Osgoode’s website in early December.

Business Fundamentals for Law Students will be sponsored by the Davies Fund for Business Law, which was created in 2006 by the firm of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP to inspire interest in business law among students and build ties with the broader legal and business communities in Toronto.

York University is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our 52,000 students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 24 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide.

 Media Contact:
Virginia Corner, Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, 416-736-5820, vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca