TORONTO, May 16, 2019 – Osgoode Professional Development will celebrate internationally trained lawyers in Toronto’s legal community at its fifth annual Osgoode’s Internationally Trained Lawyers Day (OITLD) on June 12 at York University.

This forum provides a unique networking opportunity for legal employers, lawyers and law graduates from different countries, and those who may otherwise be going through the process of accreditation or licensing alone. At the same time, OITLD allows Canadian legal employers to increase their visibility among an array of law graduates from around the world. A highlight of the day will be the keynote address delivered by Charlene Theodore, 2nd Vice President of the Ontario Bar Association.

"This year's OITLD will be one of the largest in the event's history and is one of the only events of this type and purpose in Canada," said Meghan Thomas, Director, Professional Graduate and International Programs for Osgoode Professional Development. "This opportunity brings Toronto's diverse, internationally-trained talent face-to-face with legal employers who appreciate and embrace the benefits of hiring from various cultural and professional backgrounds."

The OITLD provides sessions for professionals and students to learn and have questions answered regarding the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) accreditation process, licensing and the legal job market. Employers will learn how to assess credentials to best manage the hiring process.

The afternoon program, “Session for Legal Employers” is eligible for an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Professionalism hour for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and is open to all lawyers in Ontario.

The day-long event will start with registration at 9 a.m. in front of the Moot Court (Rooms 1005/1006) in Osgoode Hall Law School at York University Keele Campus. Full details on the sessions, speakers and registration can be found on Osgoode’s Internationally Trained Lawyers Day’s website.

About Osgoode Professional Development

Osgoode Professional Development (OsgoodePD) is a world leader in law school lifelong learning, Part of Osgoode Hall Law School, one of the oldest and best law schools in Canada, we offer credit and non-credit programs for Canadian and international trained lawyers, paralegals, professionals, and firms and organizations. We offer the broadest range of programs for internationally trained legal professionals in Canada and online – from LLM degrees, non-credit and preparatory programs to help them achieve their academic and professional goals. A total of 250 students are enrolled in OsgoodePD’s credit programs and more than 375 students are enrolled in the non-credit and preparatory programs.

 About Osgoode Hall Law School

Osgoode Hall Law School of York University has a proud history of 130 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's Graduate Program in Law is also the largest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

 About York University

York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our 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-disciplinary 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 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. York U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contacts:

Stewart Laszlo, Director, Marketing & Enrolment Management, Osgoode Professional Development, 416-597-9729, slaszlo@osgoode.yorku.ca

Gloria Suhasini, York University Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca