Itlp mag final

Student stories: Snapshots in Time

Getting Oriented: The ITLP Journey Begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Re-learning Law: The Classroom Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Building New Careers: Internships & Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Staying Grounded: Family and Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Discovering Toronto & Canada: The Multi-cultural Experience . . . . . . . . . 30 Celebrating Success: Graduation and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Design: DUO Strategy and Design Inc., Photography: Michelle Gibson, Stories: ITLP students, Writing: Augmented and edited by Dagmar Kanzler.

A letter from the Assistant Dean The students of the ITLP never fail to amaze and inspire us.

They come from all corners of the world. They speak many different languages and bring with them a wide range of cultures and value systems. They have studied and practised different types of law and, in many cases, built highly successful legal careers in their home countries.

But no matter how different their backgrounds, they share a dream: To become practising lawyers in Canada.

To make these dreams come true requires hard work, dedication and in many cases personal sacrifice. Some abandon successful legal careers in their home country; often they leave behind comfortable lives, say farewell to extended families and uproot partners and children to start all over in Canada.

They demonstrate a commitment to Canada and their future that is, for us at the ITLP, a constant source of inspiration. Their stories make us laugh, sometimes even bring a tear to our eye. Above all, these stories remind us of the important work that the ITLP does in making it possible for foreign-trained legal professionals to realize their dreams and become members of the Canadian legal community.

This magazine chronicles the ITLP journey of a few of our 2015 graduating class. It is their story, through their eyes, in their words. We hope these stories leave you as humbled and inspired as they do every member of the ITLP team.

Jane Kidner Assistant Dean, Professional Legal Education Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Getting oriented: The ITLP journey begins For all of us — students and staff alike — the multiday Orientation Program is filled with excitement and expectation. For students, it’s a whirlwind introduction to the large ITLP family: their fellow students, graduates, instructors, staff and the many other partners who support each student. Getting oriented to the University of Toronto, university life, the ITLP Comprehensive Program and its courses, the city and the country are all on the agenda. It’s a time for us, the staff, to help our students get their bearings and focus on the journey ahead. For us all, staff and students alike, it signals a new beginning.

The following pages share stories written by our students themselves: Kamiya Arora from India and Santhosh Valavi from UAE.

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

Kamiya Arora Like many new immigrants and so many of our ITLP students, Kamiya Arora had more questions than answers when she arrived in Canada in 2013, fresh out of law school in her native India.

“My dream was to be acknowledged as a Canadian lawyer, but I knew it would not be easy. I wondered: What will my future to become a lawyer look like? What do I have to do to appear for NCA exams? Will I be able to create a networking group to help in practising as a professional lawyer?

“ITLP had answers to all my questions and challenges. It has helped me to bridge a gap between my international practice and practising law in Canada, and it provided me with confidence and courage to continue walking on this journey in order to become accredited in Canada. I even had the chance to work as an intern in conflict resolution and mediation. ITLP is a wonderful learning experience which will always be a part of my successful career.”

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

nada Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Santhosh Valavi

UAE to Canad 6

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Santhosh Valavi tells us that one visit to an ITLP Open House is all it took to convince him that our Comprehensive Program would let him fulfill his dreams and ambitions.

Although he had enjoyed a rewarding corporate/commercial practise in Dubai, UAE after graduating with a Master’s in International and European Law from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), he felt unfulfilled.

“I was far removed from what I set out to achieve . . . I was determined to find a position where my beliefs about law, as being a means to positively influence people and community, were shared.

“As a child I had seen a documentary on railways in Canada, especially the laying of tracks in Rockies and fell in love with the rugged, open and vast greenery of Canada. Being a common law country contributed to my decision to relocate here.”

The next step was to find a way to get back into law practice and complete the accreditation process.

“Through friends, I heard about the Internationally Trained Lawyers Program and decided to attend an open-house session. The positive energy permeated throughout the session from both earlier students and staff, and the way the program was structured, convinced me that this was the program I had been searching for.

“What ITLP has provided me is a platform to further my dreams and ambition. This program not only provided significant guidance and support in terms of passing the NCA exams, but also proactively helped each one of us build a career path through meaningful internship placements, provided emotional support by a dedicated staff, and a place to meet and develop lasting friendships.

“Through the program, I found an internship with the Department of Justice Aboriginal division, thereby giving wings to my dreams and ambition.”

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Re-learning law: The classroom experience Being a law student again can be both exhilarating and intimidating: There’s a whole new law system to learn, a new way of doing legal research, analysis and writing to master, even new and evolving legal technologies to say nothing of the very different Canadian legal workplace to understand. The robust ITLP Comprehensive Program addresses all of these needs — and more. As the following graduates so eloquently explain, their one-year ITLP immersion not only prepared them to write the NCA Challenge Exams that are a prerequisite to becoming a Canadian lawyer, but also supported their transition into the Canadian workplace.

The following pages share stories written by our students themselves: Nabagataa Choudhury from India, Nargis Ahmad Khan from Pakistan and Sannie Kakra-Kouame from Ivory Coast & UK.

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Nabagataa Choudhury

India to Cana Like those of so many students, Nabagataa Choudhury’s story is one of heartbreak and excitement: Joining her husband in Canada in 2013 meant leaving behind family, friends, the life she knew and a burgeoning corporate legal career — “but at the same time my heart was 10

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

pounding with excitement for a new start in my life with hopes, dreams and aspirations to follow and achieve.”

ITLP has helped her realize at least one of those dreams: to resume a corporate legal career in Canada.

ada “Not only did the program provided academic instruction for various courses in which I had to write NCA exams, it also guided me in legal research and writing and other essential skills that are required for the Canadian workplace. When I look back at the past year, I realize that my

journey to become a lawyer in Canada has been made more pleasurable because of the people behind the ITLP, the wonderful instructors and the friends I have made here.�

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Nargis Ahmad Khan

Pakista 12

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an to Canada Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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“The Internationally Trained Lawyers Program was a whole new world focusing on exam preparation and career development. It showed me new horizons, which I would not have been exposed to sitting at home preparing for the NCA in isolation. The academic instructors taught with an endless passion, which gave me the required motivation needed for this challenging journey of qualifying as a lawyer in Canada.

As a newcomer to Canada and mother of two, Nargis Ahmad Khan found that trying to prepare for her NCA exams was just one challenge too many. “I pushed boundaries trying to prepare for the exams on my own, but all efforts were in vain. I needed something formalized to help me with my exam preparation.

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

“The ITLP internship was the most valuable aspect of this program for me. I interned at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, one of the top business law firms — an unimaginable opportunity and learning experience for an internationally trained lawyer like myself. I want to thank the ITLP for this amazing journey which I will cherish lifelong.”

Sannie Kakra-Kouame

Ivor

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

ry Coast & UK to Canada Although she grew up in the Ivory Coast, Sannie Kakra-Kouame had made continental Europe her home for more than a decade, completing law studies in both Switzerland and the UK, where she completed an LLM and then practised law for five years.

I thought ITLP could be the perfect solution as it would offer the guidance and support I needed to prepare for the NCA exams while giving me this exposure to Canadian universities, and a school environment to help me focus on studies.

So when Sannie moved to Canada in 2012, she was certain of two things: She was committed to a career in law; and she needed help to adapt her European legal training to the Canadian marketplace and complete the 10 NCA exams mandated by the Federation of Law Societies.

“As a new immigrant, I also needed to build a social network (not only a professional network); and ITLP offered the opportunity to do an internship with one of the most sought-after employers on the Canadian job market.

“Being an internationally trained professional, I needed to create somehow a link between myself and the Canadian school system.

“With ITLP, you are not on your own in this adventure. It is nice to see people who really care about your success. That is really encouraging.”

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Building new careers Internships & networking

Our students repeatedly tell us that nothing prepares them better for the Canadian workplace than the ITLP internship — a three-month work placement with a legal employer.

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

They, like we at the ITLP, are indebted to the law firms, government offices and agencies that provide this on-the-job learning experience and help students take the first step to launching their legal

careers. Through those placements, and through a variety of networking events organized by ITLP, our students also start to build the connections that will further support their new legal careers in Canada.

The following pages share stories written by our students themselves: Jia Shen from China and Leah Dick from Canada.

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Jia Shen

China to Cana 20

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ada

Life-changing, difficult decisions have characterized Jia Chen’s past two years: First came the family decision to leave successful careers (hers as a law professor, her husband’s as a physician) and a privileged lifestyle to relocate to Canada. Then came the even more difficult decision by Jia to resume a legal career — but in Canada.

“I was not sure I would be physically strong enough to go through the long journey - not to mention the intellectual challenge, the hard work, and the financial pressure.” To her surprise, her year in the ITLP Comprehensive Program went better than she expected.

“I am glad to have chosen ITLP to help me through the whole process. Core courses including legal research and writing are taught, cultural differences in workplace are discussed, success stories are shared, and social and professional networking are established.

“The highlight is the three-month internship! It brings us experience. It helps us understand the real legal work environment in Canada and what skills and expertise are expected. It helps us better understand our strengths and weaknesses and find out the areas we need to keep working on.

“I enjoyed my study life in ITLP and cherish all the people I have met, every event I participated in, and every opportunity I was given. I consider this my second life.”

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Leah Dick Not all of our ITLP students come from abroad. Some, like Leah Dick, are Canadian-born with undergraduate degrees from a Canadian university and a post-grad degree in law from a university in the U.K. After completing the University of Leicester’s two-year Bachelor of Laws program, Leah knew the next item on her checklist would be to complete the Canadian accreditation process so she could return to her home province and practise law in Ontario.

“I decided that the best option for me was the Internationally Trained Lawyers Program at the University of Toronto. Not only did the program offer the in-class experience that I wanted, but also the practical experience with a legal internship.

“I am very happy with the decision I made. Every individual involved in the ITLP is fully dedicated to helping with the transition into the Canadian legal field (whether you are coming back home, or new to the country) with countless training sessions and networking events.”

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

g in Canada Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Staying grounded: Family and friends

It’s not easy juggling family and school work; it’s even harder wh are part of the mix. Yet our amazing students manage to keep t balls in the air. Again and again, they tell us they could not have support of family — both the ITLP family that includes staff and their own personal support networks. Our students know they alone. And the friends they make along the way are often friend The following story is written by Muhammad Dawood from Pakistan.

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hen work demands these and many other e done it without the d fellow students, and are not on this journey ds for life.

Muhammad Dawood

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

It was commitment to family that prompted Muhammad Dawood to abandon his 20-year legal career and position as a judge in Pakistan and move to Canada in 2014. And it is family and their future in Canada that, he says, has helped him through the difficult process of starting over.

“In 2009, my wife and children were forced to leave our home country due to danger to their lives. I missed them every day, on every occasion and when my son asked ‘Dad when will you come because I miss you every day,’ it always brought tears to my eyes. The physical separation hurt. This was a hard time in my life. There is nothing quite like family - so leaving my job and professional status in Pakistan for my family’s reunion was an easy decision for me.”

His family’s support — and the ITLP — have also made his dream of restarting a legal career feasible.

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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“Students who are also parents face unique challenges as they pursue a university-level education. We juggle many responsibilities and have high demands on our energy and time: Childcare needs, the health and well-being of our children, and the struggle with feelings of guilt or sadness at being away from them. When at home we struggle with the need to get schoolwork done or study for exams, as parenting needs are often unpredictable and require immediate attention. There is no question that being both a parent and a student is a challenging balance to maintain; but with self-motivation, excellent time management, a supportive family and the institution’s help, it is possible. I am very fortunate to have an encouraging family. I am also really thankful to my institution (ITLP) whose supportive instruction schedule made my dreams reality.

“ITLP is inspiring, not only through its teaching but also through the opportunities it provides. As well as the legal instruction in the NCA subjects, it taught me legal research, helped me in career development, and skilled me in legal technology. An extremely valuable component of the program for me was the opportunity to intern with a Canadian leading law firm.

“I am sure that I would not have succeeded in passing all six of my NCA Exams without help of ITLP and its Comprehensive Program. After years of late nights and long hours of studying, I have no regrets about being a mature student. I can look back on it and say, ‘I’m so glad that I did it. It’s the best choice I ever made.’”

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Discovering Toronto & Canada: The multi-cultural experience

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

An immersion in all things Canadian: That’s how we’ve heard students describe their ITLP experience.

Whether they’re discovering the city of Toronto with its many festivals, diverse cultural groups and busy recreation and music and theatre scene, or re-orienting themselves to the different ways of thinking and doing business in Canada, they are — with the help of the ITLP — each day becoming more integrated into the fabric of their adopted country.

The following pages share stories written by our students themselves: Nandi Deterville from Saint Lucia, Jonnel D. Espaldon from the Phillipines and Ngozi Iwuoha from India.

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Nandi Deterville Nandi Deterville is typical of the well-trained, worldly students who find their way to the ITLP: She has degrees in International Relations (Florida) and law (England), and work experience in Washington D.C. as well as her native Saint Lucia to her credit. So her decision to immigrate to Canada in 2013 was deliberate: “I was in search of new opportunities for learning and growth.”

Equally deliberate was her decision to apply to the ITLP: “I initially decided on the ITLP primarily due to the possibility of an internship … which would provide me with the opportunity to receive the elusive Canadian experience in legal employment. It was definitely a great decision.

“Not only has the ITLP allowed me to successfully complete most of the NCA requirements, but the camaraderie of my classmates has opened my network of friends and future colleagues in Canada as well as providing me with other experiences which are invaluable in terms of the culture of the practice of law in Canada.”

Saint Lucia to 32

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o Canada Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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the Philippin Jonnel D. Espaldon

A lawyer in his native Philippines, Jonnel Espaldon came to Canada to seek a better future for his family, “in a new country where we believed the rule of law is strictly observed and where everyone, regardless of economic status and personal uniqueness, would be given an equal opportunity to succeed in life.” Advice from Filipino-Canadian lawyers and his own research convinced him that he would one

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

day again practise law, but that he needed “an education and guide in my licensure journey.” The ITLP opened that door.

“I now can say that I could not have passed my first five NCA exams without the ITLP. I am looking forward to passing the remaining three exams in less than a year because of the ITLP.

nes to Canada

“The program opened my mind to the reality of the practice of law in Canada. It is about having not just legal knowledge but also good relationships with future employers and clients. Coming from a hierarchical society like the Philippines to an egalitarian society like Canada required a paradigm shift in my attitude towards a different practice of law in a common law country.�

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Ngozi Iwuoha

Niger 36

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

A lawyer in her native Nigeria, Ngozi Iwuoha had not practised law for several years after moving to Canada to join her husband. So when it came time to start thinking about resuming her legal career, she opted for the ITLP. “I must say that my enrolment in the ITLP was one of the best decisions that I have made for my legal career here in Canada. ITLP has bridged the gap between the years that I didn’t practice law, and it gave me the opportunity to learn about the Canadian legal system.

“Canada, being a multicultural system, gives people equal opportunity to make a better living and I’m taking advantage of that. I’m inspired by the fact that minority rights are recognized in this country.”

ria to Canada Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Celebrating success: Graduation and beyond

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

Celebrations always tug at the heartstrings. And ITLP Graduation in May is no exception. It is a time for students to stand in the spotlight and revel in their accomplishments, a time to share the joy of success with family and friends, a time to contemplate how far they have come. Twelve months of hard work, intense learning and personal sacrifice have brought them to this special moment in time. Officially, their ITLP journey has come to an end.

But their new lives as lawyers in Canada are just beginning.

The following story is written by Prashant Talpade from India.

Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Prashant Talpade

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Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

Like so many of our ITLP students, Prashant Talpade has a CV that is inspiring. He has degrees in law, commerce and management from universities in his native India where he also worked for more than a decade in the corporate world. He is visiting faculty at two Indian universities, speaks six languages, and is a human resources coach — yet left much of that life behind when he chose to emigrate to Canada in 2013.

“My desire to embark on a new journey propelled me towards the legal field. Systematic coaching from University of Toronto’s Internationally Trained Lawyers Program (ITLP) provided the much-required and essential support to take on the professional challenges of the new world on the journey of accreditation in Canada. My internship with the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee helped me broaden my horizons in the legal field.

“The graduation ceremony was an example of the professionalism ITLP program has offered and a preview of future success. An articling position with Allan T. McCracken Professional Legal Corporation in Toronto is an opportunity for me to put my knowledge and skills gained through the ITLP into practice and move ahead. Now with the doors officially open to the legal world in Canada, I am confident that I will reach the next milestone of being called to the Bar in Ontario.”

dia to Canada Student Stories: Snapshots in Time

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Our commitment: To be a champion for internationally trained lawyers It is amazing and humbling to be allowed to join our students in the life-changing journey that they undertake when they enrol in the ITLP. Since it was launched in 2010, the ITLP has welcomed more than 600 internationally trained lawyers and law graduates from almost 50 countries. We proudly celebrate every achievement of every one of our students: every NCA exam passed; every Certificate of Qualification received; every articling position secured; and every call to the Bar. But above all, we take pride in our students’ heartfelt comments that the ITLP has given them hope. There is nothing more fulfilling than knowing that we have been a part of their long and, at times, difficult journey. One student recently told me that what the ITLP is doing is a “noble calling.” It’s that kind of comment that not only validates the work of ITLP but also pushes us to be a champion for internationally trained lawyers and law graduates. And we will hold fast to this commitment.

I am available at any time to explore how we can put this commitment to work for you.

Dr. Rommel M. Salvador Director, Internationally Trained Lawyers Program Faculty of Law, University of Toronto

Internationally Trained Lawyers Program, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law Room 314, 655 Spadina Avenue Toronto, ON M5S 2H9 www.itlp.utoronto.ca