12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Overcoming Barriers in the Profession Series: Panel 3: Internationally Trained Lawyers

The final panel in the three-part series on EDI barriers will feature a discussion on internationally trained lawyers and the barriers they face, their lived experiences, the gaps faced due to the structure of the legal recruitment system, supports and solutions needed. This panel will cover racial barriers, intersectional barriers, and barriers in the National Committee on Accreditation process/articling system faced by internationally trained lawyers. This panel will go beyond talking about individual barriers and strategies to navigate on the individual level to discussing the systemic barriers and changes needed to be made by firms/law societies.

Key topics covered will be:

• Barriers to obtaining NCA accreditation;
• Barriers to obtaining articling positions and quality of articles;
• Harassment, discrimination, and microaggressions faced;
• Solutions to barriers in NCA and articling processes; and
• Systemic changes needed and individual strategies.

This moderated panel discussion will be followed by audience Q&A if time permits.

Speakers

Omolara Oladipo, Solo Practitioner
Kenny Okunola, Dentons
Antonio Urdaneta, Work Place Legal
Angela Ogang, AngeLAW

Moderator

Ewa Gosal, Competition Bureau of Canada,Chair of the International Law section