After more than a decade in the legal innovation field, Al Hounsell, an adjunct professor at 91亚色鈥檚 Osgoode Hall Law School, is no stranger to technology hype cycles 鈥� that is, the maturity, adoption and social application of emerging technologies.

His hiring at law firm Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, where he is currently director of strategic innovation and legal design, coincided with the first wave of artificial intelligence (AI) products to hit the legal market.

鈥淚 went through that initial cycle of AI excitement and disillusionment,鈥� Hounsell says of that time, when some in the legal profession wondered what impact the technology would have on the profession. 鈥淚 was able to witness everyone screaming that the sky was falling, and that AI was going to take all of our jobs. But once people actually started using these tools, very quickly they realized that AI 鈥� as it existed then 鈥� was nowhere remotely close to doing anything that could capture the full value of what a lawyer could provide, in basically any area at all.鈥�

Next up were the metaverse and blockchain, both of which Hounsell remains largely skeptical of.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 really see the use case for either in terms of legal practice,鈥� he says.

Right now, the legal profession 鈥� like much of the rest of the world 鈥� is in the middle of a fresh wave of excitement around generative AI. But this time, something feels different to Hounsell.

鈥淚t is not the same as the older version of AI and it鈥檚 definitely going to significantly impact what lawyers do,鈥� he says.

Still, Hounsell is betting on the resilience that the legal profession has demonstrated time and time again in the past couple of centuries.

鈥淭he new technology can help us do the rote stuff: things that are highly structured and predictable,鈥� Hounsell explains. 鈥淭he legal industry is going to keep moving to the grey area, that ever expanding area of complexity and confusion where humans are needed to help their clients strategically mitigate their risk.鈥�

Hounsell will be sharing more of his insights on the topic at the Osgoode Professional Development (OsgoodePD) second Annual Forum on Artificial Intelligence and the Law on Oct. 9 and 10. Following the success of last year鈥檚 event, the online conference will feature two full days of programming led by a variety of industry experts who will decode need-to-know technology and terminology while offering practical insights and strategies for compliance with the constantly evolving AI regulatory framework. An online replay will follow in November for those who are unable to attend live.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be getting into the nuts and bolts of what鈥檚 actually happening in generative AI,鈥� says Hounsell, 鈥渋ncluding what it鈥檚 good at and what it鈥檚 not good at, as well as why it is so good at certain tasks and why it will probably never be good at others.鈥�

Hounsell has established himself as a leader on the intersection of law and technology. Named Innovative Leader of the Year at the , he got his start in the legal profession after first making an impression in the web development field, founding several successful businesses before deciding to pivot to law via the Osgoode-Schulich Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration Program.

The alumnus renewed his relationship with Osgoode in 2022, taking up an offer to teach a class on technology and innovation in legal service delivery and then speaking at last year鈥檚 inaugural Forum on AI and the Law. This year, Hounsell is expecting key players from law firms, in-house legal departments and legal technology companies to be among the program's attendees.

鈥淔or big changes to occur in our industry,鈥� he says, 鈥渨hat we really need to see are people who are thinking strategically about this technology.鈥�

And this program, he hopes, will help make that happen.

For more information and to register, visit the .

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Zoe M. Savitsky, a doctoral candidate at 91亚色鈥檚 Osgoode Hall Law School, was named a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar for work that promises to examine the ways corporations gained the power of expression and how they have expanded and defended that power. The recognition marks not just a professional accomplishment for Savitsky but one reflective of a new chapter in her journey.

Before becoming a PhD student at 91亚色 U in 2023, Savitsky approached her legal work in an altogether different manner. For over a decade, she had a successful legal career in the United States working in high-impact government and non-profit organization litigation and leadership roles, including at the Oakland City Attorney鈥檚 Office, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

As a Trudeau Scholar, Savitsky will pursue work rooted in experiences from her legal career, notably her time with the Oakland City Attorney鈥檚 Office. There, Savitsky collaborated with in-house teams, other local and state governments, non-profits, civil society groups, and the private bar on litigation involving local, national and multinational corporations 鈥� such as opioid companies, fossil fuel companies and real estate companies 鈥� whose actions harmed Oaklanders. Many of those cases centred on allegations that the corporations in question had engaged in false, deceptive or misleading speech that caused real-world harm.

Savitsky found herself considering larger questions around how modern systems of litigation sometimes allow corporations to 鈥済et away鈥� with harmful deception. As she noted, it has often taken decades for litigants to win cases about corporate deception, if they ever do, citing as examples cases about how tobacco companies misled the public about the health risks of tobacco; how paint companies continued advertising lead paint despite their knowledge that it was a dangerous neurotoxin; and how the opioid industry understated the risks and harms and oversold the benefits of its products.

鈥淢y current project is very much an extension of all of that work,鈥� says Savitsky of the work she will now pursue through her scholarship, which examines how corporations became legal persons with speech or expression rights, and how corporations have expanded and defended those rights in the litigation ecosystems of the United States and Canada.

鈥淚 hope to understand how things came to be as they are today in the world of transnational corporate accountability and, in particular, to understand the history and context for how it is often challenging to hold corporations meaningfully accountable for their contributions to some of the most existential problems facing the world today.鈥�

The decision to pursue academic work led Savitsky to Canada, eager to grow as a scholar and learn from people outside the United States who were working on corporate accountability, but it wasn鈥檛 easy to move away from a professional and personal support system built over decades. 鈥淟eaving that network 鈥� which includes people who have become not just colleagues but close friends 鈥� for a new country and context was hard,鈥� says Savitsky. 鈥淏ut as my scholarship draws on the issues and themes I had the opportunity to work on in my litigation career, I will continue to get to engage with many of the people I collaborated with and learned from in the past.鈥�

Nonetheless, she saw the move as worthwhile. 鈥淥pportunities like the Trudeau Scholarship will allow me to build anew in this new context, in addition to how I鈥檝e already had the chance to start building meaningful new relationships at Osgoode and at 91亚色 more broadly,鈥� Savitsky says.

The recent recognition from the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation should prove a significant stepping stone in accomplishing that.

The Trudeau Foundation Scholarship is a prestigious, three-year leadership program that provides doctoral candidates with skills to translate their ideas into action, for the betterment of their communities, Canada and the world.

It also provides a strong communal element through fellows and mentors who are leaders in respective disciplines and offer scholars important guidance as they move forward in their careers.

鈥淔rom the beginning, my interest in the Trudeau program has been because of its people,鈥� says Savitsky. 鈥淚 appreciate the resources the scholarship provides to PhD candidates, but the people are the fundamental heart, and draw, of the foundation. Of course, I am also thrilled that the Trudeau Foundation鈥檚 scientific cycle centres the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which is at the core of my doctoral work.鈥�

Savitsky hopes that through her work, now supported by the Trudeau Scholarship, she can make a positive impact in the field of corporate accountability 鈥� and beyond. 鈥淚 also hope the story I plan to tell through my doctorate is informative to people outside of the legal academy, including to those in other academic disciplines, such as political science, and to those actively working 鈥� whether for governments, for non-profits and NGOs, in civil society, as community leaders and so on 鈥� to make the world a better, safer, healthier place overall,鈥� she says.

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Dale Lastman, a leader in corporate and securities law, was awarded an honorary degree by 91亚色 during a June 21 convocation ceremony, the last for the spring Class of 2024, for the Osgoode Hall Law School.

With a professional journey full of notable accomplishments, Lastman wasn鈥檛 lacking in ways to begin his address or wisdom to share from his experiences.

Instead, he showed a video.

In it, Lastman鈥檚 toddler grandson was on a basketball court. Despite possessing a young child鈥檚 limited height and hand-eye co-ordination skills, which make shooting a ball into a 10-foot-high net altogether challenging, Lastman鈥檚 grandson was undeterred. He played on the court as if nothing was out of reach, as if each throw was as close to making it in as if an NBA player had handled it.

Most would probably see in that video simply a boy clowning around to little result, Lastman said. He, instead, finds inspiration. 鈥淚 see the kind of person I aspire to be 鈥� someone who doesn't think his dream is impossible; someone with no filters, no self-imposed limitations and no fear of what people might think,鈥� Lastman said. 鈥淚 see someone smarter than just about anyone I know, because he still dares to dream.鈥�

Lastman mourned how the ability to dream so purely is something few are able to hold onto past their fifth birthday, as growing into the logistical realities of life makes dreams seem unreachable. But Lastman urged graduands to consider how many great ideas in this world likely never materialized because someone thought them impossible. In their journeys ahead, Lastman asked the Class of 2024 to reclaim the inner child in themselves that 鈥� like his grandson 鈥� is unwilling to believe things are out of reach and unconcerned with what could happen if they try and fail.

The honorary degree recipient also cautioned that what can limit an ability to dream is adopting, without question, labels 鈥� like student, professor, lawyer, doctor, engineer 鈥� in ways that can restrictively define who someone is and what they should want or do. 鈥淭he moment we give ourselves these labels is the moment we start to filter our feelings and our thoughts not by what we think we can do, but by what we think we should do,鈥� Lastman said. 鈥淒on't let a label limit you.鈥�

He urged, too, a broadening of personal and professional possibilities through the value of allowing a diverse range of perspectives, opinions, knowledge and information into one鈥檚 life. Notably, he asked graduands to cherish those they鈥檝e met along the way in their academic ventures who can offer that. 鈥淭he only thing more valuable than what you walk off stage with today is who you walk on stage with,鈥� Lastman said.

The interpersonal, he said, will be critical for those graduands who want to differentiate themselves as they continue their lives and careers. He offered another personal story to illustrate.

Lastman recounted how every day he likes to go to the same Tim Hortons at 5 a.m. to get a cup of coffee. One day, he ran into a friend who saw how Lastman was drinking it and asked why he took his coffee black. Lastman replied that he usually doesn鈥檛; he prefers it with skim milk, but Tim Hortons only carries two per cent milk.

The next morning when he returned for his daily coffee, a server let him know that an employee had overheard Lastman speaking to his friend, and brought skim milk in for his coffee. 鈥淚鈥檝e been served thousands of cups of coffee over my life. Nothing ever made it any different or any better,鈥� Lastman said, 鈥渆xcept for this one woman who overheard me 鈥� and who cared enough to take it upon herself 鈥� without any incentive 鈥� to do something special. I don鈥檛 know who she is, but I will remember her for the rest of my life.鈥�  

In that employee 鈥� much like his grandson 鈥� Lastman wanted to illustrate a way forward for graduands to succeed. 鈥淒on't expect to differentiate yourself by being smart,鈥� he said.  鈥淎 person's opportunity to show their smart happens once in a blue moon. A person's opportunity to show how much they care happens 20 times a day. That is the true measure of differentiation. It is how we can become our best selves.鈥�

For those who do become their best selves, and achieve success similar to Lastman鈥檚, he also had some parting advice: surround yourself with those who can keep you grounded. He recounted how, just that morning as he was getting ready to head to 91亚色, he had fished for compliments from his wife when he asked her, 鈥淐an you believe, in your wildest dreams, that I would be getting a honorary doctor of laws degree?鈥�

She replied, 鈥淒ale, I don't know how to break this to you, but you're not even in my wildest dreams.鈥�

In that, Lastman鈥檚 wife and grandson, as well as the Tim Hortons employee, all demonstrated the nuggets of wisdom he hoped to leave the graduating class with. 鈥淒on't just do what's expected. Don't be the person your label says you're supposed to be. Don't limit yourself. Don't be like everyone else,鈥� Lastman said.

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Ten 91亚色 researchers have been named new 91亚色 Research Chairs (YRCs), an internal program that supports outstanding faculty members as they produce research and excel in their wide-ranging areas of study, including cognitive neuroscience, gender justice and molecular ecology, among others.  

鈥淭he 91亚色 Research Chairs program enables the University to celebrate and champion our exceptional research community as they pursue discovery, invention and innovation at the highest level in their respective fields, from using artificial intelligence to track and capture space debris to leveraging extended reality technologies for theatre and performance, and so much more,鈥� said President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. 鈥淚 extend a warm congratulations to the new Chairholders whose leading expertise, bolstered by this program, holds the potential to create significant impacts both in Canada and globally.鈥�  

This year鈥檚 YRCs are the 11th cohort to be appointed 鈥� as of July 1 鈥� since the program was first launched by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) in 2015.

鈥淭he new YRC appointments demonstrate the University鈥檚 continued commitment to research excellence and scholarship in all its forms, supporting the intensification and application of new knowledge for the benefit of our local and global communities,鈥� said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. 鈥淭he YRC program also aligns with the University鈥檚 Strategic Research Plan, 'Knowledge for the Future: From Creation and Discovery to Application,' which aims to enhance 91亚色鈥檚 research strengths and accelerate the growth of our global impact.鈥�

Five of the 10 new Chairs are funded by VPRI, while the other five are funded by Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society 鈥� a major, $318-million, 91亚色-led research initiative focused on socially responsible technologies.

The YRC program is designed to offer a similar level of support as the federal government鈥檚 Canada Research Chairs program, which funds the work of world-class researchers and their teams at institutions across the country.

The YRC program consists of two tiers, both with five-year terms. Tier 1 is open to established research leaders at the rank of full professor. Tier 2 is aimed at emerging research leaders within 15 years of their first academic appointment.

Below are the new Chairholders and their respective fields of study.

Tier 1 91亚色 Research Chairs

91亚色 Research Chair in International Gender Justice and Peacebuilding

Annie Bunting, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
A professor of law and society, Bunting鈥檚 research as a YRC will examine the intersection of gender violence and international justice in conflict zones in Africa, with a particular focus on affected youth, sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeepers, and issues that involve and centre survivors鈥� experiences.

91亚色 Research Chair in Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies

Pina D鈥橝gostino, Osgoode Hall Law School
As a YRC, D鈥橝gostino, an associate professor of law and director of Connected Minds, will explore the role of intellectual property law in society鈥檚 increased adoption of emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), and the potential benefits and harms of a technology-driven society.

91亚色 Research Chair in Space Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

George Zhu, Lassonde School of Engineering
Zhu, a professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Space Engineering Design Laboratory, aims to develop swarm robotics technology through his YRC program. This technology involves a group of robots working together to autonomously clean up space debris in Earth orbits, which can negatively affect space exploration and satellite safety.

Tier 2 91亚色 Research Chairs

91亚色 Research Chair in Law and the Histories of Empire

Rabiat Akande, Osgoode Hall Law School
Akande, an assistant professor of law, will conduct research that examines how 19th- and 20th-century colonial powers governed racial and religious difference and explores the living legacies of that history. Her YRC program seeks to advance the understanding of the law鈥檚 role in European imperialism.

91亚色 Research Chair in Visual Cognitive Neuroscience

Erez Freud, Faculty of Health
Through the YRC program, Freud, an associate professor of psychology, will investigate the developmental brain processes that enable tasks such as hand movement and grasping in children. His research will examine how these processes might differ in children with autism, providing new insights into brain specialization.

91亚色 Research Chair in Software Engineering for Foundation Model-powered Systems

Jack Jiang, Lassonde School of Engineering
Jiang, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, will use his YRC position to develop advanced engineering tools and processes aimed at facilitating the construction and enhancing the quality and trustworthiness of various generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Copilot.

91亚色 Research Chair in Molecular Ecology and Behavioural Genetics

Sandra Rehan, Faculty of Science
Rehan, a professor of biology, researches the evolution of bees and their role in biodiversity. As a YRC, Rehan will employ advanced DNA technology to investigate bee behaviour and genetics. 

91亚色 Research Chair in Art, Technology and Global Activism

Laura Levin, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
An associate professor of theatre and performance studies, Levin鈥檚 YRC program explores the artistic use of emerging technologies, like extended reality and AI, to address growing political polarization and misinformation and to develop imaginative methods for bridging political divides.

91亚色 Research Chair in Philosophy of Representation

Kevin Lande, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
An assistant professor of philosophy, Lande鈥檚 research as a YRC explores how the mind works, arguing that humans鈥� creative ability to combine simple ideas to create more complex ones extends beyond thought and language.

91亚色 Research Chair in Relationships and Sexuality

Amy Muise, Faculty of Health
An associate professor of psychology, Muise鈥檚 research as a YRC tests high-quality listening and leverages interdependence in romantic relationships to combat sexism and reduce harmful gender-based attitudes.

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Spring Convocation for 91亚色鈥檚 Class of 2024 ran from June 7 to 21, and featured ceremonies at both the Keele and Glendon campuses.

This year鈥檚 Spring Convocation began on June 7 with a ceremony at 91亚色鈥檚 Glendon Campus, and continued with a dozen more in the following weeks at the Keele Campus. More than 7,000 graduands received their degrees during ceremonies overseen by the 14th chancellor of 91亚色, Kathleen Taylor.

View photos from the Class of 2024 ceremonies below:

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Climate change is impossible to ignore, no matter your line of work or area of study. And at 91亚色鈥檚 Osgoode Professional Development (OsgoodePD), the curriculum reflects that fact, with professional master of laws (LLM) programs and continuing legal education offerings incorporating the latest climate change legal issues.

Benjamin Richardson broke new ground when he co-taught Osgoode Hall Law School鈥檚 first Climate Change Law course for juris doctor students back in 2008, when he was a full-time professor here. Now based at Australia鈥檚 University of Tasmania, he recently returned to OsgoodePD as an adjunct professor and was pleased to see how teaching on the topic has evolved.

鈥淭here is still a place for standalone climate change law courses,鈥� Richardson says, 鈥渂ut there is now a recognition that they need to be supplemented by embedding the climate change issue across the curriculum, because it has become such a pervasive, ubiquitous issue.鈥�

In his Corporate Social Responsibility course, part of OsgoodePD鈥檚 , Richardson鈥檚 students look at several intersections of climate and commerce, including corporate disclosure and potential greenwashing, developments in the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as how businesses can adapt to global warming for their future survival. 

Considering OsgoodePD鈥檚 particular focus on skills development for lawyers and other working professionals in practice, he says it is natural for the curriculum to contain many classes that could be characterized as climate change law courses.

鈥淢ainstream Canadian law firms are increasingly demanding climate-literate lawyers who can advise their clients on these issues,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not enough just to know what the legislation says. You need a grounding in the economic, political, and ethical issues that affect how businesses and other stakeholders consider climate change.鈥�

As one of three program directors for OsgoodePD鈥檚 part-time , Bruce McCuaig, who has been involved with the program for the past 10 years, has noticed a significant shift in the way climate change is discussed.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a much more mature theme and topic now,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he conversation is no longer about the science of climate change or how it鈥檚 actually occurring, but more about potential action and execution.鈥�

According to Jim Whitestone, McCuaig鈥檚 colleague, it鈥檚 no surprise that climate change law courses are on the upswing, considering the past decade has seen some of the field鈥檚 more consequential developments.

The ripple effects of the 2015 Paris Agreement 鈥� at which almost 200 national governments agreed to ensure the globe warms by no more than two degrees Celsius this century to avoid the worst effects of climate change 鈥� are still being felt in particular as signatory nations grapple with the consequences of the net-zero emissions targets they have set for themselves in response.

Whitestone鈥檚 own history in the field goes back much further, having served as Ontario鈥檚 assistant deputy minister responsible for climate change and environmental policy. In his Climate Change: International Governance, Mitigation and Adaptation course, Whitestone focuses on the Paris Agreement and other international legal and policy frameworks now in place to address the climate crisis.

鈥淲e鈥檙e updating all the time as standards change and agreements come into place,鈥� he says.

Domestic and international standards also feature heavily in the 鈥� an intensive, five-day program designed for lawyers and other working professionals in a variety of industries where ESG risk has become a critical business priority.

As a law professor concerned with the movement of people and goods from one place to another, Didem Light says there can be few subjects more directly affected by the physical and legal implications of climate change than the one she teaches in International Transportation Law, a course offered as part of OsgoodePD鈥檚 Energy and Infrastructure LLM.  

鈥淐limate change is going to have a very big impact,鈥� says Light, 鈥渘ot just on manufacturers of vessels, cars, buses, trains and other modes of transport, but also the people who use them and the associated infrastructure: things such as ports, airports, train stations, roads and bridges.鈥�

In other courses, the environmental links are not so obvious. At first glance, International Business Law LLM faculty member Emilio Dabed says casual observers may not make the connection between his course on Business and Human Rights and climate change. However, Dabed explores the governance gap that has traditionally allowed transnational corporations to escape effective environmental regulation, thanks to a combination of weak domestic laws and 鈥渟oft law鈥� 鈥� mostly non-binding international guidelines and standards.

In recent years, Dabed says these soft-law frameworks have been hardened by legally binding domestic law initiatives, the adoption of these guidelines by governments and the intervention of courts and tribunals, which have proven increasingly willing to hold transnational companies to account for their voluntary commitments in relation to human rights and the environment.

鈥淲hat the course tries to convey to students is this strong link between the economic activities of transnational corporations and human rights and climate change, and how to develop a model that somehow reconciles the need for economic growth on the one hand, and the fulfillment of commitments to protect human rights and the environment on the other,鈥� he explains.

Vanisha Sukdeo, who has a forthcoming book looking at the impact of climate change on workers, teaches a Business Associations course in OsgoodePD鈥檚 International Business Law LLM that is a popular choice with internationally trained lawyers seeking to requalify in Canada. She welcomes the global perspective her students bring to discussions, as she encourages them to think more deeply about the ideas that are frequently portrayed as solutions to the climate crisis in the western world 鈥� the electric vehicle revolution, for example.

鈥淓lectric vehicles might be reducing pollution in North America, but a lot of the mining that is needed to produce batteries is taking place on the African continent, generating more pollution there,鈥� she says. 鈥淗as that really reduced emissions or just shifted them? That鈥檚 something for us to explore.鈥�

As climate change has gone from an abstract concept to a reality of our daily lives, threatening to severely impact our collective future, academic institutions have been tasked with training future agents of change to tackle the threat head-on. Evidently, OsgoodePD has accepted that challenge.

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For its 10th anniversary, Osgoode鈥檚 Internationally Trained Lawyers Day (OITLD), organized by 91亚色鈥檚 Osgoode Professional Development (OsgoodePD), is growing into a two-day event. The expansion is a reflection of the rising success and contributions of internationally trained lawyers (ITLs) across Canada, eager to share their journeys with attendees.

When the event first launched in 2015, its mission was to bring together legal employers, lawyers and law graduates from around the world to learn, share, celebrate and advance internationally trained talent across Canada.

Since its inception, the event has been an extension of OsgoodePD鈥檚 year-round dedication to supporting internationally trained lawyers as they navigate the unique challenges of practising law in Canada 鈥� be it cultural nuances, unfamiliar legal systems or regulatory requirements.

Initially, the event focused primarily on Canadian legal professionals offering guidance to ITLs and National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) candidates who represented a growing cohort of aspiring lawyers from Osgoode. However, as OITLD approaches its 10th year, it has evolved.

Over the past decade, numerous international legal candidates have acquired the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the Canadian legal landscape. Many have advanced to senior and decision-making roles, significantly contributing to the Canadian legal community. These individuals are now becoming mentors, sharing their insights and experiences with incoming ITLs who are in the same shoes they once were.

With the increased number of alumni and ITLs willing to share their stories, Osgoode's event has, for the first time, expanded to a two-day event. This extension allows for more panels and sessions, highlighting the wealth of experience and success stories within the community.

The event will feature nine panels, including specialized sessions from current OsgoodePD students and alumni as well as organizations such as the Black Female Lawyers Network, the Canadian Hispanic Bar Association, the NCA and the Law Practice Program.

New session highlights for in-person attendees will include a speed mentoring session, which offers attendees the chance to build valuable connections and engage in quick, impactful interactions with an assortment of providing first-hand experience in accreditation, licensing, job recruitment and professional development.

Additionally, a workshop will offer assistance on the art of the cover letter and CV, tailored specifically for ITLs. The session will provide practical tips and insights on crafting compelling cover letters and CVs that stand out in the competitive legal job market and showcase international experience and legal skills to potential employers. The event will be hosted by Danielle Laflamme, a respected senior manager of professional recruiting and student programs at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Ottawa.

There will also be panels featuring current students and alumni. One 鈥� titled "ITL Stories: NCA Process, Job Recruitment, and Licensing" 鈥� will provide first-hand accounts from those who have successfully navigated the NCA process, secured employment and obtained their legal licences in Canada. Its goal is to offer invaluable insights and inspiration for those who have already been through the process.

The event will draw too on the community by featuring an academic conference, presented by current students and alumni of Osgoode who are ITLs, that will highlight research, case studies and papers that reflect their perspectives and contributions to the legal field 鈥� and celebrate their academic achievements and intellectual contributions to the community.

A special highlight of the two-day celebration will be a keynote address from Justice Lorne Sossin, a former professor and dean of Osgoode Hall Law School, now appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Sossin will share insights and reflections on the evolving landscape of law and the significant role of ITLs in shaping it.

For more information about the event and to register (before May 27), visit the .

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