Law Times

Law Times • apriL 12, 2010 NEWS Giving foreign-trained lawyers a helping hand easy to qualify to practise law here. Despite almost 20 years of experience in Nairobi, includ- ing seven years as a partner at a leading Kenyan fi rm, she expected a few hurdles. "I was hoping within two years, maybe two and a half," she says. Th ree years later, the clock is still counting on her eff ort to get qualifi ed. A costly and frustrating accred- itation assessment gave her a clue that things weren't going to go as planned. Th en came the news she would need to take six exams de- spite the fact she had come from a common law country. "You come in, and there's a void," Soar says. "You were a lawyer in Kenya and now you're no longer a lawyer in Canada. It's important to get into the job market, and I feel there should be a way to get into the job mar- ket that is legal-related." But a unique six-month paid internship for internation- ally trained lawyers, founded by Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, of- fered Soar an escape from that void. She became the fi rst intern in the program last March. Soar rotated through the com- pany's main practice groups in much the same way an articling student would. Although she found the legal world here a lot more technology-driven than in Kenya, she says there were more similarities than she had expected in the way fi rms operate. "Whenever I talked to law- yers, I always got the impres- sion that it's much more diffi - cult to be a part of a Canadian law fi rm if you haven't studied here and assimilated to the full system. I found it was far easier than that to fi t in." Karen Tuschak, FMC's direc- tor of paraprofessional services, supervises the internship. She says it has proven so successful the fi rm is now rolling it out to its offi ces across the country. Th e idea started in late 2008, when FMC spotted a gap in as- sistance off ered to lawyers trained abroad and began working with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) to fi nd ways to help. Within months of those fi rst meetings, FMC had set up the scheme and begun interviewing can- didates. Th e speed of imple- mentation impressed Elizabeth McIsaac, executive director of TRIEC, who says it demon- strated the fi rm's commitment to change the system. "Th ey brought together senior partners, the head of [human re- sources], the head of diversity, and the managing partner for Toronto. In many cases, it takes time for decisions to come, but the decision-makers here were already saying, 'Let's go.'" OMSD - 1/2 pg - 4X for LT.indd 1 FMC program inspires others to take action W BY MICHAEL McKIERNAN Law Times hen Amrit Soar ar- rived in Canada, she knew it wouldn't be As a result, TRIEC recently rewarded FMC with one of its Immigrant Success Awards. For McIsaac, it's hard to overstate the importance of the internship be- cause of the fundamental change it makes to the system. She says Canadian students can enter a stream from the moment they're in law school, working summer jobs and progressing from one opportunity to the next, some- thing that's not open to interna- tionally trained lawyers. FMC also took on the role of cheerleader for the program by, for example, working with the University of Toronto to help cre- ate its new bridging program for internationally trained lawyers and encouraging other Bay Street fi rms to take part. Starting in May, U of T will begin preparing foreign-trained lawyers for work here through a program that in- cludes a work placement inspired in part by FMC's internship. A recent report commissioned Karen Tuschak (left) and Amrit Soar accepted the Vision Award for Immigrant Inclusion at the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council Immigrant Success Awards late last month. by Ontario's Offi ce of the Fair- ness Commissioner praised the U of T program for integrating immigrants. Th e same study sur- veyed internationally and domes- tically trained people attempting to gain entry to Ontario's 37 regulated professions, includ- ing law. It found that only 25 per cent of those trained abroad received licences, com- pared with 60 per cent of those trained in Canada. "It's a good investment by the province," says Jean Augustine, Ontario's fairness commissioner. "We need more programs like that. And I was really buoyed by the fact that there are several of the larger fi rms involved." Soar says she got particular benefi t from the backing of a big law fi rm because of the network- ing opportunities it presented. "When I did arrive here, I didn't know many lawyer friends. I linked up with law- yers who had come here from Kenya, but at Fraser Milner I actually got a chance to network with people in the fraternity." But Tuschak says networking can work both ways as the fi rm can make new connections with immigrant communities. "Th ey bring a wealth of in- formation we wouldn't be able to get any other way. Th ey have an insight into areas we service our clients in because we live in such a globalized economy. It makes good business sense." LT PAGE 3 The Ontario Municipal Service Directory: A Comprehensive Guide for Real Estate Professionals, 2010 All the municipal services information you need for real estate searches under one cover This handy resource helps you process your real estate transactions more efficiently, saving you time and energy. Published annually, The Ontario Municipal Service Directory: A Comprehensive Guide for Real Estate Professionals, 2010 gives you up-to-date and easily accessible municipal contact information. It includes: • contact information for each municipality • municipal addresses, telephone/fax numbers and email addresses • all registry offices' contact and clearances information • addresses, telephone numbers for conveyancers and/or solicitors • list of clearances including: Tax certificates, water arrears, outstanding work orders and zoning compliance • sheriffs' office addresses and telephone numbers It also includes contact information for various other searches including: • fire safety inspections • utilities • septic disposal system clearances • conservation authorities • municipality-specific listings for Ontario government ministries responsible for land use planning issues, assessments and the Landlord and Tenant Board … and more ORDER your copy today! Perfectbound • March 2010 • One time purchase • $86 • P/C 0517010999 On subscription • $81 • P/C 0517140999 • ISSN 1206-694X For a 30-day, no-risk evaluation call: 1.800.565.6967 Canada Law Book is a Division of The Cartwright Group Ltd. Prices subject to change without notice, to applicable taxes and shipping & handling. www.lawtimesnews.com 3/2/10 4:28:50 PM W ith Introduction and H by Michael L. Y istorical Linkages oung, LL.B.

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