Ryerson University and The Law Society of Upper Canada Announce Law Practice Program to be Delivered by Ryerson Beginning September 2014

LPP Offers Innovative Alternative to Traditional Articling to Prepare Law School Graduates for Careers in Legal Practice

TORONTO, Nov. 21, 2013 /CNW/ - Ryerson University will be providing the Law Practice Program (LPP), a new and unique alternative to the traditional articling program in Ontario and the first of its kind in Canada.  Ryerson was awarded the opportunity to develop and deliver the LPP by The Law Society of Upper Canada following a competitive proposal process.

"We are very pleased to be working with The Law Society of Upper Canada and the legal practitioners throughout Ontario on this groundbreaking initiative. It's a natural fit for our academic culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, collaboration and meeting society's needs," said Ryerson's President Sheldon Levy.  "The Ryerson LPP will build on what Ryerson does best - prepare students for the future in dynamic and exciting ways, as we have with our successful Digital Media Zone. The LPP will leverage our expertise in creating and implementing innovative programs that use technology and experiential learning tools to help develop the next generation of legal professionals."

The LPP is part of The Law Society's three-year pilot project designed to respond to the changing legal landscape and remove barriers to licensing.  The Ryerson LPP will feature:

• Interactive, web-based learning modules to create virtual law firms and simulate actual legal practice scenarios
• Legal practitioners as mentors and guides
• Four-month work placements available across the province, in all areas of legal practice, size of firm and type of practice, including those where articling positions are not as common such as in-house counsel, legal clinics, small firms, rural firms, family and criminal law practices
• Equality in the licensing requirements with traditional articling; candidates from both pathways will be eligible for licensing in Ontario
• A working relationship with all legal organizations and members of the profession throughout Ontario

Ryerson is pleased to have established a strategic alliance with the Ontario Bar Association to support the LPP's success through member participation in work placements and ongoing input and advice to ensure the LPP curriculum prepares newly licensed lawyers to effectively serve the public in whatever type of practice they choose.

"On behalf of our more than 17,000 members across the province, I am pleased that the voice of practising lawyers will be heard in the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of this innovative new program," said Pascale Daigneault, president of the Ontario Bar Association.

"Ryerson has a strong foundation of original approaches to integrating legal education into core curriculum in a variety of our undergraduate and graduate degree programs," explained Dr. Mohamed Lachemi, Ryerson's Provost and Vice President Academic.  "Our ability to adapt on-line learning tools to the profession's training needs will be a win-win for aspiring and practising lawyers."

Ryerson's Digital Education Strategies Unit is internationally recognized for adapting curriculum to on-line environments and its Co-Operative Education Office has more than 20 years of experience in finding work placements for students across a variety of faculties and programs.  These resources will support LPP participants and the success of the LPP program.

Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative, career-oriented education and a university clearly on the move. With a mission to serve societal need, and a long-standing commitment to engaging its community, Ryerson offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. Distinctly urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to more than 38,000 students, including 2,300 master's and PhD students, nearly 2,700 faculty and staff, and more than 155,000 alumni worldwide. Research at Ryerson is on a trajectory of success and growth: externally funded research has doubled in the past four years. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada's leading provider of university-based adult education.

For information about the Ryerson Law Practice Program, visit www.ryerson.ca/lpp and www.lsuc.on.ca

SOURCE: Ryerson University

Michael Forbes
Media Relations Manager
Ryerson University
416-979-5000 ex.4282
[email protected]

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