For most ITLs one of the most significant career decisions to make is whether to secure an articling position or opt to do the Law Placement Program (LPP). There is no rule on which route is better, and it depends a lot on the individual circumstances of each Licensing Candidate and the career path that he/she want to pursue. While someone who wants to work for the public sector or for a Big Law it might be an easier route to opt for articling, the LPP might be a better route if you aren't sure which area to practice in or if you will be a sole-practitioner.
To help ITLs navigate this hard choice, the ITLNCA will portray a discussion between four Internationally Trained Lawyers that, despite taking different routes, were successful in getting where they wanted. Join us for a panel that might answer a few doubts you have and help you make that decision. Let's talk about Summer Internships, Articling and LPP Placements with legal professionals who have experienced them.
Please register at https://calendly.com/workplacelegal/powerful-itls as space is limited.
Meet our panellists:
- Priscila Atkinson: Priscila is an ITL from Brazil. She graduated as class valedictorian (Gold Medalist) in 2017 (Federal University of Pernambuco) and was called to the Brazilian BAR in February 2018. Priscila was a Judicial Law Clerk at both the Federal Court of Appeal and the Electoral Court of Appeal. She started her LL.M in Canadian Common Law at Osgoode Hall Law School in 2019. During her LL.M, she was a Chapter Leader of the Runnymede Society and a volunteer at Pro Bono Ontario and Law in Action within Schools (LAWS). She is currently a Summer Law Student at the Constitutional Law Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General, where she will be returning as an Articling Student in 2021.
- Samantha Del Frate: Samantha is a current Articling Student at McCarthy Tétrault with a keen interest in regulatory law and professional regulation. In 2019, she created and organized the inaugural On-Campus Interviews (OCIs) for ITLs and NCA Candidates at the Ontario Bar Association (OBA). She is a Co-founder and Director of ITLNCA Networks and the Chair of ITLNCA OCIs. She is an advocate for equity in the legal profession. After graduating from The University of Glasgow School of Law, Samantha worked full-time at McCarthy Tétrault while completing the self-study NCA exams and bar exams. When she is not working, Samantha enjoys art, live music, and biking.
- Claudia Garcia: Claudia is a new-call to the Ontario Bar. She completed her part-time articles with a veteran class-action litigation firm and previously collaborated in international litigation with a Seven Sisters law firm in Toronto. She served as an environmental compliance officer for the Peruvian government, and provided legal advice as the head of Corporate Law in a high-ranking Law firm in Lima. She holds a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Piura. Her experience covers complex litigation and administrative enforcement of environmental, mining and energy regulations.
- Antonio Urdaneta, LL.M: Employment and Labour Lawyer, Antonio F. Urdaneta is a marathon runner who improves the work climate and empowers business leaders to reduce the inherent threats of workplace relations by providing innovative training, advisory, investigations, and litigation services. Antonio uses coaching tools and skills to inform, advise and represent workplaces in their virtual and physical challenges, including business transformation and managing toxic leadership. Antonio is an employment and labour lawyer in Venezuela as well. He completed the UofT's GP LL.M. in 2013 and the Law Practice Program in 2016, the same year he was called to the Ontario bar.