raYeD,
Bet
traInInG CanaDa's neW laWYers:
WHOse JOB Is It, anYWaY?
BanDOneD?
by geoFF ellwand
T
he most dangerous times in any flight are takeoff
and landing. The same could be said about the
trajectory of a young lawyer's career. Getting into
law school, the takeoff, is risky and hard and many
excellent candidates fail to take wing. Landing an
articling position and subsequent job after law
school may be even harder and some fine wouldbe lawyers crash and burn.
So who is it that should help aspiring lawyers
across the chasm between classroom and courtroom? It is an issue bedevilling the profession as it
faces a period of readjustment and the rethinking
of some of its most basic articles of faith.
Does the responsibility fall to the legal profession, which has traditionally hired and trained articling students? Or, should there be a special
professional training program along the lines of the trial scheme now
planned in Ontario for individuals who cannot get, or choose not to
www.CANADIAN
L a w ye r m a g . c o m
F e b r uary
2013
23
