September 27, 2022 – The South Asian Bar Association of Toronto (SABA) and the ITL Network are proud to announce, the ITL Manual, a new collaboration to support internationally trained lawyers undergoing the licensing process in Canada.
“The objective of the ITL Manual is to compile all the necessary information every ITL needs to succeed in Canada”, noted Co-Founder and Director of the ITL Network Kenny Okunola. “Since we started the ITL Network, we have had to respond to similar questions and concerns and the underlying issue has always been the availability of information at the right time. There is no gainsaying the fact the availability of information can contribute significantly to the quality of decision making in this licensing journey.”
According to the ITL Network’s President, Cynthia Okafor, “the idea is for the ITL Manual to include various sequential volumes which serve as road map materials for ITLs at different phases in their career trajectory – starting from the pre-NCA qualification phase to the NCA and provincial qualification phases, and even for ITLs just called to the Bar. Each volume will provide information on each phase distinctively. We intend to make this Manual a holy grail of information for ITLs”.
According to SABA’s President, Devin Persaud, “this is an idea that we have had for a few years and we are pleased to see it come to fruition with this partnership. A large number of SABA Toronto members are current or former internationally-trained lawyers. We have seen firsthand the challenges that they face in trying to navigate the licensing process in Ontario in the absence of consistent and clear guidance. This project fills this large information gap. We hope it will become a trusted resource for NCA candidates and Internationally Trained Lawyers, and a way to ensure that they are reaching their full potential as they enter our Bar.
The ITL manual will be published in volumes starting from Q1 2023 and details of the launch event will be announced shortly. SABA and the ITL Network’s team of volunteers are currently working on this project and are hoping that this reduces the information gap currently experienced by many internationally trained lawyers in Canada.
The ITL Network, a Canadian federal not-for-profit organization, seeks to promote and foster diversity and inclusion in the Canadian legal market and assist ITLs, as well as international law graduates, through the licensing process. The ITL Network looks to positively change the narrative and perception of ITLs within the Canadian legal landscape through networking, community, support and advocacy. Founded in 2005, SABA’s membership is dynamic, ever-expanding and includes lawyers from large and small law firms, sole practitioners, government agencies and departments, non-profit organizations, and corporations. Members of the judiciary, academics and law students also form an integral part of SABA. These connections are designed to support newcomer professionals secure and retain career paths reflective of their education, training, experience, and future aspirations.
For further details, please contact:
ITL Network: Kenny Okunola (Co-Founder & Director), kenny.okunola@itlnetwork.ca ; Cynthia Okafor (President & Co-Founder), cynthia.okafor@itlnetwork.ca
South Asian Bar Association: Devin Persaud (SABA President), dpersaud@goodmans.ca ; Richa Sandill (Director, Board of Directors) richa.sandill@dvcls.clcj.ca