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Update on the status of Ryerson’s proposed law school

University will continue to work with government in effort to offer OSAP-eligible legal education
Category:From the President
November 22, 2018
Aerial view of Ryerson University quad

Ryerson’s proposed law school is an evolution of the university’s innovative approach to legal education.

We were very disappointed to learn about the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ decision regarding the Ryerson University proposal to transform legal education. To be clear, Ryerson University is not looking for new funding but to transfer enrolment funding and OSAP, already approved by the government, towards legal education.

Ryerson strongly believes that its transformative approach to legal education – leveraging technology and business knowledge and skills – will produce practice-ready lawyers to meet the growing need for cost-effective legal services for Ontarians and small businesses.

Ryerson’s law school is an evolution of Ryerson's previous work in the modernization of legal practice through its Legal Innovation Zone (LIZ) and Law Practice Program (LPP). The LIZ, the first of its kind in Canada, is a legal incubator that is producing software for workflow, precedents and other legal management solutions. The LPP is an innovative alternative to traditional articling through a rigorous and demanding eight-month program combining online training and experiential learning with a hands-on work term. Launched in 2014, the LPP has a 100 per cent placement rate.

Government program approval is not required for Ryerson University to proceed with a law school. The law program has already received approval from three different accreditation bodies – the Quality Assurance Council, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, and the Law Society of Ontario. The latter passed a resolution to license Ryerson graduates. Internally, the program has been reviewed and approved by the Ryerson Senate, which approved both the Juris Doctor program and the creation of a Faculty of Law, and the Ryerson Board of Governors, which also approved the establishment of the Faculty of Law.

Ryerson has a history of responding to changing demands in the economy with new programs and services. It is part of Ryerson’s mission to prepare students for careers in professional fields. The legal professionals of tomorrow will need to be creative and skilled problem solvers, strategic planners and process managers with the financial literacy, technological competency and entrepreneurial spirit needed to better serve consumers. To develop these skills and competencies, Ryerson believes future legal professionals will require a different law school experience where technology and business are embedded directly in the curriculum. This is legal education that will benefit the people of Ontario.

Ryerson will continue to work in good faith with the provincial government in an effort to offer OSAP-eligible legal education that’s innovative in focus, design and approach, while promoting access and diversity to meet the changing legal needs of all Ontarians.


Mohamed Lachemi
President

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