Global Training, Local Practice

For 10 years, the Internationally Trained Lawyer Pathway program has helped legal professionals who have trained ​​elsewhere qualify to practise in Canada.

Sukh Sangha, ’25 ITLP, landed in Alberta from Scotland in 2024 after extensive legal studies in the U.K., including earning a dual-qualifying law degree in Scots and English law. Then he completed a diploma in professional legal practice and earned an LLM in international commercial law, graduating with merit.

“I felt Canada offered a lot of opportunity,” he recalls. “With the Scottish market being small, I thought, ‘why not take the leap?’ ”

Sangha’s assessment by the National Committee on Accreditation offered him the option to challenge its exams via self-study or enrol in a specialized program. Although he’d been in university for the past decade — he also earned an undergraduate degree in health sciences — Sangha wasn’t keen on the first option, which seemed too isolating. “When I learned that the U of A had the Internationally Trained Lawyer Pathway program, I thought it would be great to get out there and meet people in the legal profession,” he says. “The U of A offered great networking opportunities for students. And I’m thankful for mentors — James Song, Sean McMann, Simon Trela, Camron Schwartz, Sean Carey and Duncan Purvis — who played an instrumental role in my journey.”

At the ITLP, Sangha learned about Canadian case law and tapped into a diverse network of peers. “Everyone in my cohort was an international lawyer, from all over the world. That’s grand — you realize there’s not just one way of practising or learning the law.”

Sangha is articling at Prowse Barrette LLP, gaining exposure to litigation and expropriation. His interests lie in corporate and commercial law. After all his formal education, finally practising law feels somewhat surreal, he says: “Sometimes I sit in the office and think, ‘Wow — my whole journey led me here.’ I’m feeling very fortunate.”

Hiring someone who has already worked as a lawyer is a benefit to an employer.

Paul Barrette, ’11 LLB

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the program, which was created to help internationally trained lawyers establish careers in Canada and has become a model for similar programs across the country.

Smart Solutions

Since its inception, the ITLP has provided a bridge for hundreds of lawyers trained abroad, including both Canadian citizens and students newly emigrated from countries around the globe. Recent cohorts have included students from the U.K., South Africa, Turkey, Jordan, Nigeria and Bangladesh.

The program addresses a hurdle that internationally trained lawyers encounter: recognition of their previous education. Legal systems and education vary around the world, with each jurisdiction requiring certain courses and competencies for admission to practise. As it did with Sangha, the National Committee on Accreditation assesses candidates and prescribes additional coursework required to qualify to practise in Canada. The NCA is administered by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, which regulates the legal profession in Canada.

This year’s ITLP cohort is the faculty’s largest to date, with nearly 30 students. The program enables them to complete their required courses at the U of A, alongside students of the Faculty of Law’s three-year Juris Doctor program. Depending on the accreditation committee’s assessment, ITLP students spend one or two years completing the required courses.

“All the students that come here are treated just like regular JD students,” says Michael Rajan, the program’s co-ordinator. “They can attend events, and they become part of a cohort that supports each other.”

Creation of career planning opportunities specific to the ITLP are underway with the help of donor and alumni support.

A Path Redefined

Nicole Munteanu, ’24 ITLP, and her husband didn’t put their lives in Romania on hold while they were waiting for their visas to move to Canada. But when the visas came through in 2011, she was in law school and they had a baby. Munteanu made the difficult and courageous choice to move to Canada, stepping away from her law studies in Romania to embrace a new beginning with her family.

“At the time, our son was just seven months old, and our priority was to give him a safer, brighter future with greater opportunities than we could provide in Romania,” she says.

Years later, with two children and a full-time career as a human resources consultant, Munteanu returned to her dream of becoming a lawyer. She enrolled in an online law degree based in the U.K., often attending classes at 2 a.m. due to the time zone difference.

“It was exhausting, but when you have passion, anything is possible,” she says. “But I knew that I wanted to finish my law degree, no matter what.”

“There were sleepless nights and long days, but quitting wasn’t an option,” she says. “Knowing what I was working toward made the sacrifices easier. I was determined to finish my law degree and become a lawyer to make a difference in the lives of Albertans.”

That determination carried her to the University of Alberta’s ITLP program, where she completed the coursework required to practise law in Canada. Now, Munteanu is completing her articling at Merchant Law Group LLP, with a focus on family law, and is soon to be called to the bar.

Students like Sangha and Munteanu are not the only beneficiaries; law firms are gaining a different kind of employee.

Employer Confidence

For Sangha’s employer, the feeling is mutual. Paul Barrette, ’11 LLB, senior partner at Prowse Barrette LLP, has hired several alumni of the program, including Sangha, and says their diverse educational, cultural and linguistic backgrounds are assets to the firm.

“There’s not really any reason to be closed to it,” he says. “There are benefits to having experience in other legal systems. It gives lawyers mental plasticity when approaching problems.” He notes that ITLP graduates are often multilingual, which gives the firm access to new markets, and have a level of professional maturity.

“Hiring someone who has already worked as a lawyer is a benefit to an employer,” says Barrette.

Growth and Credentials

The program has evolved to meet the changing needs of its students. “We’ve integrated our students more into the community,” says Rajan. “They now have many of the same access points as JD students, such as student groups, wellness events just for them, potlucks and year-end celebrations to help them feel at home.”

Other changes include the addition of the Legal Research and Writing course to meet requirements of the accreditation committee as well as stronger networking events to help students find articling placements — a process that is notoriously competitive. Munteanu credits the program’s networking opportunities and career support, particularly the guidance she received in refining her resumé, with helping her secure an articling placement.

The faculty continues to refine the program for future cohorts, with work underway on creating a formal credential for graduates and additional job shadowing opportunities.

Another priority is financial accessibility. Due to the program’s status as a non-credit offering, these students are currently ineligible for government loans, bursaries or scholarships. Tuition and living expenses can pose real barriers, especially for mid-career professionals supporting families. “Right now, we tell students their best option is a line of credit from a bank, using their savings or seeking family support,” Rajan says. “But by retooling the program and attracting community and donor support, we hope to open doors to awards, scholarships and government funding.”

As another cohort launches this fall, Rajan remains committed to improving the program for future students. However, for alumni like Sangha and Munteanu, the program’s impact is already clear.