Submitted
Five law students from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law have received the first Certifications in common law en French from the University of Ottawa during the the College of Law’s Annual Convocation Reception.
This joint program, the first of its kind in Canada, allows participating students the opportunity to gain valuable skills in French legal writing and advocacy as well as a deep understanding of the important issues surrounding language rights in Canada. This program is made possible thanks to funding from the Department of Justice Canada through its Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund.
Through this innovative program, the graduating students, Tava Burton, Marie Digney, Amanda Kimpinski, Isabelle Larocque, and Laura Schaan:
have completed an exchange in Ottawa;
have competed in the Michel-Bastarache moot on language rights, where the appellate team was awarded second place overall and the team won the Michel-Bastarache prize;
were paired with experienced mentors in the legal profession;
had the opportunity to complete a credited internship with law firms, organizations and government actors that work in French.
Graduating student Amanda Kimpinski has qualified her experiences as follows:
“The CCLF will forever be a huge part of my life. My experience in the program has truly shaped me into the law school graduate that I am today, and will continue to shape me throughout my career. The contacts I have made through the program have provided me with unique opportunities both professionally and personally and have inspired me to continue working on my bilingualism and promoting language rights throughout Canada, and specifically in the West.
Ms. Kimpinski has further remarked that the support received from bilingual lawyers throughout Canada has been outstanding:
“Never before have I felt so encouraged and supported by a group of successful professionals. I am incredibly grateful to the University of Saskatchewan and the University it Ottawa for making this experience possible.”
