“This is a blow for every 3L. The one break we get before articling, to rest and recharge after 3 intense years of schooling, is now gone. Many of us have made plans for the month of July that we now have to cancel. This is just awful all around,” said Rebecca Orsini, a 3L student at Western Law, on Twitter.
According to the announcement, licensing examinations for the 2022-2023 licensing cycle “will take place in-person; online examinations will not be offered” however “study materials and the competencies that will be examined remain unchanged.”
The upcoming summer lawyer licensing examinations, which were “originally planned for June,” have been moved to July, with the barrister examination being offered from July 5 to 8 and the solicitor examination being offered from July 19 to 22.
“These in-person lawyer licensing examinations will be available on select dates in five cities across the province: London, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Toronto, and Windsor,” the announcement explained, noting that information regarding the fall lawyer licensing examinations “will be provided directly to candidates in the coming weeks.”
“Information about in-person winter 2023 dates will follow as soon as it is available. Fall and winter lawyer licensing examinations have been typically held in Toronto and Ottawa,” the announcement added.
According to the LSO’s announcement, the summer paralegal examination will take place in person in Toronto and will be held from July 25 to 27.
“The law society is committed to supporting licensing candidates in a way that upholds the principles of diversity and inclusion and takes its duty to accommodate very seriously. The law society acknowledges that July 6 is a day of religious significance to Tibetan Buddhists. Candidates may request an accommodation for religious observance or for any of the grounds outlined in the Human Rights Code,” the announcement concluded.
The Law Students’ Society of Ontario (LSSO) issued a release noting that the organization is “actively communicating with the LSO to emphasize the distressing implications we're hearing students express about today’s rescheduling announcement and the shift to in-person.”
“Our priority is to advocate for answers, ample accommodations, and general clarity about what this means for adversely impacted candidates,” the release added.
Wynna Brown, a spokesperson for the LSO, told The Lawyer’s Daily that “all efforts are focused on delivering a plan that allows candidates to proceed with licensure as quickly as possible and in a defensible manner.”
“The four-week shift is necessary to put a logistical plan into place to deliver in-person examinations at five cities across the province. The change in modality, from online to in-person, stems from the ongoing investigation into licensing examinations,” she explained.
Brown said the LSO “recognizes the challenging impacts on candidates not involved in the investigation.”
“We extend our thanks to all the partners across the province who have assisted us to support candidates and respond swiftly to this situation, so we are able to provide a timely path to licensure for those candidates working diligently to launch their careers and uphold the integrity of the legal professions,” she added.
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