The framework provides clarity and direction for paralegal students completing their field placement and their supervisors, on which matters paralegal field placement students may attend to in courts and tribunals. While the LSO bylaws allow for this in many instances, the lack of a clear framework, similar to what exists for articling students, has meant that there is some uncertainty among students and their supervisors. I believe this will help to address this uncertainty.
The framework provides concrete examples of when it is appropriate for a student to appear at court or before a tribunal and what steps a supervisor should be taking to ensure that the student is prepared for their appearance.
The framework builds on other changes that the Paralegal Standing Committee has brought in over the past few years. These include, notably, strengthening and lengthening the paralegal curriculum, creating higher standards for faculty and program coordinators, and doubling the length of the paralegal field placement from four weeks to eight weeks.
We have heard that paralegal graduates often do not feel that they have the confidence to enter the profession. I believe that all these enhancements will help to provide paralegal students with more practical experience prior to entering the profession. This in turn will help to build an even more vibrant paralegal profession in Ontario, providing access to justice solutions across a wide variety of practice areas.
If you are involved in the field placement process in any way, or know someone who is, I recommend you take the time to read the new framework.
With this new measure now in place, paralegal students during their field placements can take advantage of the Student Rights of Appearance framework to gain the experience of appearing in court and acquire the confidence and competence needed to successfully hit the ground running once licensed!
(Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect more accurate information.)
Michelle Lomazzo was elected a paralegal bencher at the Law Society of Ontario in 2019. She has worked as an injured worker advocate for several years in Windsor, Ont. Through her legal services practice, Lomazzo Workers Compensation Appeals Professional Corporation, she specializes in workers compensation appeals before the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and regularly appears before the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT).
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