The Law Practice Program: Tackling Racial Inequality in the Legal Profession?

Authors

  • Michelle FlahertyandAlain Roussy

Abstract

In 2014, the Law Practice Program (LPP) was introduced in Ontario, creating an alternative to the traditional articling process. The authors consider the demographic make-up of the first cohort of the French LPP and its access to justice implications. Their survey showed that French LPP candidates were overwhelmingly racialized. Moreover, a high percentage of the candidates were 1) born outside of Canada, 2) older than the average law student and 3) male. While the statistical pool is small and although these are very early days for the LPP, the survey results suggest that the traditional articling avenue may not be fully accessible to candidates with certain personal characteristics, and that the LPP may play an important role in addressing some of those barriers. At the same time, however, the authors are concerned that unless special care is taken, the LPP could reinforce some of the existing challenges that racialized lawyers face within the legal profession.

Keywords:

LPP, Law Practice Program, French language, Demographics, Bar admission

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Published

2015-12-01

Issue

Section

Articles