Annual Report 2005-2006 - Osgoode Hall Law School - York ...

OSGOODE PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
The purpose of Osgoode Professional Development (OPD) is to offer both credit and non-credit programs
which meet the lifelong learning needs of lawyers and other professionals who need legal information.
OPD embodies Osgoode’s commitment to meeting the educational needs of the broader legal and
business community, and is the only program of its kind among Canadian law schools.
Key Accomplishments of 2005-06
The 2005-06 year continued a period of significant change for OPD (including the change of its name
from “Professional Development Program”). The senior management team continued to evolve, with the
addition of a new Associate Director, Finance and Business Operations, and a new Marketing Manager. As
well, a number of full-time Program Lawyers were hired, to perform research and develop the content for
new programs. The bulk of the efforts of the senior management team were directed at increasing the
quantity and quality of the non-credit programs, and increasing market awareness of programs overall.
The Part-time LLM Program
The objective of the Part-time LLM Program is to provide opportunities for serious, reflective learning
which is designed to 1) respond to the increasing complexity and specialization of practice, and 2) to
accommodate the lifestyle of working professionals. There are currently over 15 specialized two-year Parttime
LLM Programs, which run on varying cycles. This program is unique in Canada.
In 2005-06, 107 new students enrolled in the four Part-time LLM Programs which commenced in
September of 2005, specifically Alternative Dispute Resolution,
Intellectual Property Law, Taxation, and Labour and Employment Law.
In addition, 239 students were completing second-year course requirements or completing major
research papers.
A new program, the General LLM, was approved in the winter of 2006. This program was designed to
accommodate the many students who do not wish to specialize to the degree that the other Part-time
LLM programs require. It also provides the option of completing a Part-time LLM on the basis of
coursework only.
A new Research Methods course was made mandatory for all LLM students who entered their programs
in 2005-06.
Marketing of the Part-time LLM Program was increased significantly over the course of 2005-06, with a
concerted effort made to market upcoming programs not less than one year in advance.
Non-Credit Continuing Legal Education
From May 1, 2005 to April 30, 2006, OPD presented 49 days of non-credit continuing legal education
programming with a total of approximately 2,444 attendees, a marked increase in attendance over prior years.
The non-credit programs ranged from one day conferences to the unique eight-day Intensive Trial
Advocacy Workshop. A number of the programs were developed to appeal to non-legal professionals, as
well as legal professionals, resulting in interdisciplinary audiences. For example, a number of the criminal
law programs were done in collaboration with the Ontario Police College, and brought together Crowns,
ANNUAL REPORT 2005-2006 17