Osgoode leads Canadian law schools with unique micro-courses

Osgoode Hall Law School launches Professional Skills Micro-Courses on various aspects of practising law to help students in the JD program prepare for their future careers.

TORONTO, September 25, 2024 — In another innovative first for Canadian legal education, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University has launched a unique collection of one- and two-credit courses for Juris Doctor (JD) students who want to gain more in-depth knowledge and skills in specific areas of legal practice.

Designed to complement the foundational knowledge provided by the core JD curriculum, Professional Skills Micro-Courses give students a head start on mastering the practical decisions and inevitable challenges – from managing finances to building relationships with clients – that are part of any legal career.

Open to students in their second and third years of the three-year JD program, the expert-led courses are delivered online, in person and in hybrid formats. Students can use the micro-courses, valued at one or two credits each, to round out their upper-year studies while preparing for the opportunities that await them after graduation.

“As our JD students combine rigorous legal training with hands-on experience to prepare for their careers, it’s important that they also learn to navigate the day-to-day realities of practising law,” said Osgoode Dean Trevor Farrow. “In creating this innovative collection of micro-courses focused on specific professional skills, we’re reinforcing Osgoode’s long-time leadership in cutting-edge legal education.”

Exploring a diverse range of career-focused topics

Osgoode has announced its inaugural offering of Professional Skills Micro-Courses for the JD program’s 2024–2025 academic year:

  • AI and Technology in Legal Practice: An in-depth look at how artificial intelligence and other technological innovations are transforming the practice of law – from digital management tools to AI-enabled research, analysis and decision-making support.
  • Legal Practice Dynamics: The skills and strategies required to become a successful legal practitioner in any environment – at a firm, as part of a corporate team, with a not-for-profit or in the public sector.
  • Mental Health, Wellness and the Legal Profession: The analytical insights and practical tools needed to navigate mental health challenges in legal practice – and to intervene, when appropriate, in a spirit of empathy and trust.
  • Financial Literacy for Lawyers: Designed to help future lawyers gain a basic understanding of financial reporting and accounts, along with the many ways such information can be leveraged in legal practice.

More Micro-Courses are coming soon

Additional topics currently in development for the Professional Skills Micro-Courses collection include juridical French, Indigenous languages, and client relations and communications. The common thread is providing knowledge and skills that JD graduates will start applying immediately as they embark on their careers.

“At Osgoode, we don’t draw a hard line between law school and the so-called ‘real world,’” says Dean Trevor Farrow. “Our JD program offers unrivaled opportunities to gain direct legal experience. And now these unique micro-courses enable students to start developing professional skills today that they’ll use throughout their careers.”