Journeys Of The Internationally Trained Lawyer
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| JITL PODCAST |
Internationally Trained Lawyers arrive with years of legal knowledge, professional experience, resilience, and the courage to leave behind everything familiar in pursuit of new opportunities. The ITL talent pool is one of the most tested, one of the most resilient and one of the most underutilized in Canada. And hiring ITLs is not a charity. It's actually really tapping into a pool of talent that can even offer more.
The above was one of the many powerful insights I took away from my recent conversation with Kenny Okunola, Corporate & Securities Lawyer, President and Co-Founder of the Internationally Trained Lawyers Network, on the latest episode of the Journeys of the Internationally Trained Lawyer (JITL) Podcast.
In this episode, Kenny shares how a childhood fascination with the then Minister of Justice in Nigeria inspired him to study law, why he left a successful corporate legal career in Nigeria to build a new one in Canada, and the realities of navigating the NCA process, articling, and starting over in a new legal system. In his words - we have made difficult decisions, adapted to unfamiliar systems, overcome setbacks, and persisted when the path was uncertain. Those experiences build qualities that cannot be taught in a classroom - grit, resilience, adaptability, and the courage to keep moving forward.
We also discussed why the Internationally Trained Lawyers Network and the ITL Conference were created to connect lawyers, build a national community, increase visibility, create opportunities, and ensure that future internationally trained lawyers have access to the information and support many of us didn't have when we arrived.
For lawyers, anyone considering restarting their legal career in Canada, or for employers and legal recruiters seeking to better understand the value internationally trained lawyers bring, I hope this conversation offers both encouragement and perspective.
🎧 Watch the full episode here:
https://youtu.be/USt-2-_JVrY
If you've ever had to rebuild your career in a new country or profession, I'd love to hear what helped you keep going.
#InternationallyTrainedLawyers #ITLs #LegalProfession #LegalCareers #ImmigrantProfessionals #Leadership #CareerGrowth #LegalCommunity #CanadianLaw #LegalPodcast #JITLPodcast
With love,
Jumi