Bridging the gap between university and practice

TRU law students have access to an array of opportunities to practise their skills, for example, in moots (mock trials). supplied

Students entering a law degree program have already proven their considerable intellectual capacity by obtaining a first degree, achieving a high grade-point average and passing the LSAT.

What awaits them at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is a rigorous three-year, 60-credit course, where a strong foundation of knowledge of the law is complemented by ample opportunity to practise skills and competencies outside the classroom, says Daleen Millard, dean of TRU’s Faculty of Law.

In offering “out-of-classroom, high-impact practice opportunities,” TRU is looking to “bridge the gap between university and legal practice,” says Dr. Millard, who points to a vast array of offerings – including a community legal clinic, externships, moot competitions and oral advocacy workshops – that help set graduates up for success.

Started in 2014 as the first student-staffed free legal clinic in the B.C. interior, TRU’s community legal clinic serves the dual purpose of “providing access to justice for the community while teaching our students that the law is about people – and about using knowledge and professional training for the greater good.”

In the process, students get to practice what they learned about community lawyering in a real-world setting and under supervision, Dr. Millard explains. “They identify the problem or problems, assess the best way to address the situation, and provide the client with summary advice.”

In this context, what is required from students is an understanding of their ethical obligations towards clients – as well as superior communication skills and empathy, she says. “People often don’t fully understand how taxing it can be to work with clients who may be going through one of the worst episodes in their life. You need to be able to de-escalate the situation.”

Other practice opportunities include externships, where students get the chance to work with partners like the BC Lottery Corporation and the Okanagan Thompson Legal Clinic. Competitions and workshops, such as the Dentons Negotiation challenge, also provide students with the chance to interact with practising legal professionals.

In moot – or mock trial – competitions, including the Dean’s Cup, students get to prepare a case and argue it in front of judges. “They need to do a lot of preparation – and they learn how to express themselves in court. Students looking to become litigators especially love the moots and often tell me this is one of their most rewarding experiences,” says Dr. Millard, adding that while many of these opportunities are not mandatory, the students’ enthusiastic participation speaks to their value.

Other resources include a practical legal writing guide, where students can find out how to draft standard legal documents like factums [arguments handed to the court], statements of claim, requests for information or wills, she says. “It’s an open-source document that every law school should have.”

While the guide provides students with the means to find “legitimate shortcuts,” other efforts at TRU relate to the rise of generative AI – and what this means for the integrity of legal writing. Yet Dr. Millard remains optimistic that technology solutions can potentially alleviate the burden of routine work while freeing up lawyers to do “more deep work with clients. This might translate into better legal services or a better work-life balance.”

With uncertainty about what the world of future generations will look like, Dr. Millard emphasizes that TRU is committed to “preparing graduates to be as resilient as possible and to find joy in what they do.”

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To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition Preparing the workforce of the future