Polymath pivots to law with Internationally Trained Lawyer Pathway

From economics and business to real estate and power engineering, you could say Edosa Osadolor, a student of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law’s Internationally Trained Lawyer Pathway, is a bit of a polymath.

While living in Nigeria, he achieved a BSc in economics from the University of Ibadan, as well as an MBA from the University of Benin, before he immigrated to Canada as a federal skilled worker alongside his wife in 2013. 

During his time in Calgary, Osadolor completed a diploma in supply chain management at SAIT, acquired his real estate licence from the Real Estate Council of Alberta, and achieved a diploma certificate in power engineering, specifically in facility management and building maintenance. (“This is very handy and useful to me, as I do 90% of the maintenance jobs in my house,” he says.)

In 2021, due to the pandemic, he completed his LLB remotely through the University of Law in the United Kingdom. (With mandatory attendance at live, interactive lectures, his classes often ran at 2 a.m., 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Alberta time.) Now, he’s bringing his wide variety of experiences, achievements and credentials to the Internationally Trained Lawyer Pathway at the U of A Faculty of Law in Edmonton. 

The program, offered by the Faculty of Law, is designed for foreign-trained lawyers who wish to practise law in Canada. After researching suitable institutions where he could acquire his certificate of qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation, Osadolor was specifically drawn to the duration of the program — a full academic year — at the Faculty of Law. So far, the transition has been smooth.

“I earned my law degree from the United Kingdom, which is also a common law jurisdiction [so] it has been an easy transition to the Canadian legal system,” says Osadolor. “My experience so far in the ITLP has been that of excitement and a willingness to learn from others. My class consists of different people from different parts of the world, with an array of legal experiences in civil law, Sharia law and more. It has been a melting pot of different ideas bundled with mutual trust and friendship amongst us all.”

“I think I have already made some life time legal friends among my colleagues and our friendship will transcend beyond the program,” he says.

As a mature student — and although his CV proves he is adaptable — Osadolor has admittedly found it a challenge to attune personal commitments with academic pursuits, a juggling act that needs constant attention to maintain balance. 

“I try to allocate my time wisely to each of the commitments. However, above everything else, my family, especially my wife, has been a huge source of support for me. She is always there to provide a shoulder to lean on, when sometimes, the ride becomes bumpy.”

As a student member of the Canadian Bar Association, Alberta branch, Osadolor was given the opportunity of getting into the mentorship program, which has also served as a support. 

“My mentor, Cindy Marshall, has been able to navigate me through the minefield that dots the legal world when a lawyer runs afoul of the Code of Conduct. I have also gotten invaluable advice regarding how to manage one's time as a practising lawyer in order to maximise the client's satisfaction without sacrificing one's mental health and running the risk of burnout, while at the same time enjoying the work that one does.

Osadolor advises those thinking about entering the program to get in touch with the ITLP coordinator, Michael Rajan. 

“He is very knowledgeable about the program and he will always be there for you when you need help. Michael has been a great source of help to me. He is the go-to guy. Moreover, there are a lot of career opportunities in the Canadian legal system for anyone who dreams of pursuing a legal career.”

With a rich repertoire of experiences, Osadolor says he is open to a diverse range of specialisations but has a bias for immigration law, real estate law, family law, personal injury law and criminal law. 

“These are vast areas of law which may be pruned down with time,” he says.

Each year, the Faculty of Law accepts 20 students into the Internationally Trained Lawyer Pathway. Applicants are encouraged to prepare for admission and submit an application as early as possible. Applications open on March 1 at 12 p.m. MST every year.