Recently I had the pleasure of attending two very important ceremonies which mark milestones in the lives of my 'adopted' sisters. I say that because Ruth and Rosanne are like family; I tell folk that I have three sisters (although this does cause them to look oddly at my mother as they wonder when she gave birth to these lovely mystery gals!)
Rose (that is her in the middle in the pic to the left) is something of an oddity - she became a lawyer at 40. This means that she will need to work until she is 80 to pay off her student loans and to properly provide for her husband (who has stoically gone without a nice car for years so that Rose could go to school). I can't count if this is career number 5 or 6 for Rose, We all hope that it is the last because, frankly, the gifts are getting expensive! LOL
Seriously, her accomplishment is incredible and we are all so proud of her.
Being called to the Bar of the Law Society of Upper Canada does not mean you go up to the pub and order a pint of ale. Rather, it refers to the moment when you become a full fledged member of the Law Society.
In many Commonwealth jurisdictions, the "bar association" comprises lawyers who are qualified as barristers or advocates (collectively known as "the bar", or "members of the bar"), while the "law society" comprises solicitors. These bodies are sometimes mutually exclusive. In other jurisdictions, the "bar" may refer to the entire community of persons engaged in the practice of law.
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both.
The Law Society of Upper Canada was created almost 20 years before the earliest such association in any other Canadian province or territory. The creation of this self-governing body by an Act of the Legislative Assembly was an innovation in the English-speaking world and it became the model for law societies across Canada and the United States.
The Law Society regulates approximately 40,000 lawyers in Ontario. It is responsible for ensuring that lawyers are both ethical and competent. The Society has the power to set standards for admission into the profession. It can discipline lawyers who violate those standards. Available sanctions range from admonitions to disbarment. It is based in Toronto, at Osgoode Hall.
I was prepared for the ceremony to be a 'snooze-fest' but I was pleasantly surprised. It was fascinating; steeped in tradition and solemn ceremony. A honorary doctorate to the Honourable Brian W. Lennox, former Chief Justice, Ontario Court of Justice and he gave an inspiring speech. Later the Regional Senior Justice, Superior Court of Justice, presided over a special sitting of the Court of Appeal of Ontario and the Superior Court of Justice during which she administered the oaths to the candidates and formerly admitted them as solicitors. Again, she was a wonderful speaker and provided mush food for thought.
A few weeks later Rose came to Burlington and we all went to watch Ruth get her Masters of Education from Charles Sturt University. One might wonder while an Australian University was granting degrees in Canada and wonder away. I guess it is a reflection of our shrinking globe. All of the recipients had taken their course work through distance education and I gather that this is one of the few universities which offers such programs.
Ruth graduated - with distinction - go Ruth! Apparently those two words on the diploma make all those later hours spent getting amazing grades worthwhile (to say nothing of the incredible feeling of accomplishment). I confess that this feeling is lost on me. I haven't taken a professional course in years . . . if I'm going to take a class it had better be a cooking class or a wine tasting class thank you very much!
This ceremony was quite differently than the one we witnessed weeks before:
- The 'MC' got up to the podium (which didn't work), went to the other podium, and harangued the graduates with respect to how they were to walk, address the Chancellor, etc. One might of thought that this would have been done in private.
- People were dressed in shorts, jeans, and other unmentionables at a solemn event! Apparently a local trailer park was having a large number of degrees conferred upon the residents . . .
- We had to sing the Australian National Anthem but no one knew the tune.
- A young girl played the flute - rather awfully it turned out. The song was most inappropriate for the occasion.
The ceremony was quite short, too short it seemed, so the Chancellor got up to the mic and did a sort of stand up . . . that fell flat.
Oh well, it kept us amused, we saw Ruth's big moment and then we came back here for drinks, cheese and crackers, and gifts for Ruth! woo hoo
Here she opens up the hand blown glass bowl that Paul and I gave her.
After gifts we went out to dinner where she shocked us all by paying for dinner. This was an unexpected treat which had Paul practically singing all the way home. He is quite happy to have more cash for our upcoming trip to Maine!
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