Manitoba lawyers required to take Indigenous culture course
Beginning in October 2023, Manitoba lawyers will have to take mandatory training about Indigenous rights and history as part of a new requirement of the Law Society of Manitoba. Lawyers will have 18 months to complete the training known as The Path, an online course that teaches Indigenous cultural competency through a series of modules. All lawyers in the province will be required to complete it regardless of their area of practice.
The one-time, mandatory training is a new requirement of the Law Society of Manitoba, which regulates the legal profession in the province, to ensure all lawyers in Manitoba have a common knowledge base on Indigenous issues. The requirement is in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 27 which calls on law societies in Canada to ensure that lawyers receive appropriate training on Indigenous history and culture. (July 2023)