Dentons, in partnership with 13 other leading law firms in Canada, has signed a 10-year commitment to the Black Future Lawyers (BFL) program, which pledges CA$1.75 million in operational funding to support the success and engagement of Black undergraduate students.
BFL provides opportunities to Black undergraduate students whose vision is to become lawyers. It was formed by the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in January 2020 in collaboration with the school’s Black Law Students’ Association, its Black alumni and the greater legal community.
The law firms’ commitment will allow BFL to establish chapters at universities across the country and invest in the future of Canada’s next generation of Black lawyers. In addition to the financial support that will enable the BFL to accelerate its ambitious programming goals, partner firms will collaborate and deliver a business law-focused educational stream for BFL students.
Kori Williams, partner in Dentons’ Toronto office and a founding member of Dentons’ Black Professionals Network in Canada, said, “It is paramount for the legal industry to work together – not only to stand up against anti-Black racism in the profession and wider community, but also to provide material support to initiatives like BFL that enable many Black students to pursue a career in law. We’re delighted to collaborate with other leading law firms to provide crucial long-term investment that allows these important initiatives, and the people who benefit from them, to thrive.”
Read the original press release here and for further information about the program, see the BFL website here.
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