When Nigerian lawyer Opeyemi Theresa Oloruntogbe arrived in Canada, she expected a fresh start, but it wasn’t exactly what she planned for.
After practicing law for almost two years in Nigeria, Opeyemi was excited to begin the LLM in Canadian Common Law at Osgoode Professional Development to move towards the licensing process in Canada. But visa delays meant she landed in Toronto weeks after the program had begun. “The moment I got Wi-Fi, I opened an email saying I had been withdrawn from the LLM,” she recalls. “I had just arrived, and I thought I might have to go back home.”
Instead, she found support waiting for her. Meghan Thomas, OsgoodePD’s Graduate Program Director quickly stepped in to help. Because Opeyemi was on a student visa, she needed to stay enrolled in a program and Meghan arranged for her to transfer into the Graduate Diploma in Foundations of Canadian Law. “It wasn’t something I planned for financially, but Osgoode even waived my application fee,” she says. “It showed they cared and were eager to find a solution.”
Looking back, Opeyemi now believes that the detour was one of the best things that could have happened. “The diploma gave me the foundation I needed,” she explains. “It helped me ease into Canadian law before diving into the master’s.” The program’s introductory courses Public Law, Private Law, and Legal Research and Writing gave her a solid understanding of the Canadian legal framework. One of the elective classes she took at the end of the program changed her perspective. “I never thought I’d enjoy criminal law,” she admits, but the instructor, Sandy DiMartino, “made it one of my favourite subjects. She was patient, kind, and really took time to make sure students understood the material.”
With that foundation in place, Opeyemi moved into the LLM in International Business Law, a field she could envision herself practicing in. The program was rigorous, but she embraced the challenge. “It deepened my knowledge and gave me the confidence to apply my international experience in a Canadian context,” she says.
Her time at Osgoode wasn’t only about academics. She also received hands-on career guidance from OsgoodePD staff like Michael Tam, who helped her refine her CV and prepare for interviews. “He gave me notes I still use to this day,” she says. Opeyemi also recalls how Michael talked about cultural awareness and communication and how important it is to be respectful and concise in professional settings here in Canada. Those lessons helped her immensely even in her current role working with teams internationally.
Through instructors like Germán Morales Farah and Professor Janet Walker, Opeyemi found mentors who went far beyond the classroom. Professor Walker encouraged her to volunteer at the CanArb Arbitration Conference, giving her a chance to meet practicing lawyers and start building her professional network in Canada. “That’s the thing for me,” Opeyemi reflects. “I expect to learn when I go to school. But when you give me extra opportunities I’m not expecting, that’s what makes it worthwhile. I’m definitely coming to learn the syllabus but an arbitration conference? That’s not in the syllabus.”
That experience proved invaluable. She connected with one of the Directors at Arbitration Place. “It led me to apply for a role there, and even though it didn’t work out, I gained a valuable contact because my professor gave me the chance to attend the conference,” she says.
Currently Opeyemi works in corporate governance and compliance at Wealthstone Compliance Solutions, an asset management company. She helps coordinate board meetings, manage fund documentation, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. She’ll begin articling in April 2026 with a litigation firm, a step she sees as essential to becoming a well-rounded lawyer. “Litigation gives you discipline,” she says. “It’s the best foundation any lawyer can have.”
For Opeyemi, Osgoode wasn’t just a place to study, it was a place to rebuild. “Osgoode positioned me in a good place,” she reflects. “Being an international lawyer in Canada isn’t easy, but the support I got there made all the difference.”
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Opeyemi Theresa Oloruntogbe is a graduate of Osgoode’s LLM in International Business Law and now works in corporate governance and compliance at Wealthstone Compliance Solutions.