Deniz Bulut

When she first came to Canada from Turkey in 2016, Deniz Bulut’s goal was to improve her English. After returning home to finish her law degree, she knew she wanted to return to Canada and build her career in law. 

Like many internationally trained lawyers, Deniz knew she would need further education in Canadian law to qualify for accreditation. She applied to the LLM in Canadian Common Law at Osgoode Professional Development but was admitted to the Graduate Diploma in Foundations of Canadian Law instead. “At first, I was surprised and upset,” Deniz admits. “I thought about the cost, and I knew I would still need to do the LLM afterwards to meet my goals. But I realized if I wanted to succeed here, I needed a solid foundation first.” 

Coming from a civil law jurisdiction, Deniz quickly saw the value of beginning with the fundamentals. In Turkey, legal education focuses primarily on legislation and codes, while in common law jurisdictions, case law and precedent play a central role. That difference shapes not only how lawyers argue cases, but also how they research and write. The Diploma gave her the opportunity to adjust before diving into the demands of the LLM. “Citation was completely new for me,” Deniz Bulut explains. “In Turkey, we don’t write essays in law school everything is based on codes. In the Graduate Diploma, I learned to write legal essays, to cite properly, and to read cases and understand the main points. That helped me so much later in the LLM, because I never had a problem with writing papers or meeting the requirements.” 

It wasn’t just about academics. Deniz Bulut remembers the community just as strongly. “We were only eight people in my class. After spending six hours a day together, we became like a family. I asked so many questions, and I never felt ashamed or shy, because the professors and classmates were all so welcoming.” 

Faculty support stood out, too. “The professors explained every detail and answered every question,” she says. “In the Graduate Diploma, they know you’re just starting, so they guide you. In the LLM, it’s different the professors expect you to already know things. That’s why the Diploma was so important for me.” 

One of Deniz’s most memorable experiences was taking Canadian Constitutional Law, a course from the LLM in Canadian Common Law, as her elective. “It was the hardest course. Most people took it in their last term of the LLM, but I did it in the Graduate Diploma! It was very challenging, but I passed, and that gave me confidence. When I got into the LLM, I wasn’t afraid anymore. I felt ready.” 

After completing her LLM in Canadian Common Law, she went on to article at Dallas Criminal Defense. She recently finished her articling term and is now preparing for her Bar exams. If all goes as planned, she expects to be called to the Bar in February 2026 and she hopes to return to Dallas Criminal Defense to begin the next stage of her career in Canada. 

Reflecting on her journey, Deniz Bulut sees the Graduate Diploma as a crucial step that gave her the foundation she needed. It bridged the gap between civil law and common law, helped her master legal research and writing, and gave her confidence walking into the LLM.