A joint program of the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators (SOAR) and Osgoode Professional Development – the creators of acclaimed Certificate in Adjudication for Administrative Agencies, Boards & Tribunals – the Advanced Certificate in Adjudication will take your skills to the next level. The Advanced Certificate is designed to cover in-depth the key areas that experienced tribunal adjudicators have identified as essential to their professional development.

You must complete 5 full days within 2 years to earn the Advanced Certificate. The modular design of the Certificate – a mix of mandatory and elective modules – allows you to customize your learning and take programs in the precise areas that you need to develop.

Effective Decision Writing for Administrative Adjudicators March 11, 2021

$695 plus HST per delegate

Delivered by and for members of the administrative justice community, this powerful one-day workshop is a mix of interactive, skills and knowledge-based training.

Alongside one of Canada’s recognized leaders in Decision Writing, Pamela Chapman, a group of expert facilitators from the administrative justice community will lead small group discussions and provide individualized feedback.  You will engage in practical writing exercises, and learn:

• The key components of clear, concise, well-reasoned decisions
• Core writing principles, including context and point-first writing
• Strategies for drafting effective introductions
• Powerful tips on decision structure and issue-driven organization
• Recent developments in the duty to give reason

Advanced Decision Writing - April 29 and 30, 2021 

$1295 plus HST per delegate

This intensive, two-day program builds on principles and skills learned in previous decision writing training programs delivered by SOAR and/or OsgoodePD.  This hands-on program takes a deep dive into key areas of written judgments and will strengthen your decision-writing skills through individualized feedback on your own writing style and voice. It also provides an opportunity to engage with other experienced adjudicators and explore evolving ideas about what makes writing “great”.

NOTE:  This program requires PRE-PROGRAM PREPARATION

• Participants will be asked to submit electronically a decision they have written (8 to 15 pages in length, featuring more than one issue).
• Facilitators will review the decision, using a template of the key learning objectives, in order to provide feedback to each participant, and to help participants prepare to revise the decision during the course.
• In the workshops, participants will mostly be working on revisions to the decision they submit. For that reason, they are strongly encouraged to bring their submitted decision on a laptop or tablet they can use to make revisions during the sessions.
• They are also asked to bring one copy of their decision printed out, for use during the first exercise on Day 1

Co-Chairs

• Victoria Watkins, Executive Director, Osgoode Professional Development
• Heather Gibbs, President, SOAR; Assistant Deputy Chair, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Program Director

• Pamela Chapman, Legal Educator and Consultant [Former Vice-Chair Ontario Labour Relations Board; Member, Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario; Labour Arbitrator & Mediator]

Location: Live on ZOOM

REGISTRATION HERE through Osgoode PD website