About 40 senior in-house lawyers from a range of organisations did a test-drive through the curriculum last month. The CCCA has partnered with Toronto's Rotman School of Management to set up the Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel and create a new program. People who complete its three phases will then receive the award of Certified In-House Counsel - Canada.  Chair of the CCCA Grant Borbidge, who is also GC at the MEG Energy Group, said: 'It all started in the spring of 2011 with a ‘deep think’ about how we wanted a program that would be focused on in-house counsel. There aren’t as many opportunities to help in-house make the transition from law firm to in-house that is not focused on substantive law.' 

Law is the easy part

And Gord Currie, chief legal offer of George Weston Ltd, said: 'When I think of managing a legal department I think of the challenges of growing legal leaders especially when lawyers are increasingly specialized at laws firms.  I often describe the law as the easy part of the job. The challenge is how to be effective, how to get things done — that is the really hard work.' Source: Canadian Lawyer