July 8, 2021
June 2021 marked the launch of a new fully online, self-paced course: Financial Statements for Legal Professionals. This eCourse was developed by Professor John Friedlan, PHD, an accounting professor at Ontario Tech University who has been teaching legal professionals about accounting and financial statements for well over two decades, both through our existing open enrolment course and in-house at major law firms.
Until now, Professor Friedlan’s lauded course has been available only in-person. The primary advantage of this new eCourse is that it can be completed at your own pace, making it easy to review and test your understanding of difficult or complex concepts. In addition, the eCourse curriculum is available to learners for one full year after purchase.
What the eCourse is: A rich mix of high-quality animated visuals designed for engagement, Professor Friedlan’s audio instruction, and quizzes and other exercises developed to reinforce your learning. What the eCourse is not: a simple video of Professor Friedland. It’s our conviction at Osgoode Professional Development that online modes of delivery provide an opportunity to improve learning by going beyond pre-recorded talking heads, and we’ve made a significant investment to support that conviction in this one-of-a-kind eCourse.
Legal professionals in all areas of practice need a thorough, solid grounding in financial statements and financial reporting. Even with a background in business or accounting, these are complex concepts to interpret and apply, and this material is typically not taught in law school (although we’re happy to report that Osgoode’s JD students now have access to the course via a pilot program).
Designed specifically for legal professionals, the eCourse covers core concepts and principles, including:
Comprehensive overview of the financial reporting framework in Canada and its key components
Overview of the roles and responsibilities of the key players in the financial reporting process
An in-depth examination of key financial statement components
Clarification of accounting jargon and terminology
Red flags: tips and techniques to uncover hidden assets and liabilities
How to determine key financial ratios and evaluate a company’s performance
Understanding off-balance sheet items
How to interpret and analyze the notes to financial statements
Early reviews of the eCourse have been glowing. Ann Stoner of Stoner & Company said she doesn’t give out compliments easily but told us that:
Ann Stoner
Stoner & Company
“I felt like I was back in Law School with Professor Friedlan, whose oral presentations, written materials and mini quizzes after different components of the modules was top notch. I thought it was excellent. Really enjoyed it and learned so much. Thanks for putting together a course of such quality.”
Additional eCourses have already been launched or are currently in production, including Conducting Effective Corporate Due Diligence, Meeting Governance (by the author of Robert’s Rules of Order), and Effective Decision Writing (in partnership with the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators).