Lesley Wagner

Since completing the Legal Administration program in 1985, Lesley Wagner has spent more than 27 years in the legal sector working at various corporate law offices and has spent her 12 most recent years at Durham College. When she began teaching with the School of Justice & Emergency Services in 2000 she committed herself to the success of Durham College, its programs, and students. Through her professionalism, experience and strong networking connections, Wagner ensures her students graduate prepared to meet employer demands. In addition to her full-time role as a professor, Wagner has also worked as the field placement co-ordinator for the Legal Administration/Law Clerk program for the past ten years, working one-on-one with more than 100 students each year. She goes above and beyond to match students with the right field placement host, which often results in graduate employment. Throughout her career Wagner has made significant contributions to the college. She helped shape the foundation for the Court Support Services program (CTSS) and secured the Ministry of the Attorney General’s endorsement of the program to other Ontario colleges. The CTSS program has become a program of choice for many second career and mature students and has set the standards for skill requirements entering this field. In 2010 Wagner was invited by the Ontario Ministry of Training, College and Universities to review and revise the program standards for the Legal Administration and Law Clerk programs. This exercise further strengthened her skills as a professor in ensuring her students were well-prepared when entering the workforce. Wagner continually promotes Durham College students and alumni as well as its unique programming through her association with the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario and the Eastern Region Academic Coordinators’ Conference. She genuinely cares about her students’ success and continually liaises with community contacts to assess employment opportunities both for current students and alumni. In her free time, Wagner enjoys spending time with her family and travelling.