Building on Experience: Jody Oakes Becomes a Limited Licensee

For Jody Oakes, obtaining a limited license is about more than earning a new professional designation. It's an opportunity to build on years of experience supporting people involved with Saskatchewan’s justice system.

Oakes, Legal Aid Saskatchewan’s Gladue Services Coordinator, was admitted to the Law Society of Saskatchewan on September 10, 2026, after completing the process to become a limited licensee. A limited licensee is not a lawyer, but a regulated legal professional authorized to provide tailored legal services based on their unique education, training and experience. Depending on their specific license restrictions, they can provide legal advice, prepare documents and represent individuals before the Provincial Court or administrative tribunals. They are licensed and insured by the Law Society and are strictly bound by professional and ethical standards.

For Oakes, becoming a limited licensee builds on several years of direct experience supporting people involved with the justice system. Before joining Legal Aid Saskatchewan in 2024, she worked at a detox centre and later managed justice programs for the John Howard Society in Moose Jaw, including Alternative Measures and Extrajudicial Sanctions, the My Place program, and court-worker services. In that role, she also assisted clients with Gladue submissions.

She first heard about Saskatchewan’s limited licensee program in fall 2025. After completing an initial Law Society course that October, she temporarily paused the process for several months. However, an interaction in the summer of 2026 with someone she had previously helped changed her perspective. “He commented on how much he appreciated my help,” Oakes recalled. “After that I knew I wanted to complete the application.”

Oakes does not hold a law degree. Instead, her education, training and experience were assessed through the limited-licensing application process. Candidates must also meet character suitability requirements and complete mandatory training on professional conduct requirements.

The framework itself was developed as part of a multi-year exploration to expand access to legal services across the province. A joint Legal Services Task Team report released in 2018 recommended creating an avenue for limited legal-service licenses, targeting specialized service providers whose background allowed them to safely deliver specific services. Following extensive stakeholder consultations and a multi-year pilot program, legislative changes officially took effect October 1, 2025, fully integrating regulated limited licensees into Saskatchewan’s legal system on January 1, 2026.

By early September 2026, the province's initial cohort reached 38 limited licensees across Saskatchewan.

When she swore her oath and was entered on the Law Society’s roll, the moment felt “surreal.” For Oakes, becoming a limited licensee represents another milestone in a career focused on supporting people involved with the justice system. Her path to licensing brought together the education, experience and skills she has developed through years of work in the community and in the justice sector.

Oakes says her daughters, colleagues and the people she has worked with throughout her career helped inspire her to take the step. Her advice to others is simple: keep learning and don't be afraid to pursue something that may initially seem difficult. “I hope that wherever you are, if you have a dream or a glimmering thought of something you would like to do, go for it!” she encourages. “You never know where it will lead!”