Back by Popular Demand: 2019-2020 Blazing Trails Mentorship Program!
We are excited to announce that our 2019-2020 Blazing Trails Mentorship Program is now open for applications!
For more than a decade, Level has been fortunate to work with many bright and talented law students. We have met and been inspired by passionate minds seeking to use their legal education as a means to effect change, break the mold, and carve out their own career paths. In doing so, we heard from many law students who felt that law school sometimes had the indirect effect of dulling their passions - with debt, competitive on-campus interviews and stressful articling stints a reality, this came as no surprise.
It was with these experiences in mind that Level took a daring leap forward, and in 2017, launched our inaugural Blazing Trails Mentorship Program.
Last year, we were able to partner over 40 motivated law students with 15 experienced mentors from law schools across the country to have open discussions, share personal first-hand experiences, facilitate knowledge exchange, and help students better understand how to overcome obstacles when making their own bold moves toward success!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Interested law students from across Canada may apply to the program by filling out an application and submit a copy of their CV. Level staff will review all applications, and will work to connect selected students with experienced mentors based on their interests and shared experiences.
Groups are limited to up to four mentees per mentor in order to maximize the amount of contact with the mentor, and ensure each meeting adheres to the principle of quality over quantity.
Past mentors have included legal professionals with experience working in private practice, registered charities government and non-governmental organizations, drawing on experience in environmental, immigration, family, Aboriginal, criminal and constitutional law, women's rights advocacy, class action and privacy litigation.
Meetings occur four times throughout the course of the academic year for one hour each, and can be held over online video chat platforms, or in person at the discretion of the mentor. All participants are provided with a Level Program Toolkit to guide the course of these discussions, and ensure students get the most out of the time they invest in the program. The material in the toolkit facilitates candid discussions on a variety of topics such as management and leadership skills, cultural sensitivity, career do's and don'ts, CV reviews, volunteering, and finding balance.
WHAT DID PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO SAY?
Level consistently strives to ensure we have the appropriate metrics in place to assess the efficacy and impact of our programs. As such, we're always pleased to share and showcase feedback from our 2018-2019 participants:
“The program taught me that it’s ok not to have my ideal job in mind right away, it’s ok to take the time to find what works for me. That is important for building my career path and reaching my goals.”
“…learning from someone still in the process of making their own dreams come true was nice. People normally describe the hard work as worth it in the end. But it should also be worth it in the moment.”
“This program has assisted me in understanding what it takes to go far in this field. One has to be adaptable, humble and above all dedicated- but not perfect.”
TELL ME HOW TO APPLY ALREADY!
Have we peaked your interest yet? Apply here before Friday, October 18, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Know a Canadian law student that may be interested? Share this page with them!
STILL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Feel free to review our official 2019-2020 Blazing Trails Program Guide for more information.
If you still have burning questions to ask, please reach out to Shani at pmhr@leveljustice.org.