Back for a Second Year! 2018-2019 Blazing Trails Mentorship Program

Coming off the highs of a successful launch year, we're back and better than ever! After months of hard work assessing and and tweaking the program based on feedback from our student mentees and legal professional mentors, we are excited to announce that our 2018-2019 Blazing Trails Mentorship Program is now open for applications!  Apply here before November 4, 2018 a 11:59 p.m. 

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. Through the collective efforts of the Level team, legal professionals, and law students across the country, we were able to partner over 20 motivated law students with 7 experienced mentors 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!  

Coming off the highs of a successful launch year, we're back and better than ever! After months of hard work assessing and and tweaking the program based on feedback from our student mentees and legal professional mentors, we are excited to announce that our 2018-2019 Blazing Trails Mentorship Program is now open for applications!

How does it work?

Interested law students from across Canada may apply to the program by filling out a brief questionnaire, including a copy of their CV. Level staff will review all applications, and will work to connect students with experienced mentors based on their interests and shared experiences. Groups are limited to four law students 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 mentors and mentees 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? 

Photo credits: @kenyajade 

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 participants: 

"My mentor was very good at sharing her varied experiences in the legal field, which opened by eyes to the different ways in which a 'legal' career can look"

"The most tangible/technical help my mentor provided me was feedback on my cover letters and CV. [My mentor] gave me great advice I never would have considered an employer to be looking for"

"This has greatly increased my knowledge of various opportunities in law" 

- 2017-2018 Mentee Participants 

Tell me how to apply already!

Have we peaked your interest yet? Applications are open to all law students across Canada! Apply here before November 4, 2018 a 11:59 p.m. Know a law student that may be interested? Share this page with them!

Still have more questions?

Feel free to review this document for more information. If you still have any burning questions, please reach out to our friendly neighbourhood Program Manager at tristan@leveljustice.org. 

Does none of the above apply to you? High five for reading this far! You can also share the love by liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram and Twitter @leveljustice. 

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It's Here! 2018/2019 Chapter Theme Report: Environmental Justice in Canada