What is it Like to Mentor a Law Student?

The Blazing Trails Mentorship Program is a mentorship program available to all law students in Canada. It helps law students connect with lawyers who are passionate about and active in social justice oriented careers. Curious to find out what it’s like? Read about mentor lawyer Tersha De Koning’s experience below:

“In the 2022-2023 academic year, I had the pleasure and privilege of mentoring a law student through Level. As a lawyer at Innocence Canada who works on cases and with clients who are subjects of injustice, Level’s commitment to empathy, equity, social justice, issues of human dignity and human rights was extremely attractive. I was especially interested in partnering with Level in its programing for law students since they are so early in their careers and so malleable and aspirational in their interests, which means they are likely to engage with these issues devotedly and for the many decades that will constitute their careers.

In terms of the mentorship itself, a reason I enjoyed my mentorship relationship so much is that I felt I was well-partnered with my mentee, who, like me, was interested in criminal law, wanted to further her legal education, anticipated a career teaching and publishing law and legal literature in addition to practicing law, and had long-term career ambitions that included the academy and perhaps even the judiciary. Additionally, my mentee, like me – and so many of us in law – struggled with balancing work and life, burnout, overcommitting, overworking, comparison, and career anxiety.

As such, we had much to talk about, both on intellectual and emotional levels. Although it took time and trust to speak so transparently about more personal issues, my mentee’s eventual willingness and ability to do so – and her interest in my thoughts and advice - made mentorship deeply rewarding. I appreciated the opportunity to learn, strategize, plan, and prepare for our careers but also to connect more meaningfully. And this human element, if not discouraged outrightly, is certainly not often encouraged in legal circles – and therefore much-needed and -appreciated. The honesty, humility, and support we had with each other made this mentorship experience especially enjoyable for me!

Additionally, as a lawyer who is early in my career and often the mentee instead of the mentor, I was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to be the one “giving” for a change – though, as it happened to be the case, I ended up being “given to” in equal or greater measure. As a result of this mentorship experience, I improved my leadership, listening, and communication skills, grew my network, and increased my sense of purpose and meaning by making the life of a law student better in some small way.

As such, I emphatically recommend Level’s mentorship program to any law or law-adjacent professional. It will be both a fun and fruitful experience!”

If you’re interested in signing up as a mentor lawyer, please email our Social Justice Program Manager at fatima@leveljustice.org.