Queen’s Law students continue to be successful in securing placements in a variety of clerkships to work with judges in courts across Canada. Thirteen new grads have just begun clerking for a 12-month period and six have lined up positions for the 2018–19 year. It’s now time for students to consider clerking opportunities and the school is ready to help. First up on September 25 is an introductory information session.
In a school first, administrators partnered with student representatives to host the Queen’s Law Fall Classic Charity Event on September 30. Hitting the grounds at the Loyalist Golf & Country Club in Bath, Ontario, were more than 80 students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends. This new annual event is the school’s latest initiative to build stronger connections between the law school and Kingston community.
“We were excited to offer fun activities throughout the day,” says Heather Cole, Law’96, Assistant Dean of Students. “Non-golfers could take part in a mini golf clinic and we had lawn games for kids with great prizes, including tickets to the local Frontenacs’ hockey games. We also had a raffle for prizes donated by local businesses. Our Dean was a great sport and set himself up on the tenth hole for an ‘Out Drive the Dean’ competition that helped us raise even more money for our charity, Pathways Kingston. Our golfers and non-golfers were very generous with their support.”
Sponsoring the “Classic” were Marty Stover Financial, Gowling WLG, Miller Thomson (London office), OrmstonListFrawley LLP and the Society for Graduate and Professional Students, in addition to local businesses which supported the event through numerous gift-in-kind donations.
Queen’s Law scored a hole-in-one for Pathways Kingston, the organization receiving proceeds from the event. Launched in 2010, the local chapter of the Pathways to Education Program supports at-risk youth and helps vulnerable teens graduate from high school and build foundations for successful futures.
Pathways Kingston is a new agency partner for Queen’s Law in our educational outreach plans. Plans are underway for next summer when the school hopes to introduce a summer camp for adolescents on law and leadership. The camp will help build a pipeline for people traditionally underrepresented in law schools and the legal profession. “We want young people to be aware of all the possibilities provided to them through a legal education. If we can ignite a passion early, we open up opportunities that might otherwise never be considered,” says Cole.
Queen’s Law will continue to roll out other joint events throughout the school year to increase its outreach efforts and its community engagement.