Welcome, Class of 2013 to the Osgoode Mentor Program!

Orientation Week: the "Old Osgoode" Event

Monday, August 30, 2010

Organized by the Advancement Office each year during Orientation, the first-year class takes a trip to where it all began: Osgoode Hall at Queen Street and University Avenue in downtown Toronto. This event brings together Osgoode alumni from all areas of practice, academia and the judiciary to welcome these newest members of the Osgoode community.

The event begins with a photograph of the first-year class on the steps outside Osgoode Hall. The highlight of the event is the tour of Osgoode Hall given by alumni.

Mentor Program: First-Year Students

As a student at Osgoode, you are invited to participate in our Mentor Program. The goal of the program is to help foster students’ personal and professional development by establishing meaningful mentorship relationships between Osgoode alumni and current students.

How does the program operate?

First-year students will be paired with upper-year student advisors based on interest in particular practice areas of law and other shared characteristics. In the winter term, first-year students that participated in the fall term will have the opportunity to select an alumnus mentor if they feel that they have questions or concerns that their upper-year advisor was not able to address.

Meetings

Meetings with your upper-year advisor are meant to be fun and informal. They may take place inside or outside of the law school. It is the quality of the relationship, not the quantity that determines its success; as a guideline we recommend at least one in-person meeting per term. Additionally, there is a mandatory kick-off event held in late September that introduces first-year students to their upper-year advisors.

What does the Upper-Year Advisor offer?

It is the role of the upper-year advisor to willingly and candidly provide advice and to share their Osgoode experiences. Previous students have benefited from advice on the following topics:

• locating past summaries;
• suggestions on perspective option courses;
• strategies for mid-terms and final exams;
• important deadlines;
• life on campus; and
• advice about the highs and lows of first-year law.

How to get involved?

First-year students who wish to participate in the program should contact the Advancement Office to receive an application or click this link to download an application.

If you have any questions about the Mentor Program, please do not hesitate to visit the Advancement (Alumni) Office in Ross S835C, or call Jessie Gill at 416-736-5638. You may also e-mail questions to mentor@osgoode.yorku.ca.