Aboriginal Law Student Summer Program Places Trio into Summer Positions
By Jocelyn Frazer, Equity Ombudsperson, Law Society of Alberta
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To provide insights into First Nations culture, and career opportunities for students, the Aboriginal Law student program has again facilitated the placement of three second-year students into summer student positions. Since the program started in 2006 as a pilot project, it has facilitated the placement of 14 law students in summer student positions. Many of these students have, as a result of their participation in the program, gone on to secure articling positions with the firms for which they worked. Today, one of the first students to participate in the program, Carly Fox, is an active and practising member with at Maurice Law, the firm in which she first worked as a summer student in 2006.
The most recent participants in the program have all reported excellent experiences and a very positive introduction to the practice of law based on their summer placements. Returning to article in 2009 are: University of Calgary law student Courtney Burton to join Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, and University of Alberta law students Brock Roe and Shaun Emes to article with Davis LLP and Alberta Justice respectively. Introductions of these students to the Law Society were held August 28th in Edmonton and September 17th in Calgary.
Courtney Burton, a member of the Gitwangak Band of northern B.C., earned a BA (2003) from the University of Calgary, a Professional Legal Assistant diploma in 2005, and expects to complete her LL.B in 2009.
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Shaun Emes studied business administration at NAIT, and earned his BA (2005) from the University of Alberta. He is the recipient of the Belcourt Brosseau Metis award and two National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation scholarships (2006 & 2007).
Brock Roe, also a recipient of a National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation scholarship (2007), earned his BA in native studies at the University of Alberta.
The program was created to: (1) allow law firms and the legal profession to gain greater insight into aboriginal culture and issues; (2) provide an opportunity for aboriginal law students early in their legal career to obtain work experience in a law firm; and (3) foster opportunities for ongoing relationships to develop between aboriginal students and practising lawyers.
The placement program was established as a result of the 2004 equality and diversity survey findings, which identified a need to address the experience of aboriginal lawyers in the legal profession.
The 2009 program is underway with a number of additional firms joining this year.
For more information, please refer to:
www.lawsociety.ab.ca
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Applications being accepted for The Right Honourable Paul Martin Sr Scholarship
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