News

On October 25, Mi’kmaw university students from across the region gathered to learn from current students, alumni and faculty what it’s like to be a part of the Indigenous Blacks and Mi’kmaq (IB&M) Initiative at the Schulich School of Law, and the varied and exciting careers that are open to law grads. The event that brought everyone together was the Mi’kmaw Career Roundtable - part of the IB&M Initiative’s 30^th anniversary celebrations.

After opening with the Mi’kmaq Honour Song, prospective students participated in a discussion circle to hear from members of the IB&M community about their experiences during and after law school. The conversation covered a wide range of topics including applying for law school, research and internship opportunities, career paths and mentoring.

The day’s special guests highlighted the close connections that the IB&M Initiative has fostered with the broader legal community during the last three decades. Former Chief Justice Michael MacDonald, who helped establish the IB&M Initiative Articling Clerkship at the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal was in attendance, as were Alise Brown and Ryan Brothers from the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, Angela Amaral and Heather McNeill QC from the Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, and Angela Simmons, Equity and Access Manager at the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society.

I think by the end of the day they felt embraced by the IB&M extended family and confident in their decision to pursue law school.” — Michelle Williams

IB&M Director Michelle Williams sees the event as a way to welcome prospective students to this community, saying “Perhaps the most inspiring part of the day was to get to know potential law students who came from a range of universities to hear more about law as a career. The students were eager and already accomplished in their own right. I think by the end of the day they felt embraced by the IB&M extended family and confident in their decision to pursue law school.”