Saturday, February 11 of this year will see the introduction of a new feature in Queen’s Law Recruitment: the Aboriginal Applicant Open House. This full day of programming will introduce Aboriginal applicants to key members of the broader Queen’s Law community, starting with an opening prayer from the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre and continuing through to afternoon tours of the entire campus. 

“Through the hire of our Indigenous Access and Recruitment Coordinator, Ann Deer, Queen’s Law has added outreach, liaison and cultural support dedicated to Indigenous students who choose Queen’s Law,” says Aimee Burtch, Recruitment Manager at the law school. Queen’s Law has always been known for the excellent personal and academic support that it provides to its law students generally. “It makes sense to have a specific day to welcome Indigenous students to the law school, so we could bring together the many resources that both Queen’s Law and the entire university make available in one introductory session.” 

Among the people greeting the school’s guests will be David Sharpe, Law’95, CEO of financing firm Bridging Finance and the law school's Aboriginal Ambassador; Ann Deer, Indigenous Access and Recruitment Coordinator for Professional Programs; Hugo Choquette, Law’95, LLM’05, PhD candidate, instructor of Queen's Aboriginal Law course; and students Jason Mercredi, Law’18, and Ashley Pitcher, Law’17, of the Queen's Aboriginal Law Students’ Alliance. Mercredi, as Law Students’ Society Senator, is also a student member of the Queen’s University Truth and Reconciliation Commission Taskforce, as is Associate Dean (Academic) Cherie Metcalf. 

The program includes ample time to meet and talk with the above mentioned guests, as well as Dean Bill Flanagan, representatives of Four Directions, Associate Dean Metcalf and Assistant Dean Jane Emrich – both in an organized session and over an informal lunch. The afternoon will be dedicated to tours of the law school and the campus. 

“We’ve seen considerable interest in Queen’s Law from Indigenous students, both due to our reputation and status as one of Canada’s best law schools, but also through the work and involvement of Ann Deer and David Sharpe on our behalf,” Burtch says. “We’re looking forward to giving our applicants in the Aboriginal Category  a look ‘under the hood’ at Queen’s Law, to let them see what the school and students are like, and the many ways we’re invested in helping Indigenous students to succeed.” 

By Matt Shepherd