The sun shone brightly on the 216 first-year Juris Doctor students who arrived on campus on September 3. During their four-day Orientation, they began to immerse themselves into their new community, learning about everything Queen’s Law has to offer and forming what is sure to become lifelong friendships. 

“What stands out for me is the warmth that I’ve felt from everybody,” says Sarah-Grace Chai, Law’26. “I’m really enjoying the togetherness, the community, the eagerness that my peers have shown me, and our collective excitement for learning and for studying law.”

Her new classmate, Maeve McNaughton, Law’26, agrees with that sentiment. “I was really interested in Queen’s specifically because I did my undergrad in downtown Toronto, which definitely doesn’t have the same community feel as I’d heard that Queen’s has,” she says. “In my first week here, I already have more friends than I ever had in Toronto. It’s amazing how close the community here is and how much support students feel like they have.” 

On the first day, Orientation leaders welcomed the new JD class members, took them on a tour of the Law Building, Queen’s campus, and city. 

The next days featured an official welcome from Dean Colleen Flood, an introduction to the Law Students’ Society from LSS President Olivia Kuzmich, Law’24, meetings with small-section professors, and a lineup of social activities, panel discussions, resource presentations, seminars, and guest speakers. Among the speakers were:

• Justice Malcolm Rowe of the Supreme Court of Canada, who shared his significant insights on the legal profession, and the evolution of law in the context of societal change; and 
• Malcolm Mercer, Chair of the Law Society Tribunal, and Aliya Ramji, Law’07, a partner, with McCarthy Tétrault, who spoke about new technologies and ethical frontiers in this year’s McCarthy Tétrault LLP Panel in Legal Ethics & Professional Responsibility. 

Orientation concluded with a ceremony where the new JD students received Queen’s Law scarves and mingled with each other and faculty members. 

Summing up this year’s Orientation, McNaughton says, “This is everything I wanted for my university experience and I’m so glad to be a student at Queen’s Law.”  

Check out our Orientation 2023 photo gallery and download images!