As the new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager at Lerners, I’m happy to announce that the Learn with Lerners Bursary & Mentorship Program is back.
As we continue to strive for equality across our communities, we are expanding our Program to offer eligible candidates the opportunity to learn from our best. We are so proud of last year’s recipient, Isatu Barrie, and are looking forward to the process of selecting our 2022 recipients. That’s right, plural. This year we are issuing bursaries to two recipients!
We recognize the value of mentorship, and its ability to open doors and create pathways to successful careers. We are also aware of the challenges racialized communities face trying to enter the legal services industry professionally.
As Ryan McNeil, Partner and Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee shared:
“The Learn with Lerners Bursary and Mentorship Program was established in 2021 in an effort to help address the systemic barriers that Black, Indigenous, and other Persons of Colour face in establishing a career in the legal services industry. We recognize that these barriers must be addressed and broken down early on, and our focus has therefore been on promising recent high school graduates who have an interest in the legal services industry, including but not limited to becoming a lawyer, law clerk, paralegal, legal assistant, legal marketer, judge, court service staff, alternative dispute resolution facilitator, or legislator. In addition to a $5,000.00 bursary, the recipient will also receive a 12-month mentorship opportunity with a Lerners lawyer to help guide them through their legal journey. In 2022, Isatu will be mentored by Zahra Vaid, an associate lawyer in Lerners’ Toronto Office who has a wide-ranging practice including Health Law, Insurance Defence, Personal Injury Law, and Appellate Advocacy.”
This year, two recipients from racialized communities will receive a $5,000.00 CAD bursary and up to twelve months of mentorship with a Lerners lawyer.
The Program is offered to recent graduates from publicly funded secondary schools in Ontario interested in careers in the legal services industry. If you have recently graduated or will graduate by June 2022, and have been admitted to a first-year program at an Ontario college or university for the 2022-23 academic year, I encourage you to apply.
My role is a testament to Lerners’ commitment to inclusion, and we are actively working to strengthen the communities we serve. If you have a passion for justice, this Program may be for you.
We are now accepting applications through our website, where you can find more details on the Program and apply. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 pm EST on May 15th, 2022.