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Experience Guide
Make the most out of your university career by taking advantage of all that Laurier has to offer you. Volunteer work, campus clubs, leadership programs, studying abroad, work experience – there are so many ways you can extend your classroom experience into the real world.
Year-to-Year Experience Guides
The following is a year-to-year outline of the kinds of experiences that work well with your program.
- Law and Society Law Click this tab to view content pertaining to Law and Society
- Law and Society and Law (Sussex) LLB Click this tab to view content pertaining to Law and Society and Law (Sussex)
Be Inspired: Maximize Your Academic Opportunities
First Year
- Take Law and Society courses including Introduction to Law and Society I and II, and explore other programs of interest through electives.
- Earn certificates with Learning Skills and Development.
Middle Years
- Take Law and Society courses including The Canadian Legal System I and II, Perspectives on Justice, and Ethics and Professionalization.
- Complete your remaining Foundations courses in Modernity: Critique and Resistance, and
Academic Literacy: Humanities. - Explore courses in related areas of study and begin thinking about a minor or an option to complement your degree.
- Submit your academic work to Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal for Contemporary Connections for a chance to be published.
- Consider taking social innovation or entrepreneurship courses.
- Propose topics for directed study courses in your fourth year and talk with your professors about these opportunities.
- Participate in the Walls to Bridges course taking place at the Grand Valley Institution for Women with equal numbers of incarcerated students and Laurier students learning together as peers.
Final Year
- Learn about Research or Instructional Assistantship opportunities in Law and Society.
- Participate in the Academic, Creative and Engaged Research Showcase (ACERS) to showcase your work for the public and Laurier community.
- Thinking of pursuing graduate school?
- Talk to your professors and visit the Career Centre.
- Sign up for a scholarship proposal writing workshop or book a writing consultation for help with your funding proposals.
Be Involved: Explore Work, Volunteer and Leadership Experience
First Year
- Attend O-Week events.
- Join student clubs such as the Law and Society Student Association, Amnesty International, Student Rights Advisory Committee, MyRespect or a special interest club. Or create your own!
- Participate in events and skills-based workshops with your residence or off-campus LOCUS community.
- Explore your interests by volunteering on campus with Accessible Learning's Note-taking Program, Laurier International, Wellness Education, the Sustainability Office and more.
- Join intramural or club sports, or participate in recreational activities.
- Engage in the First-Year Leadership Program including Campus Councils, House Council and the Leadership Certificate.
Middle Years
- Volunteer to be an O-Week Icebreaker and welcome incoming first years.
- Attend student conferences including the Academic, Creative and Engaged Research Showcase (ACERS).
- Connect with local organizations to learn about volunteer opportunities.
- Participate in Sandbox workshops and attend the Entrepreneur Speaker series.
- Contribute to Laurier’s biweekly newspaper, The Sputnik, or submit a creative piece to Blueprint Magazine.
Final Year
- Apply for an executive/coordinator position with a student club or committee.
- Look into the LaunchPad program for the opportunity to discover, validate and launch an innovative new venture.
- Become a student member of the Canadian Criminal Justice Association.
- Share your Laurier experience with prospective students at open house events.
Be Engaged: Broaden Your Perspective
First Year
- Get involved with the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
- Visit Laurier International to learn about international options available to you.
- Complete the Intercultural Certificate with Laurier International.
- Engage in training on consent, bystander intervention and disclosure provided through Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention Support.
Middle Years
- Gather for Soup Tuesday at the Indigenous Student Centre.
- Become a Global Engagement Student Ambassador.
- Study abroad for an academic term.
- Complete the Diversity Certificate.
Final Year
- Participate in Indigenous Education Week.
- Earn your Certificate in Accessibility with Accessible Learning.
- Create a piece to participate in the Diversity Art Series.
- Consider the Alternative Reading Week trip with Habitat for Humanity.
Be Inspired: Maximize Your Academic Opportunities
First Two Years (Laurier)
- Take required courses and explore other programs of interest through electives.
- Complete Foundations courses in your first two years.
- Review your program requirements and plan for a successful degree path.
- Meet with the Sussex program coordinator to make key academic decisions.
- Consider taking courses where you can research social issues with community partners, with an experiential-learning component, with professional skills development or about social innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Complete your application to the University of Sussex LLB program through UCAS (UK online application service).
- Join the Laurier Sussex Residence Learning Cluster to enhance your academic and social success in the program.
- Complete the Conducting Legal Research Certificate.
- Earn certificates with Learning Skills and Development.
Middle Three Years (Sussex)
- Connect with the Sussex program coordinator at Laurier.
- Take courses to gain skills in presenting legal arguments, client interviewing and negotiation, criminal advocacy and legal research.
- Enrol in Canadian Law classes offered at Sussex.
- Choose elective courses based on your interest in a particular area of law such as commercial, criminal, environmental, family, human rights, international, sports and many more.
- Apply to the National Accreditation Committee in Canada to seek your Certificate of Qualification.
Final Year (Laurier)
- Complete courses to finish your honours BA at Laurier.
- Complete courses to prepare you for the National Accreditation exams and write the exams.
- Register in the Law Society of Ontario (LS0) Licensing Process.
- Prepare to write the LSO Barrister and Solicitor Licensing Examinations once admitted to the Licensing Process.
- Learn about Research Assistantship opportunities in your department.
- Thinking of pursuing graduate school?
- Attend a department information session.
- Talk to your professors and visit the Career Centre.
Be Involved: Explore Work, Volunteer and Leadership Experience
First Two Years (Laurier)
- Attend O-Week events.
- Join student clubs such as the Criminology, Human Rights and Human Diversity or Law and Society Student Associations or a special interest club. Or create your own!
- Participate in events and skills-based workshops with your residence or off-campus LOCUS community.
- Contribute to Laurier’s biweekly newspaper, The Sputnik.
- Participate in Sussex program networking events and workshops.
- Join intramural or club sports, or participate in recreational activities.
- Explore your interests by volunteering on campus with Accessible Learning's Note-taking Program, Laurier International, Wellness Education, the Sustainability Office and more.
Middle Three Years (Sussex)
- Apply for summer positions in legal firms in Canada or choose to stay in Europe for the summers.
- Join the Canadian Student Law Society and other student clubs at Sussex.
- Participate in moot court opportunities and competitions at Sussex.
- Attend professional development workshops with faculty to increase your employability skills.
- Participate in Sussex Clinical Legal Projects to develop and enhance your clinical legal education and deepen your skills for future employment.
Final Year (Laurier)
- Apply for an executive/coordinator position with a student club or committee.
- Decide on the Articling Program as part of the Lawyer Licensing Process and participate in recruitment activities (summer before final year).
- Attend the Careers in Criminology and Law Fair.
- Share your Laurier experience with prospective students at open house events.
Be Engaged: Broaden Your Perspective
First Two Years (Laurier)
- Get involved with the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
- Gather for Soup Tuesday at the Indigenous Student Centre.
- Complete the Intercultural Certificate with Laurier International.
- Engage in training on consent, bystander intervention and disclosure provided through Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention Support.
Middle Three Years (Sussex)
- Learn about new perspectives and cultures through interacting with other students and opportunities available while in the UK (Sussex has students from more than 80 different countries).
Final Year (Laurier)
- Create a piece to participate in the Diversity Art Series.
- Participate in Indigenous Education Week.
- Complete the Diversity Certificate.
- Earn your Certificate in Accessibility with Accessible Learning.
- Consider the Alternative Reading Week Trip with Habitat for Humanity.
Checklists
Completing the checklists below will also help ensure your academic, professional, and personal success during your time at Laurier – and beyond.
Academic Success Checklist
- Plan for a successful degree path by meeting with your academic advisor and reviewing your progression requirements on MyDegree.
- Visit your professors during their office hours.
- Discover the Library – librarians can help you find and evaluate scholarly information for your assignments.
- Utilize the Online Assignment Planner.
- Book a career consulting appointment to explore career options.
- Complete the Student Awards scholarship and bursary applications on LORIS.
- Access the Wellness Centre for emotional, mental and physical health services.
- Visit Learning Skills and Development to get feedback on your work, develop your learning skills, and further enhance your writing.
- Attend the Further Education Fair to learn about postgraduate programs.
- Apply to graduate and attend convocation to celebrate your success.
Experience Checklist
- Volunteer with the Students’ Union (e.g., EcoHawks, Emergency Response Team, Food Bank, Foot Patrol, Shinerama).
- Have your resumé and LinkedIn profile reviewed in the Career Centre.
- Apply for on-campus jobs (e.g., Athletics and Recreation, Golden Grounds, Residence, Bookstore, peer programs, writing tutor and more).
- Enhance your money management skills and confidence by completing the Money Management Certificate.
- Attend the Career and Job Fairs to network with employers.
- Earn your Career Development Certificate.
- Create a profile on laurier.tenthousandcoffees.com to connect with Laurier alumni.
- Earn the Wellness Education Certificate.
- Learn to think like an entrepreneur and be a changemaker through opportunities with the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation.
- Bring your ideas to life in Laurier’s Library Makerspace or Science Maker Lab.
- Reflect on your co-curricular experiences for your Laurier Experience Record.
- Network with alumni at career events to gain insight into possible career paths.
- Apply to jobs through Navigator for summer, part-time or full-time work after graduation.
Career Opportunities
When you're ready to start thinking about your life after graduation, you should check out the career and postgraduate options for people with a degree in Law and Society.