NEWS
Tuesday, October 27, 2015 5
BLSA Helps Prospective Students Seize the
(Opportunity) Day
Current Students Host Oz Applicants
lindsay holder › contributor
O
sg oode H a l l’s Bl ack Law Students
Association (BLSA) hosted their annual
Opportunity Day event on Saturday 17
October. BLSA members welcomed nearly
sixty event participants, most of whom are people of
colour, and all of whom are planning to apply to law
school within the next year or two. “Opportunity
Day is a chance for current undergraduates, high
school students, and those who may have been in
the workforce for a while to come and learn about
law school and the application process from the
people who have been through it most recently,” said
Jessica Hardy-Henry, BLSA’s Academic Advisor and
lead organizer of Opportunity Day. Hardy-Henry
further notes that “we highlight Osgoode’s unique
features with a session geared towards informing the
participants about why Osgoode is great and why we
all ultimately chose to get our education here.”
The objective of Opportunity Day is to give
potential law school applicants from the black
community the chance to learn about the law school
and the associated experiences – everything from the
application process, to funding sources, and beyond
– from black students who have been successful in
the process and are currently in law school. Blacks
and other racialized people still face discrimination
and alienation in the legal community in Ontario.
Opportunity Day allows black students who are
thinking about law school to come and hear about the
whole law school experience first hand from other
black students – an exercise that can go a long way
in building morale. Although the event is hosted by
BLSA, potential applicants from all backgrounds are
encouraged to participate. Opportunity Day typically
takes place during the winter term, but BLSA opted
to plan an additional event this year with the intent
of attracting those who are planning to apply in the
upcoming cycle with a November 1 deadline.
The day began at 10:00 am with a light breakfast
and registration. The session then kicked off with
attendees hearing from Legal & Literary Society
President Bethany McKoy, who spoke about her
experiences at school and what makes the Osgoode
community a great place to be a law student. Visiting
Scholar and Professor Jamil Jivani spoke about his
background, why he chose to become a part of the
Osgoode community and the opportunity he had to
develop the course he currently teaches, Community
Organizing and the Law. Professor Jivani further
detailed the combined elements of theoretical
learning, practical experience and reflection that
are offered in his course. Session attendees also
heard about the diverse programming offered at
Osgoode, including the myriad experiential learning
opportunities that students can apply to participate
in. Following this, members of the BLSA executive
were introduced and shared an impressively diverse
array of extracurricular activities and summer work
experiences. Opportunity Day participants were
encouraged to reach out and discuss similar areas
of interest or ask questions of BLSA exec members.
The group was then split up and received a tour of
Osgoode, covering everything from the moot court
to lockers and the library to the JCR (and associated
Wednesday evening bar offerings). During lunch BLSA
members were busy interacting with participants
and answering questions about the application
process, available areas of study and how to merge
undergraduate
i nte re st s w it h
various areas of
law. The afternoon
c o n c l u d e d
around 3:00 pm,
following a 1 L
panel organized by BLSA Mentorship Coordinator
Camille Walker, who is currently in her second year
as a member of Osgoode’s Admissions Committee.
The panel gave Opportunity Day participants the
chance to hear from some of this year’s 1L students
about their approaches to the application process
and students’ various experiences prior to attending
Osgoode. There was a thorough review of the law
school application process, tips on how to make an
application stand out, and then the floor was also
opened up to questions from the audience.
In addition to all of this, Opportunity Day also
gave BLSA the chance to highlight and inform
participants about one of their flagship offerings:
the LSAT Bursary. Each year, BLSA carries out
fundraising efforts to raise money for a bursary that
covers the cost of a LSAT preparatory course offered
through Harvard Ready. With the knowledge that
LSAT prep courses can be an unattainable expense
for some, BLSA’s goal with the bursary initiative is
to work towards strengthening the applications of
black law school applicants and thereby increase the
representation
of blacks in the
legal profession.
“BLSA is proud
to be able to fund
this
bursary
annually and help
to provide access to LSAT prep to someone who may
otherwise not be able to attend such a course,” said
BLSA Co-President, Mary Owusu.
BLSA’s annual Halloween Candy Gram fundraiser,
which brings in funds for the LSAT Bursary, begins
on Monday 19 October and runs until Thursday
29 October. With a table set up in Gowlings Hall,
students can purchase candy packs to be delivered to
friends on 29 and 30 October.
Know someone who is planning to apply to
law school but wasn’t able to make it out to this
Opportunity Day? Not to worry! BLSA will be
hosting another Opportunity Day next semester,
and anyone is welcome to attend. For information
on location, date and registration for the next
Opportunity Day, please visit BLSA’s website at:
http://blsaosgoode.com/ u
“There was a thorough review
of the law school application
process...”
ê Photo credit: BLSA.
t humbs down
The end of the Jays World Series run.