President's O-Week Welcome

By   Published on: Saturday August 29, 2009

Dear First Year Law Students,

Welcome to Dal Law! My name is Michelle McBride and I have the privilege of serving as your student government president this year. First of all, I wish to congratulate you on having the good sense to choose Dalhousie Law School. Dal Law is not just a first-rate academic institution that is home to many of Canada’s brightest current (and future) legal minds; Dal Law is a community of friends that is committed to professional development and public service.

I challenge you to make the most of your three years at Weldon. The time will fly by. Take advantage of time with your professors. Get to know Halifax. Law school will change the way you think. Whether you realize it yet or not, you are embarking on a life-changing journey. You will soon be a member of a historic profession and charged with responsibility not just as an advocate, but as an officer of the court. As you will soon learn, with the privilege of a legal education comes the responsibility to use your skills to promote access to justice for all citizens.

As the Dean has mentioned, the school’s commitment to public service – the “Weldon Tradition” – is unparalled in Canada. And make no mistake, this dedication to giving back to the community starts in first year. Whether it be volunteering your time for pro bono legal work or organizing sporting or social events for your peers, there are innumerable ways to contribute to our school’s unique culture.

On the topic of unselfish public service, I would like to extend a sincere thanks and congratulations to your O-Week organizers, Matt Murphy and Lisa Wagner. These two students along with their many dedicated volunteers have sacrificed much of their summers and shown themselves to be among Dal Law’s finest ambassadors. It has been a pleasure to work with them and I hope many of you will “pay it forward” and help us to give next year’s incoming class a similarly first-rate welcome to Weldon!

I cannot stress enough how important it is that you make the most of your short time at Weldon. While it most certainly won’t feel this way at first, the time will fly by. It seems like only a short time ago when I was in Section C, buried in legal-sized pages, highlighters and empty coffee cups. I can hardly believe it’s time for 3L.

I look forward to meeting all of you. Please stop by the LSS office or e-mail me at michelle.mcbride@dal.ca if you have any questions or would like to chat. Take advantage of all our upper-year students- they are your best resource for CANs, general advice on Halifax, law school and of course, the eventual search for employment.

Congratulations again and Good Luck.

Best Regards,

Michelle McBride

LSS President