426 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 80 PART 3 MAY 2022
thrive in the law school environment and lean on one another when these
foundations of the colonial legal system, which are deeply disrespectful of
Indigenous worldviews and legal orders, are discussed.”
The members of the planning committee strongly emphasized how
invested the student members of their team were in the success of the
course and each of the students. As Lee notes, “Without the contributions
and input from Verukah, Rikki and Cassandra in the planning and execution
of the ILS Summer Intensive in Tort Law, we would not have had such
an overwhelming success. Their motivation and dedication to the success
of each of the students was motivational and inspiring.”
Like Rikki, second-year law student Verukah Poirier completed the 2020
ILS Summer Intensive as an incoming first-year law student, and she
returned to take on the role of ILS Mentorship Coordinator. She says that
participating in the first ILS Summer Intensive set her up for academic and
personal success, and that she learned the value of fostering community
among Indigenous students. “As an Indigenous law student, there are many
times where I feel like I do not belong at law school,” she explains. “But the
first ILS Summer Intensive reminded us that imposter syndrome is very
real and that we all deserve to be here. That stuck with me.”
A feature of the ILS Summer Intensive important to the planning committee
was providing cultural support for students, including through the
ILS J.D. mentorship program begun in 2020. In 2021, Lee and Verukah
matched incoming students with upper-year Indigenous students, and each
week, Verukah hosted in-person or online events to strengthen community
and provide mentoring opportunities.
Verukah and Rikki also assisted with skill-building exercises, such as case
briefings and reflection sessions. “I know first-hand as a participant in last
year’s ILS Summer Intensive that these skills helped me build the confidence
I needed to succeed in law school,” Verukah says. “I also think the
strong community that we built over the summer will benefit the students
as they start their legal journeys together, as they’ve connected with each
other and upper-year Indigenous law students who are here ready to support
them when they need it.”
Cassandra Sawers, a third-year Indigenous law student, piloted the ILS J.D.
Mentorship Program at the law school in 2020, and in 2021 took on the position
of ILS coach, providing one-on-one tutoring to students each week during
the Summer Intensive and over the remainder of the summer to ensure
they had the opportunity to continue building skills before September. Coaching
is an integral part of the ILS Academic Leadership Certificate, an optional
certificate program that provides Indigenous students with further opportunities
to develop academic and leadership skills during the school year.