KIM BONNAR
<Contributor>
At Osgoode we believe that a great legal education should combine the theory of law with the practice of law. The new Office of Experiential Education was born out of Osgoode’s mission to provide students with the best academic and professional education in Canada!
The Office of Experiential Education is the first of its kind at a Canadian Law School; continuing Osgoode’s long tradition of being an innovator in legal education in Canada. The function of the Office of Experiential Education is to provide high quality and diverse experiential opportunities for students throughout their time at Osgoode. Ensuring that Osgoode graduates have a solid foundation of professional skills required to practice law and a keen appreciation of how the theory of law applies in practice.
The Office of Experiential Education will provide a home base for all for practical legal experiences available to Osgoode students. Osgoode currently offers the most extensive experiential education opportunities of any law school in Canada and amongst the most innovative in the world. Some of the experiential opportunities that fall under the umbrella of the Office of Experiential Education include:
- Clinical Programs
- Intensive Programs
- Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS)
- Lawyering Simulations
- Mooting Programs
- Osgoode Public Interest Requirement (OPIR)
- ProBono Students Canada (PBSC)
- Summer Internships and Fellowships
The Office of Experiential Education’s objective is to continually improve and expand on the programs and opportunities offered at Osgoode. We will work with students, faculty and community partners to broaden and deepen the experiential education opportunities available. The Office is here to initiate and support the development of new and innovative experiential education initiatives.
One of these new and exciting initiatives is the Experiential Education Fund. Through this fund students, faculty, staff and community partners are able to apply for one time funding of up to $10,000 for projects which aim to expand the experiential education opportunities available to Osgoode students. Through the fund, Osgoode will distribute up to $150,000 in funding over the next two academic years. For each round of consideration, proposals must be submitted to the Office of Experiential Education through Natia Tucci at ntucci@osgoode.yorku.ca by January 31st and July 31st of each year.
The Class of 2015 is the first class required to complete a praxicum component as part of their degree. This requires each student to complete at least one academic program which combines the elements of legal theory, legal practice, and reflection. This requirement is meant to ensure that all graduates of Osgoode Hall Law School have benefited from a significant experiential education opportunity as part of their degree. The Office of Experiential Education is also here to provide support and guidance to students in fulfilling this new praxicum requirement.
The Office of Experiential Education is housed in Student Services (Room 1012 – off Gowlings Hall). For more information about the Office or experiential education opportunities available for current students stop by or contact Kim Bonnar, Manager Experiential Education and Career Development at kbonnar@osgoode.yorku.ca.