Meet Martina, your 2012-2013 Ombudsperson! If you have any issues during the year, she's all ears. Martina will also be joining me in organizing your Orientation Week starting in July! For now, you can reach her at ubclawombuds@gmail.com
Class of 2015! Welcome!
Welcome to UBC Law! Welcome to our new building, our new home. Welcome to the Musqueam land we share. Welcome to studying in a library with a view of the ocean and the mountains. Finally, welcome to a buzzing community that will always foster and be fostered by your involvement, where we share and support each other in the face of rigorous academics.
As your Ombudsperson this year I have the responsibility of easing your year’s transition into law school and ensuring UBC Law’s commitment (in words and in deeds) to the values of equity and non-discrimination. In short, I do this by sitting on various LSS committees, liaising with administration and diverse student groups, and hearing your complaints. I will try and help with complaints about academic procedure, faculty, student clubs, interpersonal conflict between students, and even problems with the building. Also feel free to approach me with personal issues if you need to. If I can’t help, I will try my darndest to find you the person, organization, or committee that can, and I’m happy to help you present your concerns to them. While academics are a huge part of your time here, your health, relationships, and happiness should be priorities. There are tons of ways that you can maintain that balance, and I’m here to help.
The spirit of support that is unique to UBC Law is what will get you through your first year. Don’t forget to cash in! Upper year students, and especially your Legal Buddy if you have one, will be more than willing (read: nerdy and eager) to give you advice, career guidance, old CANs, and moral support. We also have dozens of sports teams where you can meet new people and let off some steam: Women and Men’s Rugby, Dodgeball, Volleyball, and Curling, to name a few. Clubs and organizations reach well beyond law-related ones like Pro Bono, LSLAP or the Review. Check out something completely different like the Ski and Snowboard Club, the Indigenous Law Students’ Association, Knitting Club, or the Legal Eye.
Nevertheless, while choosing extra-curriculars and in academics and job searches, it is important not to lose sight of who you are before law school. It might become easy to switch your own goals and interests with those that seem important to the majority, or to others’ career goals. I am going to be one of many people who will encourage you to stick to what drives and interests you first. These interests can always change (hey you might end up really loving tax law, imagine that). Still, make sure to always check back in throughout the year and consider why you’re suddenly in Duff’s Tax Class, and the Tax Moot, and interviewing with a Tax Firm… well that escalated quickly. Be true to yourself no matter what direction those interests take your legal education and career. Additionally, don’t let academics, competition, or pride ever come between you and your classmates. I can safely say that is not the community that we have here at UBC Law.
Congratulations on your first step in joining the legal profession. You will meet so many great, intelligent, and incredibly unique people. You’ll make it far while still being able to call law school a blast in a glass. If it starts to not be, make sure to talk to someone about it.
I’ll conclude with some advice that applies to the entire galaxy, and so definitely applies to your next three years: Don’t Panic, and Always know where your towel is.
Looking forward to meeting you all,
Martina Zanetti
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