Mentee or Mentor Applications
I am a newly-accepted, first-year Windsor Law Student. How do I join the mentorship program if I would like a mentee?
If you are interested in being matched with a mentor, please fill out an electronic application attached at the bottom of this page or on the Windsor Law Peer Mentorship Facebook group. Only first-year students are eligible to be mentees, but you can be a first-year student in any program - single JD, Dual JD, or combined degree program (e.g. JD/MSW, JD/MBA), etc.
I am an upper-year Windsor Law Student and I would like to be a mentor. How can I join the program?
Thank you for volunteering! You can fill out a mentor application very soon. Both second and third-year students are eligible to be mentors.
Role of Mentees, Mentors, & Time Commitment Information
What is the time commitment of the Peer Mentorship Program?
The Peer Mentorship program recognizes that no mentee/mentor pair is alike. The purpose of the program is to foster strong relationships between Windsor law students and ease the transition for first-year students. As a result, there is no strict time requirement. Some pairs like to meet once a week for coffee, others operate on a contact-with-questions basis. The mentor aims to assist the mentee with any questions or concerns they have, whether in person, or on the phone/email, at a mutually convenient time.
Mentors will be required to check in with their mentees at a minimum of once a month and update the Student Coordinator on the progress of their relationship with their mentees twice a semester at minimum.
What is the role of a mentor?
The responsibility of a mentor is to assist a first-year student with their transition into law school. This may require providing academic guidance, some social interaction and general support with navigating the 1L experience. As a mentor, your responsibility is to keep in touch and stay engaged with your mentee to help out where you are able to or point them in the right direction for assistance where you feel someone else is better fit to assist.
A mentor is not required to provide their mentee with their notes from previously taken courses (CANs - Condensed Annotated Notes), or to act as a tutor, mental health professional, or parent. A mentor is there to provide support to a mentee and guide them to the correct resources. If at any point you are unclear as to your role while engaging in your mentorship duties, please reach out to Assistant Dean (Student Services), Meagan Haugh.
Mentors will also be required to complete a virtual mandatory training session that will prepare you as a mentor and representative of Windsor Law.
6. What is the role of a mentee?
The role of a mentee is to learn as much as you can from your mentor about law school and the resources available to you. Your mentor has kindly volunteered their time to guide you and give you tips about surviving law school. The mentee must recognize the mentor is managing many other commitments including their own schooling, and we ask that you be respectful of the mentor's time.
If you ever need someone to talk to and your mentor is not available, please see the PMP Student Coordinator during office hours once school begins, or email her at lawpeermentor@uwindsor.ca anytime.
The Pairing Process
Mentee and Mentor applications are carefully reviewed by the PMP Coordinator. Pairings are assigned based on the information collected from each respective application. We aim to pair mentees with mentors in the same program, who have the ability to discuss the categories for which the mentee seeks guidance and support.
Mentees and Mentors will be paired and notified of the pairing in mid-august. This will ensure mentees have the opportunity to ask their mentors any questions they might have before the school year begins.
The Peer Mentorship Program has shown to provide not only a supportive relationship for first-year students but also to foster new friendships for both mentors and mentees. Law school can be very daunting, and we strongly encourage all first-year students to apply for a mentor to learn early on that law school can also be a lot of fun!