On November 6th, 40 young women from the Waterloo Region spent the day connecting with women working in justice sector careers. Braiding Diversity into Justice was a full day career modeling program designed to attract greater diversity to the legal profession. Organized by the Waterloo OJEN Committee, this program aimed to inspire young women from diverse backgrounds to consider careers in law.
During the day they met with female role models from all areas of the legal profession including judges, lawyers, police officers, probation officers, bail supervisors and others. The day started with a tour the Waterloo Region Courthouse and included visits to the offices of local law firms. Through panel discussions and Q & A sessions, the young women learned about career and education options. Most importantly, friendships were formed.
In his message to the Waterloo OJEN Committee, the Chief Justice of Ontario, George R. Strathy, congratulated them on the initiative:
“I don’t need to tell you how important it is to promote diversity in the profession and on the bench, and to provide young people with experiences and mentoring to enable them to seek careers in the justice system – and to show them that the courts are for the public, not for lawyers and judges.”
Check out the coverage by CBC Kitchener-Waterloo News.