The Law-Review Experience: The Impact of Mentorship and Student Involvement Over the Past 50 Volumes.

• Author: Emberley, Christina
• Position: Special Issue: The Challenge of Meeting Change in Legal Education

To understand how much has changed with the Ottawa Law Review (OLR) over the past 50 volumes, one need only look to the very first issue, in which the "Editor's Page" said: "Our experience tells us that Canadian law students fail to appreciate the importance of law-review experience; they don't realize the significance of research and writing in legal practice." (1) While that may have been the case in 1966 when this publication was just starting out, I am happy to confirm that today, in 2019, that statement no longer holds true.

Speaking from my own experience, the OLR has been the highlight of my academic career. Though there are endless advantages to being a part of this publication--research and writing evidently among them--there are two key reasons why I believe our law-review experience is so impactful: first, the OLR's commitment to giving students access to unparalleled mentorship; and second, its commitment to provide students with an initiative to which they can contribute, and of which they can be proud.

Mentorship is the driving force of the OLR. It is well known that the students of the Common Law Section of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law are the backbone of this publication, and we take great pride in the work that we do. But we would not have the success that we do if it were not for the guidance of our Faculty Advisors, both past and present. During the 2018-19 academic year, our editorial board has the great fortune of having Professor Kyle Kirkup and Professor Yan Campagnolo as our respected advisors. From the perspectives of their own experiences--both mistakes and successes--they counsel us through unfamiliar territory, and gently nudge us in the right direction. But, more importantly, they trust us to find our own paths, and they instill confidence in our team that we have the capacity to ensure the success of our publication. On behalf of the entire board, I would like to extend our greatest thanks to Professor Kirkup and Professor Campagnolo: we would not get very far without your guidance, and we appreciate the time and effort you put in to helping us grow.

In addition to this great mentorship, the students of the OLR learn from each other. We serve as each other's sounding boards...