The first chapter of your Allard Law journey starts at Orientation. Meet the friendly faces who will be here to welcome you!
This year’s Orientation Coordinators, Lauren Maharaj and Ben Thompson, have been working behind the scenes to welcome the newest members of the Allard Law community. We asked Lauren and Ben to share some advice for the incoming class, reflect on their own first-year experiences and reveal a few of their favourite ways to spend time around Vancouver.
Which part of orientation has been your favourite to plan?
Ben: Our Summer Icebreakers, which brought together incoming and upper-year students. Hearing positive feedback from our incoming 1Ls made the process incredibly rewarding.
I also got to work with some of my favourite professors to coordinate two presentations: ‘AI and Your Legal Education’, a brand-new event on a topic that’s extremely relevant in our current legal landscape, and ‘Life of a Case’, an Allard Law classic that’s being revived this year.
Lauren: The Orientation Welcome Banquet has been such a joy to plan! I’m especially looking forward to meeting all our wonderful alumni who will give the incoming class a warm welcome.
I’ve also enjoyed all the small interactions I’ve had with our incoming students. It warms my heart to know that they feel like they belong here already.
What surprised you most about law school?
Ben: Coming into law school, I expected a highly competitive and academically focused environment. While Allard certainly pushes students to excel, I was surprised by how willing everyone was to help one another. I was supported by upper-year peer tutors, professors and classmates who consistently went out of their way to assist me.
Lauren: Looking back, I’m incredibly surprised to discover how much I learned during my first year of law school. Law school challenges the way students think through problems and teaches students to anticipate potential legal concerns – this is formally termed “issue spotting”. At the end of 1L, you’ll be surprised to see just how much your thinking has changed!
What’s been your favourite class so far?
Ben: Contracts was the course I expected to enjoy the least (please don’t tell my Contracts prof), but it quickly became my favourite. It was also the course that challenged me the most and required the most work, which made finally wrapping my head around it all the more rewarding.
My cohort was also lucky enough to learn from Professor Bruce MacDougall, who is now our Dean pro tem!
Lauren: I thoroughly enjoyed Tort Law. Every class with Professor Beswick is truly an adventure. His classes are intellectually engaging and challenging, and I gained a deeper understanding of the material by working through hypotheticals and attending office hours with my peers.
Tort Law felt like a group learning endeavour, and Professor Beswick let us guide our own learning.
Do you have any advice for our incoming law students?
Ben: The professors at Allard are genuinely invested in your success and want to see you succeed, so I’d encourage you to take advantage of your professors’ office hours. Some of my most foundational learning moments occurred during office hours and I was able to form really positive relationships with my profs.
Lauren: All your life experiences have led you to pursue the study of law. It’s really important that, as you navigate the challenges of 1L, you remember why you’re here and continue to follow your interests.
Join the clubs that pique your interests, attend the seminars you find intellectually engaging and continue to grow as a student and academic. Law school is an incredible opportunity for self-discovery, and I would encourage students to treat it as a period for exploration.
Lauren
Previous degree: Bachelor of Media Studies, UBC
First-year small group: Scow
Favourite first-year memory: Movie nights with my law school besties and issue-spotting torts
Best Vancouver activity to try with friends: Paddleboarding around English Bay.
Current favourite TV show, podcast or book: I’m currently watching Funny AF with Kevin Hart
Ben
Previous degree: Bachelor of Political Science and Government, UVic
First-year small group: Curtis
Favourite first-year memory: Founding Allard’s Run Club, Plead for Speed, and competing in the 2026 Inaugural BC Law Schools Soccer Tournament and Allard Trike Race.
Best Vancouver activity to try with friends: Hiking the North Shore mountains or biking the seawall!
Current favourite TV show, podcast or book: Currently reading Into Thin Air and watching Ted Lasso Season 4
