Law grad awarded prestigious fellowship
June 25, 2015
Recent Western Law graduate Chelsea Smith ’15 has been awarded the prestigious Richard J. Schmeelk Canada Fellowship.
The fellowship is available to students who desire to pursue graduate studies in Canada's other official language.
The value of the award is $10,000 a term for up to four terms of study.
Smith will study Civil Law at Université Laval in Quebec City as part of the Western-Laval Joint Program. In addition to the JD and Diplôme de français juridique she received at her recent convocation, she will also receive her LL.B. in Quebec civil law in Spring 2016.
Throughout her studies, Smith has been on the Dean’s honour list and has been very active in sports, campus life and volunteer work, including founding the Western Law French Society. She earned her undergraduate degree in English Language & Literature and French from Huron University College where she was a Gold Medalist.
Smith says she enjoys the challenge of learning the two separate Canadian legal systems and the challenge of studying law in a second language.
“French has always been a passion of mine and I’m thrilled to be able to continue this passion during law school and as I start my legal career,” she says.
“I’m very pleased Western Law, Université Laval and The Schmeelk Canada Foundation recognize the importance of bilingualism and the advantages of knowing both Canadian legal systems,” adds Smith.
