At Robson Hall there is always a social event coming up for you to have fun with your classmates and forget about class for just a little while! From barbeques, to fundraisers, pub nights and formals, no matter what your style there is something for everyone! Orientation Week is packed with lunchtime and evening events to meet and mingle with your new friends (including the infamous boat cruise on Friday night)! Other favourites include our pub night “Call to the Bar” in November, The Carbolic Smoke Ball, our formal event, in January, and the annual Coffeehouse talent show in March, as well as some new and exciting events that your social committee is cooking up! You will see posters around the school and tickets will usually be on sale in the main hallway in advance of all events. Don’t miss these events because they truly are some of the highlights of your time at Robson!

The University of Manitoba offers a wide range of intramurals to its students, and both male and female students at Robson Hall are proud to take part. The University offers intramurals in basketball, dodgeball, floor hockey, soccer, ultimate frisbee, touch football, ice hockey, and volleyball. Robson Hall fields teams in different sports based on popularity, so come ready in September to play, and hopefully we can enter teams into every sport! Intramurals run during the week and times range anywhere from early afternoon to late evening. All that is needed is a minimum four-month gym membership (which is offered at a very affordable price and includes access to the gym and other services offered by the U of M). Robson Hall is also home to the historic Robson Hall Jets, who participate in the Law League and Cliff Edwards Classic Hockey Tournament.

Intramurals is a great way to meet and interact with fellow Robson Hall students (of all levels) outside the classroom. The intramurals at the U of M are fun and accessible to students of all backgrounds, NO experience is needed! Find the sport you like and give it a try! Intramurals are a convenient way to relax and forget about the stress of first year. So bring your gear and take part in the long tradition at Robson Hall.

The Robson Hall Bilingual Student’s Association is a new student group designed to promote the unique opportunities that are available to English/French bilingual students at Robson Hall. As part of our aim, we will keep our members up-to-date with current events and issues within the Franco-Manitoban legal community. We also aim to keep members informed of any employment or volunteer opportunities available to bilingual students, as well as social and networking events. For more information, contact Reannah Hocken ( reannah.hocken@gmail.com ) or Carlyn Sarna ( carlyn25@hotmail.com ). Find out what French can do for you!

Outlaws is the queer law student association at Robson Hall. Our goal is to provide a queer positive learning atmosphere and meeting place at the Faculty of Law for all, regardless of sexual orientation. We welcome everyone – whether you are queer or an ally. We will have a social get together in September to welcome new students. For further information please watch for announcements or contact Professor Donn Short at donn_short@umanitoba.ca , Professor Debra Parkes at debra_parkes@umanitoba.ca or Professor Karen Busby at karen_busby@umanitoba.ca.

Mediators Beyond Borders is an international organization with numerous chapters, both professional and university oriented, which brings together mediators and allied professionals to volunteer worldwide in support of conflict resolution capacity building efforts in underserved areas to make them more effective and sustainable. The vision of the organization is to build sustainable conflict resolution capacity for a more peace “able” world. The Robson Hall chapter is the first of its kind in Canada and was started in 2009. By bringing mediation training and conflict resolution programs to the faculty, MBB hopes to broaden the horizons of students looking to contribute to the local and global society around them through workshops, internship opportunities and conference attendance. If you wish to be involved, please contact Amanda Faulkner at robsonmbb@gmail.com.

The Feminist Legal Forum (FLF) is a group of law students at the University of Manitoba Robson Hall Law School. The FLF works to promote education on the reality of feminism today as well as inequality and its many layers. The FLF strives for equality in the Law School, the University and society as a whole. We are concerned with the relationship between equality and law with a focus on equality in the practice of law and equality in the application of law. Over the course of the year the FLF works towards these goals through social action, round table discussions, partnerships with LEAF Manitoba, guest speakers, and campaign and protest initiatives. If your have any questions contact Dayna Steinfeld and Meghan Menzies at flf.robsonhall@gmail.com . And check out the blog at: http://feministlegalforum.wordpress.com.

The University of Manitoba Christian Legal Fellowship seeks to serve the interests of University of Manitoba Law students and the Faculty of Law community by providing an environment for the exploration of Christian faith issues arising from the study of law. The club also seeks to assist students who want to start and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ, be challenged in their faith, develop ministry and leadership skills, and minister to their peers and community. For more information contact clfmbrobsonhall@gmail.com.

The Family Law Group will allow students to network with others interested in this exciting field of practice. We hope to spark interest in Family Law, and provide a source of information for those hoping to practice family law upon graduation. In the past, we have hosted guest speakers. As the club develops, we would like to host networking events with the family law bar in Winnipeg and offer family-specific career development sessions. If you know you’re interested in family law, or at least would like to learn more, then please contact one of the members for more information or come out to the first meeting in October!

Hockey has a long tradition at Robson Hall, and the team is as active as ever. Both men and women of all skill levels are encouraged to get involved and have fun in the different leagues and tournaments, even if you have haven’t skated in years or have only played ringette or floor hockey in the past. The Cliff Edwards Classic Hockey Tournament will take place September 24-26, 2010 and is a great way to meet other Robson Hall students and Winnipeg lawyers — it is also a good training camp for the upcoming season. The Winnipeg Law League has six teams run by various law firms and plays on Tuesday nights, and students can be drafted following the tournament, depending on availability of spots. Robson Hall also traditionally fields a U of M intramural team that plays once a week against other faculties. In the fall, a group drives down to play the University of North Dakota law school team and travels to Edmonton in January for a tournament against law schools from Western Canada. So be sure to bring your equipment if you are from out of town and send any questions to Kyle Lamothe and Brandon Trask at robsonhalljets@gmail.com.

The Mentorship Program pairs you with a lawyer in Winnipeg (or elsewhere in Manitoba if so requested), and has two receptions each year. The goal of the Mentorship Program is to allow students to gain practical information about the practice of law, and to allow lawyers a chance to get to know future members of the profession. It is a great networking experience because not only do you meet your mentor, but many other mentors as well. The Mentorship Program is one of the most successful student driven activities at Robson Hall as the vast majority of first-year students participate.

There is an elected student representative on the Manitoba Bar Association council who is responsible for organizing the Mentorship Program at Robson Hall. You will see information in September about signing up for the program and submitting your information and interests. The application will be distributed through email and available on the MLSA website (www.MLSA.ca) and can be submitted electronically. You must become a member of the Manitoba Bar Association to participate in the Mentorship Program (see www.CBA.org/Manitoba). If you have any questions, you can contact Rana Bokhari at mbamentorship@gmail.com.

The Business Law Group (BLG) aims to bring together Robson students interested in the various aspects of business and corporate law. Throughout the year, we provide members with fun and informative opportunities to mingle with professionals and other students. Past events include regular guest speakers, a Virtual Stock Exchange competition, and various social activities. Our goals are to increase interaction between students and practitioners in the legal community and enhance the understanding of what it means to be a business lawyer in Manitoba. If you have any questions contact Jordan Lobe or James McFarlane at robsonhall_blg@yahoo.ca.

The objective of MALSA is to serve both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal law students who wish to learn more about Aboriginal people and Aboriginal legal issues. Students in the Association can participate in events such as the Indigenous Bar Association Conference and the Aboriginal Moot (Kawaskimhon Moot) on a yearly basis. The Association presents an Aboriginal Speakers Series, where members of the legal community come to speak on a specific topic. Elections for representatives of the organization are held in the fall. The organization has an open door policy and all law students, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, are encouraged to become members of the Association for support, to learn, or to participate in its regular meetings and events.

Each year, a law school will host hundreds of participants from around the country for Canada Law Games. Sporting, academic, and social competitions dominate the schedule. The 2011 Canada Law Games will be hosted by law school at the Université Laval from January 2 – January 6, 2011 in beautiful Quebec City.  Law Games is a great chance to get to know future lawyers from around the country. Keep your eyes posted for sign up information in the fall and if you have any questions, contact Erika Robson and Ailish Griffin at bisonslawgames2011@gmail.com