August 7, 2025

2025 Viscount Bennett Scholarship Recipients

The Law Society of Alberta is pleased to congratulate Alexandra Lyn, Jacob Schweda and Rachel Weary, this year’s recipients of the Viscount Bennett Scholarship.

The Viscount Bennett Scholarship is funded through a trust established by the late Right Honourable Viscount Bennett. It was put in place to encourage a higher standard in legal education, offered to support those interested in pursuing post-graduate studies in law. This prestigious accolade is awarded to individuals with an exceptional academic record and a clear dedication to contribute to their community through the practice of law.

Alexandra Lyn

Alexandra Lyn is thrilled to begin her PhD at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law. The focus of Lyn’s doctoral studies will be a continuation of her current research program, which began during her LLM: the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the law.

“The rapid proliferation of AI and progression of technology is going to be one of the defining issues of my lifetime, and potentially my son’s lifetime. This is an instance where innovation has outpaced regulation. AI is being used in ways that were previously thought impossible, and is being used to make very real decisions that can affect individual's rights,” Lyn said.

Jacob Schweda

After acquiring his International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and years of studying internationally, Jacob Schweda sought to return home to Canada to pursue a caring and helpful profession where he could make a difference. Schweda’s intrinsic motivations for bettering our society are evident in the focus of his graduate studies: how the law compensates workplace psychological injuries.

“My greatest hope would be that it helps illuminate that there is still very much a double standard between how the law treats physical and psychological workplace injuries,” Schweda said. “Also to highlight why it’s happening, how it’s happening and who it’s impacting.”

Rachel Weary

Rachel Weary attributes her hands-on experience as a practising lawyer to have been foundational to her continued studies. Now in her first year of the doctoral programme at the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law, Weary’s academic focus is on debt and feminism, relationship debt and pseudolaw.

“My research explores theoretical understandings of debt and financial abuse, along with practical civil and commercial issues faced by everyday Canadians,” Weary said. “I’ve been able to blend my perspective and experience as a legal practitioner with my research in feminist and legal theory.”

To read the full articles for each recipient, visit our website.

Mentorship Programs Update

The Law Society is pleased to announce that all mentorship programs will be housed under one roof using an online system, making the process of matching easier for mentors and mentees alike.

Previously, Mentor Express, Mentor Connect and the Indigenous Mentorship Program operated in different ways. Now, all Law Society mentorship programs will be hosted on Mentorship Rocket.

The Mentorship Rocket platform supports participants by automating some of the more time-consuming tasks and by giving all mentees the ability to match themselves through the mentor gallery. Until now, Mentor Connect and the Indigenous Mentorship Program have relied on manual processes to track participants and match mentors and mentees. There are no new changes to the operation of Mentor Express; however, this will be a new change for how Mentor Connect and the Indigenous Mentorship Programs operate.

While mentees can still participate in multiple programs simultaneously, mentors will now be limited to participating in only one program at a time, meaning mentors can only participate in either Mentor Express, Mentor Connect or the Indigenous Mentorship Program. This restriction is due to limitations of the platform.

All new and returning mentors and mentees must complete the new mentor and mentee registration forms, as our Terms and Conditions have been updated. Once registered, the Mentorship Team will send you an email that will include a link to Mentorship Rocket and further instructions on how to log in and use the platform.

What is staying the same?

The goals and structure of our different mentorship programs remain the same.

Mentor Express is a quick and easy way for mentees to match themselves with up to twelve mentors for one-hour meetings throughout the program year.

Mentor Connect allows mentees to self-match with mentors and build a one-on-one relationship over a six-month period.

The Indigenous Mentorship Program allows new lawyers, articling students or law students who identify as First Nation, Métis or Inuit to self-match with experienced Indigenous counsel. They meet one-on-one for advice, guidance and connections over a six-month period.

The program year will run from Sept. 16, 2025 – April 30, 2026.

Contact Customer Service if you have any questions about these changes. Learn more about the different mentorship programs and how to register.

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