The Women’s Legal Mentorship Program (WLMP) is open to all self-identified women, non-binary, gender nonconforming (which includes 2SLGBTQI+,and BIPOC women) in the law, who are either a licensed lawyer, articling/law practice program student or a registered law school student in Canada. 

Our criteria for membership in the WLMP mentoring community reflects the understanding that all WLMP Mentoring Community Members adhere to the Rules of Professional Conduct governing the legal profession in their province, support equity principles and believe in amplifying and increasing the role of all self-identifying women in the law through professional mentorship and leadership.

Lawyer Membership Criteria

To start mentoring a Women’s Legal Mentorship Program member as a WLMP Lawyer Member, the following criteria applies:

• Must be a licensed lawyer in good standing with their provincial law society in Canada.  

• Have not been under any disciplinary practice restrictions and/or disciplined for professional misconduct. 

• Have not been removed from the WLMP National Student Program and/or University Chapter program and/or any mentorship program at any of the WLMP’s ally organizations mentorship programs.

• If applicable, paid their WLMP membership fee for access to the online mentoring community. Membership is currently free.
• PLEASE NOTE: We process all WLMP Memberships only three times a year ahead of our WLMP Mentoring in-take periods.

Law Student Membership Criteria

To register in the Women’s Legal Mentorship Program as a Law Student Member or Articling Student Member, the following criteria applies…

• a WLMP Law Student Member must be enrolled, attending and in good standing with a Canadian law school program.
  • Please note: A Canadian law school program is a degree program (whether a J.D. or LL.B Program) as defined by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.

• a WLMP Articling Student must be articling in Canada and/or registered in an approved Canadian Law Practice Program that has been approved by the relevant provincial governing body responsible for the licensing lawyers and also be in good standing with a Canadian legal profession.

• Please Note If you are a NCA Student Applicant: All National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) Students must meet the NCA application criteria set out by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, registered in the NCA application process, provide verifiable information and are currently articling in Canada.

• Have not been removed from any university and/or law school program, the WLMP National Student Program and/or WLMP University Chapter program and/or any mentorship program at any of the WLMP’s ally organizations’ mentorship programs

• If applicable, paid their WLMP membership fee for access to the online mentoring community. Membership is currently free.
• PLEASE NOTE: We process all WLMP Memberships three times a year ahead of our WLMP Mentoring in-take periods.

WLMP Membership Fees

Although the WLMP is a 100% volunteer run, there is a real cost to keeping the lights on, the mentoring platform running and our virtual mentoring community online. At this time the WLMP does not charge a membership fee.

However, we are actively working on developing additional income to offset the costs of the WLMP mentoring platform, including fundraising through sponsorships and donations through the WLMP Partner for Change Program and collaborations. However, how long the WLMP can provide a free membership depends on the support of the Canadian legal community. If the WLMP starts to charge for memberships, it will be similar to other membership fees for legal associations within Canada.

Professional Membership Fees 

Currently, the WLMP does not charge a membership fee. In order to pay for the member site hosting, maintenance, keeping the WLMP virtual mentoring community online and accessible, the WLMP may have no choice but to charge a nominal membership fee in the future. But for now, there is no membership fee to join the WLMP or mentor.

Student Membership Fee

As with all WLMP memberships, there is no charge or fee to join. The WLMP recognizes the financial barriers facing both law students and articling / law practice program students. To address this barrier, the WLMP is piloting free memberships that provides access to WLMP national mentoring platform.

The support of the Canadian legal community through donations or sponsorships will determine if the WLMP can continue to offer a free law student membership fees.

PLEASE NOTE: The WLMP opens its mentorship matching in-takes three times a year: Spring/Summer, Fall and Winter. We only process all WLMP Memberships three times a year ahead of these in-take periods.