We represent the 400 students of the Justice and Legal Studies (JLS) program at the University of Guelph and are excited to announce that in June 2025, our first graduates will cross the convocation stage. To celebrate, we are launching a fundraising campaign to leave a legacy and support future Justice and Legal Studies students.

You are invited to join us and support our major as we look ahead to careers in law and politics, socio-legal studies, political science and more.

We thank and recognize our colleagues, family, faculty mentors, guest speakers, industry experts, and University of Guelph alumni who have gone before us. We’re learning to think critically, advocate for change, and lead with integrity. Motivated by a belief in the power of generosity, we hope to – with your help – make an impact in the lives of future Justice and Legal Studies students at the University of Guelph.

Please consider making a charitable gift to help us reach our fundraising goals:

Goal 1) Raise $2,500 to install a bench near the University Centre with a commemorative plaque honoring the 2025 JLS graduating class. This tribute will foster pride and serve as a lasting marker for the JLS community. [Update: We have successfully reached this goal!]

Goal 2) Raise at least $7,500 which will be designated to the bench ($2,500) and $5,000 or more towards the first Justice and Legal Studies undergraduate scholarship. Open to any student in the major, it will recognize the highest academic excellence, awarding $1,000 per year as long as funds allow.

Goal 3) If we were to raise a total of $34,500, this would endow the award in addition to establishing the bench. An endowed Scholarship is incredibly special. It will create an ongoing lasting legacy, providing financial support to JLS students year after year into the future.

We aim to complete our entire campaign by March 2026. If we do not reach our minimum fundraising target at that time, donations will go towards the Political Science Department’s highest-priority fund.

We are proud to be Justice and Legal Studies Students at the University of Guelph! We’ve launched this initiative to create a lasting reminder of what this program stands for and to support future students who follow. It is about more than just today- it is about shaping tomorrow.

Your donation, no matter the size, will help us reach our goals and celebrate student academic excellence in the Justice and Legal Studies program.

Sincerely,

The executive of the Justice and Legal Studies Society at the University of Guelph.

-----------

Click “Donate” to make an online gift. All donors will receive a charitable tax receipt

If you have any questions about donating or would like information on how to give through cheque, EFT/wire or share transfer, or would like to make a corporate donation, please instead contact Elizabeth Rauchenstein Alumni Advancement Manager, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph. Reach Elizabeth by email at erauchen@uoguelph.ca or by phone at 226-820-6174. If you do not wish to be thanked or recognized by the JLS Studies Society and JLS Program, please mark your gift as anonymous.