Future female entrepreneurs meet future female lawyers

On March 3, 2026, in celebration of International Women’s Day, four third‑year law students from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law’s L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic—Tina Lerner, Nav Nain, Jasmine Yakobovich, and Serena Bevilacqua—visited Balmoral Hall School to deliver an interactive legal workshop to Grade 9 students in Balmoral Hall School’s Venture Development class which teach entrepreneurship, innovation and collaboration. 

Entrepreneurship at Balmoral Hall School

The visit marked the sixth consecutive year of this partnership, which has become a highly anticipated event for both the Clinic and the students at Balmoral Hall School. Each year, students arrive more prepared, more inquisitive, and increasingly eager to connect legal concepts to their own ventures.

The Venture Development class at Balmoral Hall School encourages students to design, produce, and sell their own goods—ranging from candles and jewelry to home accessories—at the school’s Balmoral Hall Maker Market. Proceeds support both the young entrepreneurs and reward venture development at the school, blending practical business experience with opportunities for creativity and self‑expression.

Experiential Learning in Action

During the workshop, the law students, together with the Grade 9 Girls Venture Development Class, explored the Legal Fundamentals of Business – from business structures and contracts to intellectual property, including trademarks and copyright  – and connected over what it means to build, imagine, lead as young women in law, entrepreneurship and more. The law students shared their own stories, pathways to law school, and what it is like to be a law student helping entrepreneurs.

“Their questions showed a level of business awareness that was genuinely impressive,” said Tina Lerner. “The students seem very aware and thoughtful about how to protect the value of what they create.”

Students eagerly connected legal principles to their own ventures, offering examples from product development, branding, and sales. Their curiosity pushed the discussion deeper, prompting conversations about protecting original designs, navigating business agreements, partnerships, understanding ownership of creative work and more.

Nav Nain observed, “This group was exceptionally sharp—they approached the law the same way they approach entrepreneurship: with confidence and curiosity.”

A lively exchange about current trends among young entrepreneurs added another layer to the discussion. Students used real‑world business examples to illustrate how companies safeguard their innovations and manage high‑profile legal disputes. The conversation reinforced how intellectual property shapes modern entrepreneurship.

“They made incredibly smart, relevant connections between legal concepts and the businesses they admire,”said Jasmine Yakabowich. “It’s clear that they are already thinking like innovators.”

By the end of the session, the law students left with a renewed appreciation for the next generation of business leaders.

“These students are already building things that matter,” Serena Bevilacqua reflected. “If they are thinking about intellectual property now, imagine the ventures they will launch in the future.”

Power of Collaboration

The time the law students and students at Balmoral Hall School spent together was a powerful moment of collaboration across generations. 

The ongoing collaboration continues to offer a meaningful community outreach and legal education experience, one that celebrates International Women’s Day by empowering young entrepreneurs to understand, protect, and champion their ideas. 

This was a meaningful exchange on the journey towards success of all participants, both the young law students and the younger girls in the Balmoral Hall School Venture Development class. 

Half of the law students in the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic are women, 50% of the Clinic’s client-base are women entrepreneurs; and, at Balmoral Hall School, 100% of the Venture Development class is made up of enterprising young women building their own ventures.