Commitment to community earns law student significant scholarship

With an undergraduate degree in engineering from McGill and an MBA with a specialization in finance from the University of Calgary, you would think Robert Sevalrud would be done with school for a while. But, along with his passion for community involvement, this first-year law student has big dreams.

Sevalrud is the first recipient of the Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP Renewable Entrance Scholarship, the largest scholarship of its kind in Canada. Sevalrud’s commitment to leadership, community involvement, and professional and academic accomplishment align with the core values of Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (BDP), making him a prime candidate for the award.

“Robert is involved with the United Way of Calgary, Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta, the Calgary Youth Science Fair, just to name a few,” says Grant Zawalsky, managing partner at BDP. “His dedication to the broader community truly emulates those of our firm’s founders.”

Sevalrud has spent the past four years working as an engineer in various roles at Imperial Oil. Upon completion of law school, he hopes to pursue a career in the area of securities and mergers and acquisitions.

“The Faculty of Law has a strong connection to the thriving legal and business community in Calgary, so studying law here will allow me to grow my network within this young and entrepreneurial city,” says Sevalrud. “The University of Calgary is internationally recognized in terms of its expertise and course offerings in natural resources and the environment, which is of particular interest to me as I would like to build my career in the energy industry. I’m very excited to begin my law school career this fall at the University of Calgary and I am extremely grateful for the support from BDP.”