So, this is my fourth year at OJEN, but my first year as a full-time permanent employee! My first introduction to the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) was in 2022. For the 2022-2023 academic year, I was selected to be one of 10 Justice Education Fellowship (JEF) students, representing Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of […]
Hello! My name is Owain Davies, and I am a Project Leader in OJEN’s Educator Support Department. My interest in law began in high school. In Grade 11, my class participated in a mock trial, with a practicing lawyer serving as the judge. I was immediately captivated by the experience and, so, my passion for […]
What do the Ontario Human Rights Code, cellphones and young filmmakers have in common? Under normal circumstances, probably not much. But through the Reel Justice program, these unlikely pieces came together as young people explored discrimination – not just by talking about it, but by turning their experiences and ideas into short films. Thanks to funding from […]
Hi! My name is Serena, and I am a recent alum of McGill University, having graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and an upcoming 2027 JD Candidate at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law. Justice education for youth has always been an area of interest to me, especially given the low […]
OJEN’s Justice Education Fellowship program provides year-long placements to law and paralegal students. After receiving in-depth training in public legal education (PLE) theory and methods, each Fellow plans and delivers a minimum of 3 justice education workshops in schools in their communities with ongoing support by OJEN’s staff. The Fellowship program allows OJEN to invest […]
Join the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC), in partnership with Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services, The Neighbourhood Group Community Services, and the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN), for a three-part virtual learning series designed for new community legal clinic staff and law students. Funded by the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario (ACLCO), this series […]
OJEN’s Public Legal Education and Information (PLEI) for Racialized Youth program wrapped up in March after completing its 4-year funding cycle. Funded by the Department of Justice Canada’s Justice Partnerships and Innovation Program (JPIP), the program was designed for youth who identify as African, Caribbean, Black (ACB), and Indigenous, ages 14–29, living primarily in urban […]
Last month, close to 200 public legal education professionals from across the country gathered in Ottawa for the Public Legal Education Association of Canada (PLEAC)’s annual conference. PLEAC is a national, non-profit organization that serves as an umbrella organization for public legal education and information (PLEI) groups across Canada. The 2026 conference was co-hosted by […]
After a 6-year legal journey that has seen many twists and turns, the 7 young Ontarians behind the landmark Mathur, et al. v. His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario go back to court this spring. Earlier this month, Ecojustice announced that the Court of Appeal for Ontario will hear the youths’ motion to […]
The Law Syrup podcast, a co-production between Herman Wong and the Ontario Justice Education Network, features conversations with special guests on various topics in Canadian law. In its second season, the podcast tackles discussions on Gladue Courts, tenant rights in Ontario, careers in family law, teaching and learning law, and much more. Two of the season highlights are the conversations with […]
In 2022, OJEN adopted a strategic plan establishing our organizational priorities through to our 25th anniversary in 2027. One of the 5 key priorities we identified was to: engage youth directly to increase the diversity of youth served. Advancing this goal, our programming focus has shifted from creating content for youth (youth-focused) to creating content with youth (youth-centred). A $20,000 grant from the TELUS […]
