The Justice Education Fellowship (JEF) provides OJEN with the opportunity to extend in-depth public legal education (PLE) programs to high school students in various regions across Ontario. It also gives law and paralegal students training and experience in delivering PLE programs to youth. Fellowships are offered to students from each Ontario law school. In 2022, OJEN extended the Fellowship program to two students from an Ontario college with an accredited paralegal certificate program. For the 2022-2023 term, 10 students were selected for the JEF program. You can read more about the 2022-2023 Fellowship students here.
As one of the Fellowship students, I had the opportunity to reflect on the JEF experience with the other Fellowship students in my cohort. I will be sharing not only my experience, but the experience and perspectives of three other Fellows!
To apply? Or not to apply? This was an easy decision for us! As a first-generation student, Foti Vito from the University of Toronto explains that he chose to apply for the Fellowship to support his community in a way that he had sought support as a younger student himself. “As a first-generation student, I, too, applied for the Justice Education Fellowship to be a mentor and act as a resource for students.”
The Fellowship is aligned with OJEN’s mandate to promote understanding, education and build the legal capability of youth. Fellows organize and deliver a variety of justice education programs that focus on different aspects of the law. For example, Steps to Justice workshops introduce youth to common legal problems and give practical information about how to navigate them. Through hypothetical scenarios, participants use the Steps to Justice website to find answers to legal questions. The My Journey to a Career in Law workshop connects students with various legal professionals, challenging stereotypes they might have about careers in law, and inspiring them to consider a career in law.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fellows were required to attend two days of in-person training in Toronto. However, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, my cohort attended training via Zoom. It involved in-depth PLE training, including skill development in communication, community outreach, public speaking, and plain language work. At the conclusion of training, we each selected a minimum of three justice education programs to facilitate for youth.
Before facilitating our first program, we were required to schedule a dress rehearsal with OJEN staff and the other Fellows playing the roles of high school students. We communicated regularly with the Fellowship supervisors and participated in group check-in and/or professional development calls. Herman Wong from York University says that OJEN staff were very supportive from the training to the end of the Fellowship. The Fellowship period occurs during the academic year, and OJEN staff were willing to accommodate students’ schedules, and provide assistance where necessary.
Upon completion of each justice education program, evaluation data was collected and used to modify, if necessary, the program(s). This information is used to improve the Justice Education Fellowship.
The most challenging part about the Fellowship experience was the logistics, a sentiment shared by all of us. There are numerous people involved in the process – the Fellows, teachers, legal professionals, etc. It was difficult to coordinate program logistics with busy professionals. Confirming details with multiple people via email can be time consuming and we were eager to be in the classroom and connect with the students!
The most rewarding part about the Fellowship was the opportunity to use personal experiences and challenges to encourage students. Herman says that he did not have a mentor when he was growing up. As a Fellow, he could use his own experiences to encourage students not to be nervous about asking questions or not to feel intimidated; “I enjoyed teaching other people about the law, who envision themselves with a potential career in law.”
Neha Gupta from Queen’s University recognizes, there can be limited resources in high school. For her, the most rewarding experience about the Fellowship was “to be an extra person that students can talk to.” She says the Fellowship was a good opportunity for her to expose students to different careers in law, and to remind them that there are different ways to attain a career in law.
Foti recalls, “it was invigorating to be in a classroom with students, and to be reminded of why I decided to pursue law school.” The Ontario Justice Education Network is a one-of-a-kind organization, with a province-wide mandate, that impacts many teachers and students. The Justice Education Fellowship, in particular, is an invaluable opportunity to increase access to justice. We are proud to be a part of the 2022-2023 cohort of Fellowship students!
Crystal Binag
2022-23 Justice Education Fellow
Law student – Lakehead University