Law Syrup
Tap into Law Syrup, a podcast series highlighting unique topics in Canadian law through conversations with special guests. Join host Herman Wong as he chats about what’s trending, how to explore tricky subjects, and where to hold space for accountability and growth. Designed for the everyday listener, each episode combines powerful insight with a casual touch. New episodes drop biweekly. Law Syrup is a co-production between Herman Wong and the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN).
Thank you to The Law Foundation of Ontario for their support.
Herman Wong (he/him/his) is the host of Law Syrup and an incoming litigation associate at Torkin Manes LLP in Toronto. Previously, he served as a Justice Education Fellow for OJEN and was awarded the Tate Herbert Memorial Post-Secondary Award for his efforts in delivering educational workshops to high schools. An alum of Osgoode Hall Law School, Herman also served as a mentor, a copy editor for the school paper, Obiter Dicta, and a year representative on Student Caucus. During his studies, he participated in various tourneys, winning 1st place in the Winkler Institute Negotiation Competition. Herman also holds a Bachelor of Journalism and a Combined Honours degree in French from Carleton University. There, he received the Senate Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement, the K. Phyllis Wilson Scholarship, the Elizabeth Paulette-Coughlin and Peter Coughlin Scholarship, and the Award of the Ambassador of Switzerland to Canada. Law Syrup is the result of Herman’s desire to combine his journalism and legal knowledge to improve access to justice, demystify preconceptions and biases of the Canadian justice system, and open space for discussion and critique.
Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and RSS.
Season 1
Why Should We Learn About the Law?
Supreme Court of Canada Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin shares her experiences growing up in northern Ontario, gives behind-the-scenes details of Canada’s highest courthouse, and remembers some of her career highlights.
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Out and Proud
Our Pride Month special episode includes a panel discussion about identifying as a 2SLGBTQ+ individual within the legal sphere. Panelists share their views on issues related to conforming to heteronormative workplace practices. Panelists include Bennett Jensen (Egale Canada), Adam Goldenberg (McCarthy Tétrault) and Johanna Macdonald (The 519).
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Express Yourself – Section 2(b) of the Charter
Professor Jamie Cameron discusses the Charter right of freedom of expression, including its limits and restrictions, its application to social media and accountability.
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Courtroom Journalism
Professor Janice Tibbetts gives us a behind-the-scenes look at her previous role as a courtroom journalist. She shares her most memorable stories covering some of Canada’s most prominent legal cases and discusses the course she currently teaches for journalism students in Ottawa.
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How Does Criminal Court Work?
In this episode, Herman sits down with Justice Mabel Lai from the Ontario Court of Justice to discuss how real-life trials work compared to TV and movies, the underlying humanity of criminal law, being a racialized female lawyer working in the profession, and drag kings performing at dim sum.
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Addressing Inter-Partner and Gender-Based Violence
In this episode, we speak to Pam Hrick, Executive Director & General Counsel at the Women’s Legal Education & Action Fund (LEAF). The discussion centres on gaps in the justice system related to acts of violence disproportionately targeting women, transgender and gender-diverse individuals. She also discusses the importance of helping to forge avenues of redress and healing.
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Journey to Law School
Herman takes a trip down memory lane with his high school friends Daphne Chu (Borden Ladner Gervais LLP) and Bronté Anderson (McGill University Faculty of Law) as they share their experiences heading to law school. Together, they discuss early inspirations, searching for resources, and helpful advice to anyone young or old who is curious about pursuing a legal career.
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The Top Five Cases of 2023-2024 (with Professor Sonia Lawrence)
Recorded at the Osgoode Hall in Toronto as part of OJEN’s annual Summer Law Institute, this episode features Professor Sonia Lawrence’s presentation on her picks for the most significant court cases from 2023 to 2024. Highlights include who is considered a “driver” under Ontario law, decisions revolving around Indigenous sovereignty, and Saskatchewan’s use of the notwithstanding clause in the Charter.
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A Glance into OJEN’s Work
Before we drop our second season full of new interviews and engaging discussions, we wanted to share a little bonus episode profiling some of OJEN’s work through the eyes of one of our valued team members, Ashley Harripersad. Hear about the different departments at our organization, the various resources and programs we offer, and some exciting things ahead. We’ll see you soon for season 2!
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Season 2
What Is a Gladue Court?
In our season premiere, we explore the world of Gladue Courts: What are they? How did they come to be? And what role do they play in reshaping the justice system’s relationship with Indigenous Peoples? To unpack these questions, Herman is joined by an expert panel featuring Justice André Chamberlain, Jonathan Rudin (Aboriginal Legal Services), Crown Attorney Emma Haydon (Ministry of the Attorney General) and Lysandra Moreno (Legal Aid Ontario).
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Tenant Rights in Ontario (with Douglas Kwan)
In this episode, Herman and Douglas Kwan dive into housing law, specifically landlord and tenant rights, responsibilities and resources, and how a Live Aid concert sparked a career in advocacy.
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The Teachers Episode (with Marija Apostolovski, Luís Filipe and Matthew Wilks)
In this episode of Law Syrup, Marija Apostolovski, Luís Filipe and Matthew Wilks, three dedicated high-school educators, share what drew them to the profession, how they build engaging classrooms, and the challenges and surprises that come with teaching legal topics to young people. They also reflect on the utility of OJEN resources, the importance of legal professionals getting involved, and why students should consider taking law as an elective.
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A Career in Family Law (with Dara Khoeum)
Our guest, Dara Khoeum, family lawyer and friend of host Herman through their work with the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL), brings sharp insight and plenty of heart to the conversation. From the path that led him into this field to the realities of the courtroom, Dara shares how he balances legal strategy with empathy, navigates the overlap between family and criminal law, and advocates for clients through some of their most challenging moments.
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Learning (and Writing) about the Law: Students’ Perspectives
Earlier this year, in partnership with Ontario Tech University, OJEN ran its first annual essay contest asking high school students: What role does law reform play in creating positive social change? In this episode of Law Syrup, we hear from the winners, Zainab, Jal, and Marwa, as they share what inspired their essays, what they discovered about law’s impact on society, and how they see their own educational and professional futures unfolding.
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A Conversation with Megan Savard
At the most recent Summer Law Institute, OJEN-er Jean-Paul Bevilacqua sat down for an in-depth conversation with criminal defence lawyer Megan Savard. Megan reflects on her path into criminal law, the early challenges she faced, and the skills and strategies she developed to establish herself in a demanding profession. She also discusses the essential role of defence counsel in protecting Charter rights and maintaining public confidence in the justice system.
The conversation then turns to the recent Hockey Canada trial, in which Megan represented one of the five defendants. She offers insight into the unique legal, evidentiary, and societal issues raised by the case and reflects on the broader public conversation surrounding sexual assault trials in Canada. This episode will interest listeners from multiple perspectives, offering a candid look at criminal law, advocacy, professional resilience, and the real-world impact of legal processes on Canadian society.
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Accompanying Resources:
Stemming from the inaugural season of our public legal education podcast Law Syrup, we’ve developed a suite of accompanying resources for each of the individual episodes. Check out the resource below to enhance your students’ learning and expand the different ways to engage with the various legal topics and issues that we tackled during the podcast’s first season.