Legal Studies, Social Change – High School Essay Contest
The Canadian Law and Society Association and Ontario Tech University invite Ontario high school students to enter an essay contest on the topic: What role is there for law reform in creating positive social change?
Students who are enrolled in CLN4U Canadian and International Law or CLU3M Understanding Canadian Law are eligible to enter. Short-listed candidates and their teachers will be invited to participate in a hybrid session of the Law and Society in an Age of Connection and Distraction Conference at Ontario Tech University on Friday, February 21st.
Essay prompt
What role is there for law reform in creating positive social change?
We welcome different approaches to answering this question in your essay. Your paper could examine the impact that a particular legal change has had on society. For example, what significance has the legalization of same sex marriage, cannabis or medical assistance in dying had in Canada? Alternatively, your essay could make the case for a legal change to address some pressing social issue. Climate justice, poverty, peacebuilding, gender equality, technology, misinformation, democracy—any contemporary challenge where you think law reform has an important role to play.
The word count maximum, excluding footnotes, is 1,400 words.
Please use any one of the following recognized citation styles: APA, MLA, Chicago or the McGill Guide to Uniform Legal Citation. We are interested in your perspective and reading your writing. Therefore, the use of AI is not permitted.
Enter to win at the Age of Connection and Distraction Conference at Ontario Tech University :
1st place: $500 cash prize and $2,000 Ontario Tech entrance scholarship
2nd place: $300 cash prize and $1,500 Ontario Tech entrance scholarship
3rd place: $200 cash prize and $1,000 Ontario Tech entrance scholarship
Submission process
Due date: Monday, January 20 at 11:59 p.m.
Send to: legalstudiesessaycontest@ontariotechu.ca
- To enter, you must be currently enrolled in the high school course CLN4U Canadian and International Law or CLU3M Understanding Canadian Law.
- This non-renewable scholarship is applied as a credit towards tuition at Ontario Tech University in the amount of $2,000 for first place, $1,500 for second and $1,000 for third place.
- Receipt of this scholarship does not guarantee admission to any program. The bearer must be granted admission to their program of choice through the regular admissions process.
- In order to claim this scholarship, bearer must be admitted to and enrolled full-time in an undergraduate program of study at Ontario Tech University in the Fall semester following their grade 12 graduation.
- This scholarship cannot be redeemed for cash value.
