Summer Law Institute 2025 – The Teacher Experience
By Marija Apostolovski
For educators across Ontario, the end of summer looks different for everyone. Some spend the last weeks setting up classrooms, imagining the students who will soon fill them. Others savour slow mornings and warm coffee, enjoying the final days without alarm clocks. For a few, the pace of summer school has just ended, only to give way to fresh lesson plans for September. But for many law teachers, the close of summer is marked by a different tradition – the Ontario Justice Education Network’s annual Summer Law Institute.
This two-day conference, held on August 26 and 27 at historic Osgoode Hall in Toronto, brought educators together to explore emerging areas of law and how complex, sometimes controversial issues can be thoughtfully introduced in secondary classrooms. Each morning began with a delicious breakfast and opportunities to connect with colleagues, gently easing into conversations that would deepen as the day unfolded.
Day one offered five rich sessions with topics easily woven into the curriculum. Ryan Fritsch from the Law Commission of Ontario explored how AI is emerging in the legal field, emphasizing the importance of ensuring its use does not discriminate against marginalized communities. Megan Savard, criminal defence lawyer in the controversial Hockey Canada trial, provided a compelling look at consent in the legal system, illustrating how the standard can feel simultaneously too high and too low. Talia Gordner and Cassie Barker discussed Canada’s lag behind the EU and USA in regulating PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” and explored how the right to a healthy environment ties into intergenerational equity. Natalie Cammarasana and Spencer Livingstone examined how ever-evolving international trade laws affect both domestic and foreign relations. The first day concluded with a visit to the Indigenous Learning Centre at the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto, where community advocates and Elders shared insights on services supporting Indigenous communities, leaving educators with a deeper understanding of the law’s impact on diverse populations.
Day two opened with a multifaceted conversation on youth, social media, and internet safety. Jennifer Gibson, Detective Constable Adrian Hyatt, Anthony Marchetti, and Shameen Sandhu explored the importance of internet safety, and the impact of sextortion on vulnerable communities. The discussion continued with passionate insights from Brittany Beaton, Patrick Murray, Carlo Di Carlo, and Harini Sivalingam, who highlighted how the Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act has negatively impacted communities that rely on essential services and broader health support through Toronto’s Supervised Consumption Sites.
Educators were then privileged to hear from Chief Justice of Ontario, The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch, who spoke to the importance of revitalizing civic education and deliberately teaching and defending the principles of law, justice, and democracy to prepare students for active citizenship. During lunch, the community celebrated the accomplishments of this year’s Hux-Kiteley Exemplary Justice Educator Award recipient, Susan Kasurak.
Afternoon sessions featured Nat Paul and Fraser Thomson sharing upcoming publications and developments in the Mathur et al. v. Ontario hearing, while OJEN’s Bryn Rieger and Jean-Paul Bevilacqua highlighted changes to OJEN’s website, new resources, and ongoing projects to support access to justice. The day concluded with The Honourable Justice Lorne Sossin presenting the Top 5 Cases of the Year and the lessons they offer for the classroom.
This year’s Summer Law Institute marked the close of summer for Ontario educators while ushering in a new school year full of opportunities: to guide students in exploring legal justice, to work as communities in support of vulnerable populations, and to approach each day with a fresh perspective. OJEN continues to provide thought-provoking, timely, and relevant programming for secondary law classrooms. Like my colleagues, I eagerly anticipate next year’s Institute!