High school participants in the LAWS program had a chance to show off their legal acumen in a mock trial held at the Faculty of Law last week. Dressed for courtroom success in their legal robes and collars, and armed with notes and copious research, the students passionately argued their cases in front of presiding Judge (Professor) Simon Stern. The trial concerned a fictional case tailored to focus students on specific legal arguments about intoxication, self defense and the elements of an offense. In the coming weeks, students will be 'viewing the crime scene', and interviewing 'witnesses'.
"I love the CSI elements of the program," says Ally Lee, 15 and a Harbord Collegiate student. "It's been really exciting to learn about the law, and I also enjoy talking about the trials. Getting help from my tutors with homework is also a really important part of the program," she adds.
The LAWS program is a partnership between the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and the Toronto District School Board to deliver a three-year academic and extra-curricular program that teaches young people about the law and supports them to succeed in school. Each year, LAWS serves over 350 grade 10, 11, and 12 students attending inner-city high schools. The 27 students who participated in the mock trial are members of the LAWS Harbord Mock Trial Club, which was created and is run by upper-year law students.
Alexandra Raposo, 15, also from Harbord Collegiate says that she really enjoys the LAWS program and loves the challenge of trying to 'find a hole' in a person's defense. "The program has taught us so many interesting things like about mens rea and how to build a good defense. It was also really great working with our tutors and coaches to build our opening statements and learn how to cross-examine a witness," she says.
LAWS interim acting director Greg Sitch says that the LAWS Harbord Mock Trial Club was a huge success. "The Harbord students developed and argued the kinds of complicated criminal cases that are taught in the first year of law school, and they did it well. The club is yet another excellent example of the kind of student leadership that the LAWS program encourages both for high school students and for the law students who ran the club," he says. The mock trials and debates, he adds, also help students develop public speaking, critical thinking, literacy, and teamwork skills. "These are all important skills to have as they move on to university," he adds.
Since the program's launch four years ago, 60 per cent of the participating students went on to pursue post-secondary education. The remaining students opted to move on to Grade 13, but are expected to continue to university the following year. Currently, six of the students that went through the LAWS program are studying at U of T.
Another added benefit of the program is giving students the confidence to think about attending law school some day. "My uncle is a lawyer, so I'm familiar with the subjects, but the LAWS program has definitely been another reason to consider a career in law," says 15-year-old Aman Soin, who especially enjoyed the intellectual challenge of preparing for a trial including the practice runs. "My parents are excited and proud about me participating in this program."
