Legal Education
The Student Legal Services Legal Education Project manifests itself in three main ways:
We offer lectures to:
- Junior High School classes
- Senior High School classes
- interested community groups
- employees at community organizations
- clients of community organizations
Presentations to school classes can be scheduled to fit class time, upon discussion between the teacher and the Student Legal Services co-ordinator. Presentations to community groups can be scheduled from: 8-10 am, 12-2 pm and 7-9 pm, subject to volunteer availability.
Our Lecture Topics include:
- Assault
- Bankruptcy & Insolvency
- Civil vs. Criminal Law (Introduction to Canadian Legal System)
- Contract Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Custody/Maintenance
- Employment Law
- Human Rights
- Immigration Law
- Landlord & Tenant Law
- Employee Liability in Community-Based Organizations
- Separations & Divorce
- Small Claims
- Youth and the Criminal Justice System
- Wills
In most presentations, audience members have lots of questions about the law. Therefore our presentations generally take 2 hours in order to present legal information and allow for ample question and answer time. Please remember, our students are limited to PROVIDING LEGAL INFORMATION, and may not provide legal advice.
If you are interested in booking a lecture, please contact us. Because the work performed by SLS is executed by volunteers, it is important to give the Legal Education & Reform Coordinator several weeks notice in order to ensure the availability of volunteers.
The mock trial program is intended to provide a simulation of a real courtroom experience. During the trial, students take on the roles of lawyers, court clerks, witnesses, and jury members. Resource materials are provided to teachers to help them support their students in preparing for their mock trial experience. It contains “teacher only” information as well as student handouts.
Currently the mock trials are available for:
- Junior High School Classes
- Senior High School Classes
- Elementary School Classes (Grade 5-6)
- In class puppet shows to Pre-School and K to Grade 3
Currently there are Senior High mock trials dealing with:
- assault
- second degree murder
- possession of narcotics
Junior High mock trials alternatives include:
- shoplifting
- mischief (property damage)
What is Involved in a Mock Trial, and What is the Time Commitment for the Students?
Prior to the mock trial Student Legal Services volunteers will come to the school to present on issues of: courtroom etiquette, the difference between open-ended and leading questions, rules of evidence and the roles of each participant in the courtroom. The material covered in this presentation greatly depends on the level of preparedness of the students. If students have already begun preparing for their roles it provides SLS volunteers with an opportunity to address more specific questions, often dealing with strategy and counter-points. This first session generally lasts 1-2 hours.
Whether it is a Senior or Junior High mock trial, students acting as lawyers will prepare opening and closing arguments, questions for both their own witnesses and the opposing sides witnesses, and a “Speak to Sentence” where appropriate. Each student who accepts a role as a witness (including the accused) is provided with a summary of his or her character’s recollection of the events. This is merely a summary, so each student is given an opportunity to provide creative answers - which can sometimes yield a surprising outcomes.
The mock trial takes place in the Faculty of Law moot courtroom. This generally takes 1 ½ to 2 hours. Student Legal Services volunteers will act as the presiding judges, giving context appropriate guidance and feedback throughout the mock trial. With smaller classes, the student judges will render a verdict in the case. For larger classes, the decision will be rendered by members of the school class. At the completion of arguments, the students will adjourn to the jury room, deliberate the facts of the case and render a verdict based on a majority vote.
If you are interested in booking a Mock Trial, please contact us.
During the summer months of July and August we operate a law camp program in conjunction with various day-camp and day-care centers in Edmonton and the surrounding area. The purpose of this program is to provide an introduction to children, about the Canadian legal system.
The law camps are divided into two separate sessions, with each session lasting approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. In the first session, SLS workers will teach the participants about the basic principles of the Canadian legal system and the roles of different individuals involved in the legal system. This first session involves a series of games and group activities. The second session gives the children a chance to apply what they have learned through a mock trial. In the Faculty of Law moot court room, children have the opportunity to act out the roles of Judge, court clerk, lawyer, accused, witnesses and jury members. In addition, the mock trials are centered around the themes of characters popular among children.
The law camps, in use for several years, continue to receive tremendous support and praise from those groups that participate from year to year.
It is important for any day camp organization to note that the law camps will be of maximum benefit if the summer camp staff who work with the children on a daily basis, take an active role in supervising their charges and participating with the children in the program.
If you are interested in booking a Summer Law Camp, please contact us.
