Call for Volunteers

Inspire a passion for law in local students by volunteering in the OBA/OJEN mock trial program. Lawyers from all practice backgrounds and seniority levels are welcome to participate as advisors and/or judges in schools and tournaments across Ontario.

The commitment is small, but the rewards are great. Participation requires very little preparation, and it requires only a few hours to a day of your time. Organizers will provide everything you'll need, from matching you with a school/tournament to providing case information and volunteer instructions. The OBA also co-ordinates media outreach in support of the program, shining a spotlight on this unique opportunity for OBA members to connect with their communities. And in return for your time and effort, you'll get to inspire and influence the future leaders of the legal profession.

Secondary School Mock Trials

For the competitive format via Zoom - Volunteers will act as either an advisor, requiring four one-hour in-class sessions during January to April, or a judge, requiring two to eight hours at a tournament scheduled in April or May (depending on your location). Organizers will assign you to a local school or tournament and provide preparation materials.

Alternative Format – The alternative format is designed to be more flexible and accessible than the competitive format in a few different ways.

Students submit opening and closing statements that will be reviewed by lawyer volunteers, who will provide written feedback on the participants’ arguments based on their professional experience and their reading of the case scenario.

We also offer students an online message board they can use to discuss ideas and strategies with one another while they prepare their submissions. One sub-forum on these boards is an "ask-an-expert" type of thing where they can post substantive questions about their arguments, seek cases in support of these, and receive feedback from lawyers. Time commitment: 1 hour a day dedicated to responding to questions on the online message boards, over the course of two separate weeks.

More Information

Please contact Mary Rose Leishman, Law Day Coordinator, at lawday@oba.org for more information on this program.