Milton, ON – A number of local lawyers are helping Ontario students take learning out of the classroom and into the courthouse.
Through OBA Law Day – an event aimed at educating and informing the public, especially Ontario’s youth, about the role and importance of the law – will give local area students a taste of what it is like to be a lawyer.
On Friday, May 8, 2015, students will compete in the Central West Ontario Regional Finals taking part in a series of Mock Trials at the Milton Courthouse (491 Steeles Ave. E., Milton) between 8:30 am and 3:00 pm, with Justice Jamie Trimble presiding.
The students represent winning teams from across Central Western Ontario, who have been taking part in a regional competition called “OBA Law Day” hosted by the Ontario Bar Association (OBA), a volunteer member association of 16,000 Ontario lawyers.
In April, the OBA opened Ontario’s only province-wide mock trial tournament for students in communities across Ontario. Local schools ran their own mini-tournaments to create a school team.
The lawyers volunteering to make this a unique and meaningful learning experience for the students will serve as coaches, instructors and judges.
“I get involved with OBA Law Day because I see what an impact it can have on youth who are interested in career options they would only otherwise see on television or read in books,” says Karen Kwan Anderson, an Immigration lawyer with Pace Law Firm who has been coaching the St. Aloysius Gonzaga team in Mississauga.
“OBA Law Day is a rewarding experience for both students and volunteers alike,” adds Cherolyn Knapp, a Guelph-based lawyer who practices with Nelson, Watson LLP. “One of the things I enjoy most about being a lawyer is connecting with the community, and OBA Law Day offers a unique opportunity to connect with students and provide them firsthand experience of what it’s like to advocate for justice.”
OBA Law Day is about providing a unique glimpse into a career in law and offers a valuable education to the vital role that lawyers and the judiciary serve in guaranteeing an open, independent and unbiased judicial system.
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The Ontario Bar Association partners with the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) and the Association of French Speaking Jurists of Ontario (AJEFO) to make OBA Law Day success.
For photos or more information:
Amy Clark
aclark@oba.org;
(416) 869-1047 x 364