For our L.E.X. volunteers

On this page:
Volunteer testimonials
What you’ll bring to the program
LEX roles: volunteer or coordinator
Pour en savoir davantage

This page is for current McGill Law students interested in getting involved in the L.E.X. Outreach Program.

Our incredible team doing another visit at Lauren Hill this morning! They created an entire lesson plan that responded to the interests of this specific class. This time on criminal procedure! We are so grateful to have such dedicated volunteers at L.E.X.
From the LEX Facebook account, on 29 March 2021: "Our incredible team doing another visit at Lauren Hill this morning! They created an entire lesson plan that responded to the interests of this specific class. This time on criminal procedure! We are so grateful to have such dedicated volunteers at L.E.X."

Volunteer testimonials

Jemmy and Camila [two young women standing in front of the Old Chancellor Day Hall's main door]

Jemmy Erhiaganoma (3L) & Camila Franco (2L), Student Coordinators

Jemmy (left) and Camila (right) share a passion for youth rights and eliminating structural barriers to education. They have both been actively involved in the L.E.X. Program from the time they joined the Faculty.

This year, they are working to implement new virtual initiatives in light of the challenges poses by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to expand the vision for the L.E.X. program.

Ariel [a young white woman smiling outdoors]Ariel Holmwood-Bramwell (2L)

“This is my first year volunteering with L.E.X., and so far the experience has been very rewarding. I have participated in two workshops with students from KSS: the first on immigration, and the second on protests.

We discussed our rights and the limits to them, as well as the many changes that need to be made to Canadian law to make it a more equitable.

Whether or not the students decide to pursue law as a career, I hope that these discussions give them tools with which to critique and understand the laws that impact our everyday lives.”

Fanta [A young Black woman,  smiling, standing outdoors, wearing a black turtleneck and a tan coat]Fanta Ly (3L)

Je me suis jointe au programme LEX, car à mon avis, le droit se doit d’être ancré par et pour les diverses communautés de notre société.Ainsi, en vulgarisant et en modérant des discussions sur divers enjeux juridiques, j’espère contribuer à cet effort de démocratisation du droit.

De plus, c’est une opportunité de rencontrer et de collaborer avec des étudiants de la Faculté que je n’avais pas eu la chance de côtoyer. Ainsi, LEX m’a permis de tisser des liens avec la Faculté et la communauté.

Logan [a young white man, smiling, indoors, wearing a pink shirt]Logan Stack (3L)

Over the past three years, L.E.X. has offered me a unique opportunity to engage with inspiring students and to translate legal ideas for a new audience.

Helping students think critically, share their perspectives with each other and deepen their understanding of fascinating legal issues was a truly rewarding aspect of my law school studies.

More broadly, I know that through each lesson, the talented team at L.E.X. was able to encourage students to see a place for themselves in a legal community that has not always been accessible; every conversation, big or small, contributed to this goal.

Katrina [a young woman with dark shoulder-lenght hair, wearing a white sleevelesstop and a gray scarf, smiling]Katrina Graham (2L)

Growing up in a low-income family, I spent the first 18 years of my life thinking that university, and the opportunities it brings, were just not for me.

I’m studying Law at McGill today thanks to the hard-headed teachers who pushed me to understand that I had options and that I deserved an education.

I am part of L.E.X because I want to pass that forward and break the myth that post-secondary education is is “out of reach” for most youth.
 

What you’ll bring to the program:

  • Your perspective as someone who has successfully completed high school and made the transition to post-secondary studies;
  • Your experience as someone who may have overcome adversity or systemic barriers to access post-secondary education;
  • Your passion for learning and your belief in the power of education;
  • Your curiosity about the rewards and challenges of teaching;
  • Your commitment to putting your education and experience to work in the service of others.

L.E.X. roles

Students can join L.E.X. in two ways:

1. L.E.X. volunteer

A few times per academic year, law student volunteers travel in teams of 3 or 4 to Montreal-area high schools and program centres to deliver workshops on legal rights and issues.

Workshops are created or selected from previous years and then edited and updated by the Student Coordinator(s). Workshops are interactive, starting with a brief lecture, then opening the floor for students to engage in group work and a legal problem-solving exercise. Examples of workshop themes include online privacy, graffiti as vandalism vs public art, cyberbullying, sentencing circles, and alternative dispute resolution.

Volunteers also participate in the Welcome Day hosted at the Faculty of Law in the Winter Semester.

Prior to hosting workshops, volunteers are required to attend a training session which is usually held in late September or early October of each year.

As a L.E.X. volunteer, you will receive recognition for your involvement on your McGill Co-Curricular Record.

2. L.E.X. student coordinator.s

This is a part-time paid position that runs for one full year starting in May. The Student Coordinator (or coordinators) collaborates with the L.E.X. Faculty Advisor (the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Recruitment). Coordinators develop a volunteer recruitment strategy, lesson plan and training manual, volunteer training and appreciation sessions, Welcome Days. Coordinators also coordinate the delivery of new initiatives. Throughout the school year, the Student Coordinator.s will also liaise with partner schools and program centres. This position is made possible with the support of the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation.

Pour en savoir davantage

  • Écrivez-nous à outreach.law [at] mcgill.ca.
  • Venez nous voir durant la journée des clubs (Clubs Day), en septembre
  • Assistez à notre séance d'information annuelle.
  • Visitez nos comptes Instagram (@lawmcgilllex) et Facebook (@LawMcGillLEX)!
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