The L.E.X. Program | Program details | Volunteer | Information for partners
The Law-Éducation-Connexion (L.E.X.) Program
The L.E.X. Program (formerly High School Outreach Program), was founded at McGill's Faculty of Law in response to Quebec's alarming high school dropout rates as well as to the under-representation of under-served youth, children of immigrants, and visible minorities in post-secondary and legal education in Montréal. The L.E.X. Program reflects our view that the privileges enjoyed by the Faculty of Law and its students also bring responsibilities.
Law student volunteers visit classrooms at six Montréal area High Schools. High School students are also invited to the McGill campus and the Faculty of Law for guided tours, to participate in a mock trial, and various other activities from year to year; including visits to classes at the Faculty of Law, the Montréal Courthouse, and McGill’s athletic facilities.
Program details
- Host Faculty/Dept/Student Group: Faculty of Law
- Main contact: gillian.nycum [at] mcgill.ca (Gillian Nycum), Acting Assistant Dean (until December 31, 2015); ali.martin-mayer [at] mcgill.ca (Ali Martin-Mayer), Assistant Dean (after January 1, 2016).
- Outreach website: McGill Law-Studies Outreach page
- Languages offered: English and French
- Year established: 2006
- Location and timeline: Outreach program held both on and off campus, from September to March or May.
- Collaborative partners: Faculties of Education and Medicine, the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation, our partner high schools, the Lester B. Pearson School Board, English Montreal School Board, and Commission scolaire de Montréal.
- Links to media about the outreach program:
Volunteer
Positions available:
Law Student Facilitators, Team Leaders, and Point Persons
Time commitment:
- Our Law Student Facilitators, Team Leaders, and Point Persons commit to 4-6 high school visits per academic year. Each visit represents approximately 5 hours of preparation, travel time, and in class time.
- In addition, our volunteers participate in a training session in September, and in other events including the Welcome Day at McGill, court house visits, etc.
Why volunteer?:
Our law students tend to be eager to give back to the community and are generous with their time and efforts. We at the Faculty of Law are privileged to have such a dynamic, committed student body.
The pedagogical benefits for our law students are many; the L.E.X. program allows them to:
- View their own legal education through a different lens;
- Advance their understanding of legal concepts;
- Develop their ability to articulate legal concepts in plain language while engaging a group.
How to get involved:
Interested students will be invited to attend our training in September, then sign up for a one-year commitment to our program. At any time, they can contact the Assistant Dean or the outreach.law [at] mcgill.ca (Student Coordinator).
Information for partners
How the program impacts teaching and learning:
- Instills curiosity and confidence that the student already has the skills needed to learn and advance.
- Our program is innovative in that it brings law students to high school classes and brings high school students to law school. The curriculum (lesson plans) is designed to challenge what high school students perceive the law to be.
- Partner schools appreciate the program as it brings novelty to the teacher's curriculum and broadens the horizons of the students.
- Partner schools tend to agree that our program may help contribute to reducing drop-out rates by providing models of successful youth to students.
- Our program involves helping high school students discover that they have the skills necessary to pursue further studies (such as analytical skills, judgment, deductive reasoning, and the ability to articulate ideas in front of a group).
Testimonials:
"The program helps students explore different fields in order to expand their minds more. Being well-rounded expands opportunities.”
“I liked how we dealt with different legal cases in the various visits.”
“I particularly liked the visit to McGill because we got a tour of campus to see what student life is like."
How to access the program:
Contact gillian.nycum [at] mcgill.ca (Gillian Nycum) (before December 31, 2015) or ali.martin-mayer [at] mcgill.ca (Ali Martin Mayer) (after January 1, 2016). Our program grows organically and depends on human power (number and commitment of our law students) and the commitment of our partner schools.