Marijuana, human trafficking and sexting are among the hottest topics in the media these days. They also involve a multitude of legal issues that can spark the analytical minds of youth aspiring to be lawyers. On April 30, Queen’s Law hosted 75 high-school seniors from four schools for a day-long symposium. 

“We wanted to provide information about current legal issues that would be of interest – and could also be of use – to Grade 11 and 12 students taking law classes,” says Greg Dobney, Law’10, who co-chairs the Kington Committee of the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN), which organized the event. 

“From my perspective, with the recent legalization of recreational marijuana, there is the potential for misconceptions about what ‘legalization’ means, and students would benefit from learning about the legal status of marijuana,” explains Dobney, a lawyer with Cunningham Swan Carty Little & Bonham LLP. “Consent is also a topic of current relevance, and it is important that adolescents understand the importance of consent as they develop relationships, particularly in the digital age when messaging and social media have become prevalent.”

Students could choose from a variety of workshops, each led by faculty or legal professionals with expertise on the subjects. 

Professor Art Cockfield, Law’93, presented two sessions on the legalization and regulation of marijuana. His talks included the distinction between decriminalization and legalization, the harmful effects pot usage has on the health of teens, drug laws and offences, and the marijuana industry’s rapidly growing job market. (Watch for Queen’s Law Reports 2019 in June to read the latest legal perspectives on cannabis in Canada from Cockfield and his fellow alumni experts.)

Local parole officer Christy Ferguson held a mock parole hearing, with student participants playing the roles of parolees, defence counsel, prosecutors and witnesses. 

The session on human sex trafficking was presented by Lana Saunders, a crisis worker with Victim Services of Kingston and Frontenac. This crime involves the recruitment, transportation, harbouring and/or exercising of control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person through sexual exploitation. Most victims are women under the age of 25. 

Michael Mandelcorn, Law’85, a local lawyer, joined a Kingston Police detective, an Assistant Crown Attorney and Sexual Assault Centre representatives on a panel about consent. Their discussion included, among other things, the linkage between sexting and child pornography. 

Queen’s Law recruitment and outreach staff Aimee Burtch, an OJEN member, and Andrew Van Overbeke, explained and answered questions about the admissions process for applying to law school. They also took their young visitors on tours of the Queen’s Law building.

“The high school students who participated have an interest in law and are in the process of planning their post-secondary options,” says Kristy Pagnutti, Law’12, OJEN’s Program Manager of Educator Support and Outreach. “We are very pleased that this symposium not only gave them an enhanced learning experience, but also allowed them to get an inside look at what law school might offer.” 

For more photos, see our gallery on SmugMug! 

By Lisa Graham