Project Summary
In the pilot year, students on this project will conduct mock trials on three separate days for three separate sections of grade 9 students at St. Gregory School in February and March. The workshops will prepare the grade 9 students to participate in an interactive criminal mock trial where they will play the roles of clients, lawyers, witnesses, experts, and jury members. Each section will have approximately 35 – 40 students.
The project will run from September – March (excluding December). From mid-October to the end of November, student volunteers will work with the Project Leads, Lawyer Supervisor, and teachers from St. Gregory to develop PowerPoint slides and an age-appropriate script that is linked to the required curriculum.
The mock trials will run for approximately 3 – 4 hours. In the first two hours, student volunteers will use PowerPoint slides to introduce PBSC, discuss the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the Criminal Code in the context of the particular charge that will be the subject of the mock trial, and assign roles to students with the help of the teachers. In the last hour or two, student volunteers will conduct the mock trial, leaving time for questions at the end.
As well as helping to develop the script and PowerPoint slides, student volunteers will film a TikTok video that will be considered as part of the evidence. All content in the presentation – both script and PowerPoint – are approved by the Lawyer Supervisor. Volunteers must follow the scripts when giving presentations.
Number of Students and Prerequisites
– 8 student volunteers
– 2 project leads
– Experience with public speaking and conducting presentations is preferable
– 1L students are encouraged to apply
Area of Law
– Criminal Law
Legal Skills
– Delivery of legal information
– Public speaking skills
Required Training
All training for this project is schedule and provided by PBSC Calgary and the organization. This training will take place in September and October, and will not conflict with student’s course schedules.
The following PBSC training sessions are mandatory to volunteer on this project:
– PBSC Process Overview
– PBSC Ethics and Professional Responsibility Training
– PBSC Anti-Oppression Training
– WestLaw Research Strategies Training
Specific dates and times will be provided once volunteers are placed on their respective projects.
Project Type
Public Legal Education
How to Apply?
Applications for the 2023/2024 are currently open! Please fill out the Google Form linked below.