In November 2014, the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice launched a new series on the A2J blog titled Access to Justice Advocates. The series is a response to recent reports that have underscored the importance of innovation and imagination in the pursuit of access to justice. At CFCJ, we understand that such efforts come down to people–to the diverse advocates working in different and important ways across the access to justice landscape.
The CFCJ had the exciting opportunity to visit these advocates where they work in order to learn more about their unique perspectives on the issue. One of our most recent interviewees, Nat Paul, is a Program Manager at the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) where he has a special interest in helping teachers create effective and thought-provoking learning experiences for their secondary school students.
OJEN is a public legal education organization which focuses on providing general information for the legal system and making partnerships between individuals in the justice sector and those in the education sector. As a Program Manager, Nat supports high school law teachers in using OJEN services to engage students with the legal system.
During his interview with CFCJ, Nat discussed how people are often unable to see how their everyday problems are legal in nature. He described how OJEN’s work with Ontario’s educators attempts to narrow the gaps in access to justice by developing programs that battle misconceptions about the justice system among students.
Nat’s work with high schools brings to light the importance of shaping the young minds of our province in the pursuit of access to justice. Through high school courses such as law, and even family studies, students are given the ability to recognize potential legal issues and are encouraged to view the justice system as their system–a system they have ownership of, will likely use in the future, and have the opportunity to shape.
Nat Paul is an Ontario Certified Teacher specializing in Inner-City Education and holds a Masters of Arts in sociology and education. He has six years of experience in social justice teaching in secondary, community college, and university classrooms where he has emphasized personal and social transformation through student engagement and empowerment.
To watch the full interview with Nat, check out the A2J Blog this February at www.cfcj-fcjc.org/a2jblog. Would you like to make a submission to the A2J Blog? Do you know an Access to Justice Advocate? Let us know at communications@cfcj-fcjc.org