In partnership with Alberta Courts, the University of Alberta Faculty Of Law and the Centre for Constitutional Studies, Legal Aid Alberta (LAA) is pleased to offer 16 Edmonton-area high school students with the opportunity to spend a week immersing themselves in the legal profession during the week of July 13^th-17^th.

The Kids in the Court program provides students who have demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career in the legal profession with the chance to explore Canada’s constitution from a criminal law perspective, through the examination of the criminal trial process from beginning to end.  The program includes exposure to Charter issues, followed by direct exposure to the constitution in action as students attend Provincial Court for four days of observation of criminal proceedings and other behind the scenes activities.  “This unique week-long summer camp has been designed to use criminal law to introduce young adults to the importance of the Charter to the community- at-large in Alberta”, says program advisor and LAA staff lawyer, Terry Romaniuk.

Activities of the week-long camp include learning about the requirements for law school, touring the Law Courts Building, observing defence and Crown counsel at work, and spending a day shadowing a Provincial Court judge.  The facilities at the University of Alberta and the Law Courts are being offered at no cost to the program, and all court staff including Crown Prosecutors and judges have volunteered their time.

Students will be chosen based on a submitted application and accompanying letters of recommendation from their teachers.  Kids in the Court is being offered to the 16 successful applicants free of charge, although a criminal record check is required.

For more information on the scheduled events taking place during the 2009 Kids in the Court program please visit:

http://www.law.ualberta.ca/centres/ccs/uploads/KidsInTheCourtBrochure.pdf