A New Level Campus Chapter Launches at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law!
Level is pleased to announce the launch of a new Campus Chapter at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at X University (formerly called Ryerson University). With the help of two motivated JD Candidates, Harsimran Sidhu and Kevin Zhou, the law school will be joining other university chapters across Canada to support Level's mission and advocate for social justice causes.
Since opening its doors to the first cohort of students in September 2020, The Lincoln Alexander School of Law has been committed to providing students with the tools they need to help expand the reach of justice across Canada. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are also among the core values of the law school. Making the program more diverse is essential because it allows future lawyers to serve a broad range of communities, including those whom the legal community has often neglected. When asked about the reasons for choosing to attend Lincoln Alexander Law, Harsimran stated that “Walking into a room full of people that are from different backgrounds who carry different perspectives was very important to me.” Additionally, the law school has been praised by many in the legal community for its emphasis on using technology as a tool to advance human rights and access to justice. Kevin highlights that “Lincoln Alexander School of Law’s focus on technology and innovation was unique in applying technology and innovation because they were taking data-driven approaches to equity, diversity, and Inclusion.”
When met with the opportunity to partner with Level and create a chapter at the university, students and faculty were incredibly excited to begin the process. "Given our school's mission statements and what we are working towards as a collective, I think a Level chapter fits in so beautifully because there are so many different issues to address. Level does give you that opportunity to practice what you preach," shared Harsimran. After learning more about Level's history and values, it became evident that the organization aligns perfectly with the school's objectives of bridging the justice gap. "I think we need a Level Chapter because there is no one-stop-shop to solving access to justice," said Kevin, "It's a very complex and organic process that starts in schools. By changing the way people see and understand complex legal issues and identifying the barriers to legal education."
Level’s Youth Initiatives are one of many reasons that have inspired Lincoln Alexander Law students to get involved. Harsimran expressed that “Engaging youth is so important. I was never exposed to the legal field during middle school or even high school.” Concerns surrounding accessibility issues were one of the motivations for developing the Indigenous Youth Outreach Program. The Lincoln Alexander School of Law has also prioritized building relationships with Indigenous communities and undertaking significant steps to contribute to the crucial work of reconciliation. “The types of programs Level offers are indicative of being able to identify strengths and pipelines where you can make significant impacts by building a generation of people who will go on and work in the field and have empathetic and cultural awareness,” added Kevin. “We are a school that wants to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to disrupting the status quo.”
Members of the new chapter are looking forward to working closely with Level’s Program Manager to establish an annual theme, organize community events, and develop a Mentorship Program for law students.
Meet the team!
(From top to bottom: Gabriella Maatouk; Harsimran Sidhu; and, Kevin Zhou)