About LISA
Our Mission
LISA is committed to creating a safe, judgement-free environment where students can understand their legal rights and options. We strive to demystify the confusing legal processes, reduce uncertainty, and help students understand what to expect if they choose to pursue any remedy.
Students who come to LISA will never be pressured to report, disclose, or pursue any legal remedy. Instead, they will be able to discuss the options available to them, understand the processes, and know what to expect if they choose to take action.
Our Story
Reports of sexual assault on campus in September 2021 sparked outrage, support, and action for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Two students, Chanèle Rioux-McCormick and Alexandra Strickland, then in their third year of law school, joined the walkout to support survivors, but they wanted to do more.
After some research, they realized that legal information for survivors is scattered and inaccessible. To address this access to justice issue, they co-authored a comprehensive FAQ guide for survivors of sexual violence to help survivors better understand their legal rights and options. The next step was to bring this guide to life in an in-person format.
Chanèle, with the assistance of Dr. Mandi Gray, developed a proposal for a pilot program to provide legal information to survivors. With the support and approval of CLS and Western Law, and the collaboration of three other founding members – Delaney Gilmore (3L student), Anju Fujioka (sexual assault lawyer), and Dr. Mandi Gray (program evaluator), the pilot program – named LISA – launched in February 2023. The program will continue to provide services to Western University students beginning September 4, 2024 to August 28, 2025.
