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The Centre for Education, Law and Society was established in 1984 and given formal approval by the Board of Governors in 1994. Its central purpose is to improve the legal literacy of children and young adults through a program of teaching, curriculum development, research, and community initiatives. Law related education encompasses: an understanding of law, its role in society and its impact on the individual; the relationship between law and citizenship; issues relating to social justice and fundamental human rights; conflict and dispute resolution; school law, policies, procedures and culture.

CELS works primarily with teachers and prospective teachers, school administrators, and educational and legal organizations to help fulfill its mandate. Projects range in scope from research into social responsibility and the ethics of care and justice, to publications that assess the educational benefits of mock trials, to consultation with a school for "at-risk", court-referred youth, to conferences on topical legal issues, to the formation of a website that helps educators address the legal content in the school curriculum. Projects vary from year to year, depending on identified needs, the Centre's priorities, and funding opportunities.