DOCSLIB.ORG

Examining the Need for Access to Justice for Low-Income Residents of Lennox & Addington County

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Examining the Need for Access to Justice for Low-Income Residents of Lennox & Addington County Community Legal Needs Assessment Examining the Need for Access to Justice for Low-Income Residents of Lennox & Addington County Prepared by: Michele Leering Executive Director Hastings and Prince Edward Legal Services 158 George Street Belleville ON K8N 3H2 Date: December, 2001 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Acknowledgements vi Report Summary vii Part I – Introduction to the Project 1 (1) Background to the Study 1 Legal Aid Ontario and Legal Clinic Expansion 1 Legal Clinics Participating in the Study 2 Getting the Community Involved in the Study 3 Purpose and Objectives of the Study 3 Approach Taken to the Study 3 Geographic Area Covered by the Study 4 (2) Research Design and Methodology 4 Preparing to Collect Qualitative Data 4 Participation in the Qualitative Study 5 Collecting Quantitative Data 6 Examining Qualitative and Quantitative Data 7 Part II – Findings of the Research 8 (1) Qualitative Findings 8 (i) Perceptions of the Community 8 Geography and Demographics 8 Reasons for Poverty 9 Trends and Challenges 9 (ii) Perceptions of Legal Issues and Needs 9 Income Maintenance Programs 9 • Social Assistance 9 - Ontario Works (OW) 9 - Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSPA) 11 • Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) 13 • Employment Insurance (EI) 13 • Canada Pension Plan (CPP) 14 • Child Tax Benefit 14 • Old Age Security 14 Priorities with Respect to Income Maintenance Issues 14 Employment 14 Housing 16 Family Law 18 i (ii) Perceptions of Legal Issues and Needs (continued) PAGE Disability and Mental Health 21 Immigrant, Refugee, and Aboriginal Law 22 “Being in Trouble with the Law” 22 Consumer/Debt 23 Personal Injuries 24 (iii) Perceptions of Barriers to Accessing Justice 25 Lack of Information and Legal Rights and Resources 25 Inability to Access Information 25 Lack of Advocacy Resources 26 Lack of Systemic Approach to Problems 27 (iv) Perceptions of How Services should be Delivered 27 How and What Type 27 Where 27 Willingness to Travel for Services 28 Feedback on Advocacy Services Available 28 Feedback on Current Legal Aid Ontario Funded and other Government Funded Initiatives 29 Best Way to Inform about Services 30 Special Needs of the Client Community 31 (2) Quantitative Findings 31 (i) Demographic Information 31 Overall Population Figures 31 People Living Below the Poverty Line 33 Language and Literacy 33 Place of Birth, Immigration, and Citizenship 34 Ethnic and Aboriginal Origins 34 Family Status 34 Education 34 Employment and Unemployment 34 Participation and Employment Rates and Earnings 34 Level and Sources of Income 35 Unattached Individuals 35 Families 35 Low-Income Tenants 35 Current Rental Market Data 37 The Disabled 37 (ii) Level of Potential Need for Representation 38 Demographic Data – Income Maintenance Program Sources 38 • Ontario Works 38 ii (ii) Level of Potential Need for Representation (continued) PAGE • Ontario Disability Support Program 38 • Employment Insurance Claims 39 • Workplace Safety and Insurance Board 39 • Canada Pension Plan Disability 39 • Old Age Security 39 Level of Tribunal Activity 39 • Social Benefits Tribunal Appeals (SBT) 40 - Ontario Works Act 40 - Ontario Disability Support Program Act 40 • Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal (ORHT) 40 • Employment Insurance Board of Referees and Umpire 41 • Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal and Pensions Appeals Board 41 Level of Court Activity 41 • Small Claims Court Disputes 41 Current Legal Aid Ontario Funded Service Activity 41 • Community Legal Clinics and Student Legal Aid 41 - Statistics 41 - Legal Issues arising from Services 42 LAO Lennox & Addington Area Office – Napanee 43 • Legal Aid Certificate Statistics 44 • Legal Aid Ontario Advice Lawyer 44 • Family Law Duty Counsel 44 • Criminal Law Duty Counsel 45 Other “Access to Justice” Related Activity 45 • Family Law Information Centre 45 • Ministry of Labour – Employment Standards Branch 45 • Ombudsman’s Office 45 • Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing – Enforcement Branch 45 • Office of the Worker Advisor 45 • Ontario Human Rights Commission 46 (3) Other Information Collected 46 (i) Review of Other Studies of Lennox & Addington County 46 (ii) Distances to Potential Service Delivery Locations 47 (iii) Distances within Coverage Area of Lennox & Addington County 47 (iv) Availability of Internet Connections and Telephones 47 (v) Legal Clinic Willingness to Serve Lennox & Addington County 48 iii PAGE Part III – Conclusions and Recommendations 49 (1) Findings Emerging from the Research 49 (i) Met and Unmet Legal Needs 49 (ii) Special Challenges in Service Delivery 49 (iii) Other Barriers to “Accessing Justice” 50 (2) Recommended Best Practices 50 (i) What Services or Service Enhancements are Needed? 50 (ii) What Legal Issues and Needs should have Priority if Resources are Limited? 50 (iii) Who Should Provide “Clinic Law” Services? 51 (iv) From Where Should Services be Provided? 52 (v) What Mix of Clinic Law Services are Needed? 52 (3) Next Steps 53 (4) Observations and Limitations of the Study 54 (i) Qualitative Data 54 (ii) Quantitative Data 55 (iii) Carrying out the Study 55 (iv) Useful Spin-offs of the Study 56 Appendices I Map of Lennox & Addington County II Sample Consent Form III Organization Information Sheet IV Short Answer Questionnaire V Open-ended/Long Questionnaire VI A Profile of Lennox & Addington: Legal Aid Ontario, July, 2001 VII LAO memo dated June 22, 2001 from Angela Longo, President/CEO, regarding LAO coverage adjustments VIII LAO memo dated February 24, 2000 from R. Keith Wilkins regarding FLIC Advice Lawyers IX “Access to Justice” Providers Available to Residents of Lennox & Addington County X “What is the Difference Between a Legal Clinic and Legal Aid?” iv Appendices (continued) XI Social Benefits Tribunal Statistics XII Excerpt from “FOCUS ON TRAINING: Report and Recommendations on Training and Adjustment Services for ECOTB Region 1999/00” XIII Napanee LAO Area Office Non-certificate Services v Acknowledgments I would like to thank the members of the Local Needs Assessment Advisory Committee, the team of needs assessors, and the many people who volunteered their time, energy, and insight to participate in this study. This report would not have been possible or very useful without their assistance. The Local Needs Assessment Advisory Committee included: Will Cybulski, Kim Strickland, Janet Barry, on behalf of Leona Dombrowsky, MPP; Tammy Nugent, Interval House; Virginia Bartley and Susan Charlesworth, Review Counsel at Queen’s Legal Aid; Susan Irwin, Executive Director and lawyer with Rural Legal Services; Joyce Bigelow, Chairperson of the Board of Rural Legal Services; Ruth James Morrow, Board Chairperson, and Brett Mann and Ivar Heissler, Board Members of Hastings and Prince Edward Legal Services. This report was written by Michele Leering, Executive Director and lawyer with Hastings and Prince Edward Legal Services, with the assistance of a committed group of individuals who formed the needs assessment team. Special thanks to Susan Irwin of Rural Legal Services; Waikwa Wanyoake and Mike Bozic of Queen’s Student Legal Aid; and Deirdre McDade, lawyer, and Julie Rickard, administrative assistant, with Hastings and Prince Edward Legal Services. Contact information for legal clinics which worked collaboratively on this study is as follows: Hastings and Prince Edward Legal Services 158 George Street Belleville, ON K8N 3H2 1-877-966-8686 (613) 966-8686 F: (613) 966-6251 Rural Legal Services PO Box 359 Sharbot Lake, ON K0H 2P0 1-888-777-8916 (613) 279-3252 F: (613) 279-3228 Queen's Legal Aid MacDonald Hall Queen's University Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 (613) 533-2102 F: (613) 533-6890 vi Report Summary Legal clinic staff employing a “community action research” model met with a broad cross- section of residents and service providers to learn more about the unique legal needs and challenges facing people living on a low income in Lennox & Addington County. Additionally, a great deal of statistical information was collected and analysed to create a profile of the low-income community and the level of potential need for legal clinic services. Through synthesis and interpretation of the data, a disturbing picture emerged. Lennox & Addington County has a large population of people living on a low income who have little awareness of their legal rights and obligations, are often misinformed about those rights, have few accessible resources to assist in problem-solving or advocacy, and have little or no energy to stand up for their rights. The depth of need portrayed by the research participants’ observations is disconcerting. While legal clinics must clearly place priority on meeting the legal needs of people living on a low income which will keep food on their tables and a roof over their heads, there are other unmet legal needs documented by this study. The study calls for a comprehensive approach to meeting legal needs which will require a vision of what “access to justice” should mean for this vulnerable, low-income population. In addition to meeting individual needs for advice, assistance, and representation, a systemic advocacy approach is imperative to make the greatest difference in the least amount of time. It will be necessary to build on the evident good faith, intentions, and willingness of other service providers who share similar mandates and vision regarding the need for positive and progressive changes to improve the lives of the people they serve. There are significant differences and serious transportation difficulties between communities in northern and southern
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Township of Addington Highlands Business & Service Directory
    Township of Addington Highlands Business & Service Directory Accommodation Providers Bon Echo Provincial Park 16151 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-336-2228 Brown’s Tent & Trailer Park 17723 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-336-2504 Hidden Cove Cottage Resort 2040 Hartsmere Rd, McArthur’s Mills 613-474-3284 Mazinaw Lakeside Resort 17370 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-336-1760 Mazinaw Residence Inn 14276 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-336-9054 Pine Grove Motel 12337 Highway 41, Northbrook 613-336-2522 Business Services 45 Degrees Latitude Digital Video 14 North Shore Road, Cloyne 613-336-3211 BMO Bank of Montreal 12265 Highway 41, Northbrook 613-336-8836 Deacon Photography 17276 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-336-8482 E. Barbara Burford Law Offices 10274 Highway 41, Kaladar 613-336-8230 Government Services Canada Post - Cloyne 14232 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-336-8694 Canada Post – Denbigh 156 Bridge Street, Denbigh 613-333-1261 Canada Post – Flinton 3685 Flinton Road, Flinton 613-336-2204 County of Lennox & Addington 97 Thomas Street East, Napanee 877-354-4883 North Addington Education Centre 14196 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-336-8991 Service Ontario 3685 Flinton Road, Flinton 613-336-2204 Township of Addington Highlands 72 Edward Street, Flinton 613-336-2286 1 Contractors 7 North Plumbing/Heating 10587 Highway 41, Kaladar 613-336-9429 Borger Contracting 3246 Flinton Road 613-920-2052 Cote Drywall 288 Jacque’s Bay, Northbrook 613-336-9660 Doyle Carpentry Denbigh 613-202-2203 DW Design Group Architectural Services 12278 Highway 41, Northbrook 613-336-0012 Gilfillen & Sons General Contracting 19523 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-333-9805 Holden’s Hearth at Home 14226 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-336-0046 Hook’s Building Centre 13586 Highway 41, Cloyne 613-336-8416 Insight Dock Designs Cloyne 613-336-2699 J.
    [Show full text]
  • Legal Aid in Ontario: More of the Same?
    Legal Aid in Ontario: More of the Same? Larry Taman* In December, 1973, the Government of Ontario charged the Honourable Mr Justice Osler of the Supreme Court of Ontario and six other members with the formation of a Task Force on Legal Aid. They were to "review in depth" the Ontario Legal Aid Plan and to "determine the parameters of the future direction and de- velopment in order to ensure that it has the capacity to meet its objectives in the years ahead".' Their report appeared in March, 19752 and is the subject of this comment. I shall begin with a brief history of legal aid in Ontario with particular reference to the back- ground to the Task Force. 1. Background to the Task ForceO Prior to 1951, there was no statutory legal aid scheme in Ontario. Capital offences apart, the accused, even in the gravest criminal matters, would often go unrepresented. "The so-called 'dock brief' said to exist in England, involving the appointment of counsel then present in Court to represent indigents, did not ... exist to any great extent in Ontario.' 4 It may be assumed that, notwithstanding the generosity of some individual members of the bar, legal services in civil matters were generally unavailable to those unable to pay. No doubt reassured by the appearance in Great Britain of the Legal Aid and Advice Act, 1949,' the Law Society of Upper Canada * Associate Professor of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. 'Report of the Task Force on Legal Aid, Toronto: Queen's Printer (1974) (hereinafter referred to as Report).
    [Show full text]
  • USAID Legal Empowerment of the Poor
    LEGAL EMPOWERMENT OF THE POOR: FROM CONCEPTS TO ASSESSMENT MARCH 2007 This publicationLAND AND was BUSINESS produced FORMALIZATION for review FOR by LEGAL the United EMPOWE StatesRMENT Agency OF THE POOR: for STRATEGIC OVERVIEW PAPER 1 International Development. It was prepared by ARD, Inc. Legal Empowerment of the Poor: From Concepts to Assessment. Paper by John W. Bruce (Team Leader), Omar Garcia-Bolivar, Tim Hanstad, Michael Roth, Robin Nielsen, Anna Knox, and Jon Schmidt Prepared for the United States Agency for International Development, Contract Number EPP-0- 00-05-00015-00, UN High Commission – Legal Empowerment of the Poor, under Global - Man- agement, Organizational and Business Improvement Services (MOBIS). Implemented by: ARD, Inc. 159 Bank Street, Suite 300 Burlington, VT 05401 Cover Photo: Courtesy of USAID. At a village bank in Djiguinoune, Senegal, women line up with account booklets and monthly savings that help secure fresh loans to fuel their small businesses. LEGAL EMPOWERMENT OF THE POOR FROM CONCEPTS TO ASSESSMENT MARCH 2007 DISCLAIMER The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS..................................................................................... iii 1.0 DEFINING LEGAL EMPOWERMENT OF THE POOR .....................................................1 2.0 SUBSTANTIVE DIMENSIONS OF LEGAL EMPOWERMENT .........................................5
    [Show full text]
  • Legal Awareness in the Context of Professional Activities of Law Enforcement Officers: Specificity of Interference
    ФІЛОСОФСЬКІ ТА МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ ПРОБЛЕМИ ПРАВА, № 1, 2014 Polischuk P. V. adjunct of department of philosophy of right and legal logic of the National academy of internal affairs LEGAL AWARENESS IN THE CONTEXT OF PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: SPECIFICITY OF INTERFERENCE. The article presents the philosophical and legal analysis of occupational justice and law enforcement police officers. The essence and specific professional conscience were considered. It was defined its role in the process of enforcement. It was analyzed the features of mutual sense of justice and professional activities of law enforcement staff. Keywords: law, legal awareness, professional awareness, activity, law application activity. The peculiarities of interconnection between legal awareness and professional activity of law enforcement representatives Modern globalization processes in the world fasten and complicate the dynamics of social relations. As a result a system of legal regulation gets a big amount of problems. One of the most important matters is effectiveness assurance and efficiency of law protection activity. Its importance is evident. Internal affairs representatives during their professional activity perform a great number of functions connected with security interest, law enforcement, defense of rights and legal interests of subjects. Definite attention should be paid towards the influence of professional awareness on process and results of law enforcement activity. This influence is dual. Such specification will help to avoid one-side impressions about possible methods and efficiency in law enforcement activity. The latest events in Ukrainian society made us understand that insufficient level of professional consciousness and legal culture is a very important problem. The consequences are the following: low or even absent prestige of personnel, negative people’s attitude towards police, inadequate coherence between internal affairs bodies and community, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • 2018.05 May Newsletter
    400 14th Avenue North Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 843-918-1275 www.chapinlibrary.org Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9am-7pm * Fri. 9am-6pm * Sat. 9am-5pm FREE library cards to City of Myrtle Beach residents with government issued photo identification. We’re not just books… Audio & E-Books * DVDs * Magazines * Live Programs Universal Class – Online General Interest Courses Like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/chapinlibrarymb May is National Elder Law Month. Please share Patriotic Book Bingo this information regarding programs geared especially for Thursday, May 3 * 4:00pm to 6:00pm Elders. Spread the word and assist others needing help. Our theme will be patriotic book titles instead of numbers. Wear your red, white and blue and join us. Snacks and Free Legal Clinic prizes will be provided. Doors open at 4:00pm. For more information, call Customer Services at 843-918-1275. Simple Wills & Advance Directives Clinic Tuesday, May 1 * 2:00pm to 3:00pm Free Legal Clinic An attorney from South Carolina Legal Services office will be Elder Law Issues here to explain what you need to consider when preparing a Tuesday, May 8 * 6:00pm to 7:00pm Last Will and Testament. Learn about the following: Elder Law Issues legal clinic will provide general information Things to consider when writing your Will. on the topic. The clinic will consist of a 30-45 minute Choosing a Personal Representative and why this is an presentation followed by an open question and answer important step. session with an attorney. For more information, call the South Execution of the Will.
    [Show full text]
  • Report on the Rule Of
    Strasbourg, 4 April 2011 CDL-AD(2011)003rev Study No. 512 / 2009 Or. Engl. EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR DEMOCRACY THROUGH LAW (VENICE COMMISSION) REPORT ON THE RULE OF LAW Adopted by the Venice Commission at its 86 th plenary session (Venice, 25-26 March 2011) on the basis of comments by Mr Pieter van DIJK (Member, Netherlands) Ms Gret HALLER (Member, Switzerland) Mr Jeffrey JOWELL (Member, United Kingdom) Mr Kaarlo TUORI (Member, Finland) This document will not be distributed at the meeting. Please bring this copy. www.venice.coe.int CDL-AD(2011)003rev - 2 - Table of contents I. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3 II. Historical origins of Rule of law, Etat de droit and Rechtsstaat.................................. 3 III. Rule of law in positive law ......................................................................................... 5 IV. In search of a definition ............................................................................................. 9 V. New challenges....................................................................................................... 13 VI. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 13 Annex: Checklist for evaluating the state of the rule of law in single states ......................... 15 - 3 - CDL-AD(2011)003rev I. Introduction 1. The concept of the “Rule of Law”, along with democracy and human rights,1 makes up the three
    [Show full text]
  • A Process Evaluation of the NCVLI Victims' Rights Clinics
    The author(s) shown below used Federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and prepared the following final report: Document Title: Finally Getting Victims Their Due: A Process Evaluation of the NCVLI Victims’ Rights Clinics Author: Robert C. Davis, James Anderson, Julie Whitman, Susan Howley Document No.: 228389 Date Received: September 2009 Award Number: 2007-VF-GX-0004 This report has not been published by the U.S. Department of Justice. To provide better customer service, NCJRS has made this Federally- funded grant final report available electronically in addition to traditional paper copies. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Finally Getting Victims Their Due: A Process Evaluation of the NCVLI Victims’ Rights Clinics Abstract Robert C. Davis James Anderson RAND Corporation Julie Whitman Susan Howley National Center for Victims of Crime August 29, 2009 This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Legal Clinics and Their Role in Awareness and Promoting Women's Access to Justice
    IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 25, Issue 3, Series. 8 (March. 2020) 39-51 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org Legal Clinics and Their Role in Awareness and Promoting Women’s Access to Justice Mohammad Shahir Masomi Senior Teaching Assistant,Department of Theology and Philosophy, Sharia/Islamic Law faculty, Kabul University, Afghanistan. Abstract: The present research is based on a qualitative/descriptive and field work method. It illustrates what legal clinics are and discusses the roles of clinics in promoting women’s access to justice and publiclegal awareness.Legal clinicsin Afghanistan are affiliated with Sharia/Islamic Law faculties or Law faculties,areregistered by the Independent Legal Aid Board, and areinstitutions where law studentsprovide different legal services for the public under the supervision of a defense lawyer holding a bar license.At legal clinics theoretical knowledge is put into practice to achieve justice.On one hand, these institutions enhance the knowledge and experience of students, andon the other hand, they provide free legal services suchas advocacy/arbitration, counseling, mediation and awareness forpoor and disadvantaged individuals.Legal clinics at universities have positive and substantialoutcomes for students, lecturers, defense lawyers,the judiciary, universities,and destitute individuals, and even for all members of a society. More than anyone, women who suffer the most due to lack of financial support and due tolack of access to educationor lack of awarenesscan gain access to justice through legal clinics.Legal clinics come in different types and models.Active legal clinics are considered the best, withspecific credits which along with practical training forstudents, they also provide legal services for people.
    [Show full text]
  • The Legal Empowerment Movement and Its Implications
    THE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT MOVEMENT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS Peter Chapman* Around the world, a global legal empowerment movement is transforming the way in which people access justice. The concept of legal empowerment is rooted in strengthening the ability of communities to: “understand, use and shape the law.”1 The movement relies on people helping one another to stand up to authority and challenge injustice. At its center are paralegals, barefoot lawyers, and community advocates. Backed up by lawyers, these advocates are having significant impacts. Legal empowerment advocates employ a range of tools driven by the communities with which they work, including information, organizing, advocacy, and litigation. They take on issues including problems of health care, violations of consumer rights, threats to personal safety, environmental contamination, and challenges to property rights. Legal empowerment advocates tackle individual cases but a key objective of legal empowerment is systemic change. Informed by expanding evidence of need,2 buoyed by regulatory innovation,3 and in response to local activism, civil society organizations and government institutions are embracing the notion that people who are not trained as lawyers can competently help people assess their rights and resolve their legal problems. In South Africa, an independent network of Community Advice Offices is expanding legal awareness and mobilizing collective * Thanks to Matthew Burnett, Open Society Justice Initiative, Maha Jweied, and David Udell, National Center for Access to Justice, for their inputs and perspectives in framing this piece. 1. See NAMATI, https://namati.org/ [https://perma.cc/SSX4-GRDA] (last visited Apr. 1, 2019). 2. See LEGAL SERVS. CORP., 2017 JUSTICE GAP REPORT (2017), https://www.lsc.gov/ sites/default/files/images/TheJusticeGap-FullReport.pdf [https://perma.cc/X5E9-CZE3]; Our Work, WORLD JUST.
    [Show full text]
  • Legal Clinic Application Booklet
    McGill LEGAL CLINIC Education APPLICATION BOOKLET 2020-2021 —ROUND ONE (SUMMER)— Application Deadline th Monday, May 4 2019 at 5PM to [email protected] Interview Period Monday, May 4th – Friday, May 22nd 2019 1 Please address all questions to the Legal Clinic Coordinator Jared Miller at [email protected] Hi! Allô! Greetings Candidates! My name is Jared Miller and I am the student coordinator of McGill Legal Clinic Education, les études de Clinique juridique à McGill. C’est un plaisir de vous aider à naviguer ce processus de recrutement afin que vous puissiez partager et développer vos habiletés au sein d’une organisation communautaire ou d’une clinique juridique locale. The program in question has a threefold objective. First, we aim to offer students a nuanced practical legal experience that cannot be satisfied by sitting in a classroom context. Second, we seek to provide students with exposure to populations that may find themselves in precarious socio-economic situations, which translate into inequality, problems with access to justice, as well as discrimination. Finally, this program gives students the chance to give back to non-profit organizations within their community. I am happy to welcome you all to the application process. Bonne chance! J For Your Consideration… The information contained in this booklet applies to: WRIT 433 D1/D2 Legal Clinic I (6 credits) WRIT 434 Legal Clinic II (3 credits) WRIT 435 Legal Clinic III (3 credits) Placements are available for the following terms: Summer 2020 Program eligibility: Law students entering 3rd or 4th year. In other words, students having completed a minimum of 4 semesters.
    [Show full text]
  • Clinical Lawyer-School: the Clinic
    November, X934 University of Pennsylvania Law Review And American Law Register FOUNDED 1852 Copyright 1934, by the University of Pennsylvania. VOLUME 83 NOVEMBER, 1934 No. I THE CLINICAL LAWYER-SCHOOL: THE CLINIC LEON THOMAS DAVID t In considering the Clinical Lawyer-School as a means of legal educa- tion,' one must determine, if he can, (i) the objective of legal education, (2) whether the adoption of such a method will attain it in whole or in part, and (3) to what degree, if any, it will be more effective than the means and methods now employed. The professional activities of the lawyer are called the "practice of law". The objective of legal education therefore should be to fit the pro- spective lawyer for law practice. Of what operations is the practice of the law composed? What functions will embryonic lawyers be called upon to perform in their professional era? Here one becomes involved in a labyrinth of confusion. The profession of the law is identified with a wide range of human activities. These vary with dissimilar geographical and economic conditions; between urban and rural areas; between one specialty and another in law practice itself. As these factors vary, so does the type and degree of training and skill necessary for successful practice. These and similar considerations have tended to make law school training general in character, as the inevitable result of the quest for educational factors common to the practice of law in all localities, to all allied professional activities of the lawyer, and to all specialties within law practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Future Directions for Legal Aid Delivery
    Future Directions for Legal Aid Delivery Envisioning Equal Justice An Initiative of the Canadian Bar Association April 2013 Standing Committee on Access to Justice Melina Buckley – Chair John H. Sims, Q.C. – Vice-Chair Sheila J. Cameron, Q.C. Amanda K. Dodge Sarah J. Lugtig Patricia M. Hebert Gillian D. Marriott, Q.C. Gaylene Schellenberg – Project Director Table of Contents 1. Foreword ................................................................................................................. 1 2. Introduction – Future Directions for Legal Aid Delivery .................. 1 3. The Road to Here ................................................................................................. 3 4. Situating the Legal Needs of People Living in Poverty ....................... 5 A. Who are we talking about? .................................................................................................................................... 5 B. Legal needs of people living in poverty ........................................................................................................... 6 C. Costs of failing to provide ...................................................................................................................................... 9 D. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................. 11 5. Innovations in Legal Aid Delivery .............................................................. 12 6.
    [Show full text]