Human Rights Law

Open to: 2L, 3L

Project Summary 

The  student  will  work  remotely  to  build  a  library  of  public  legal  education (PLE) materials  designed for Justice  for  Children  and  Youth’s (JFCY)  social  media  pages.  The  student will research and develop schematic PLE materials that can be posted  on  social  media.  The  primary  platform  is  Instagram,  but  posts  will  also  be  created  for Facebook and Twitter. The topics for the digital PLE materials (social media posts) will be provided by JFCY staff and/or will be developed in collaboration with JFCY staff. Student volunteers will not be expected to run the social media accounts, and will not be responsible for responding to comments, direct messages, and other public communications.    

Type: Public Legal Education

Area(s) of Law: Poverty, Housing, Human Rights 

Community served: Children & youth, Homeless & marginally housed, People living in poverty

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 1

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements for Student Volunteers: Experience in written digital communication preferred.

Open to: 2L, 3L

Project Summary 

The  student  will  work  remotely to assist the CASA team with their caseload, which may include client directed work and law reform initiatives. Typical tasks include: 

• ​Development of communication and education tools with new and archival footage of CASA stakeholders  

• ​Client services – including preparing immigration applications and undertaking research  

• ​Systemic advocacy research  

• ​Assistance with CASA communications and outreach   

​  

​​Students will complete legal research and assist with client intake under the supervision of the CASA Program Director and Lawyer Supervisor. 

Type: Client Services, Research

Area(s) of Law: Human Rights, Immigration & Refugee Law, Children's Law

Community served: Children & youth, Homeless & marginally housed, People living in poverty

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 1

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements for Student Volunteers: ​​Ideally, students will be required to commit to a four-hour shift on a weekday (other than Friday) from 9:30am-1:30pm or 1:00-5:00pm, depending on the class schedules of the student volunteers. Demonstrated interest in immigration law and child & youth issues is an asset.

Open to: 1L, 2L

Project Summary

Students will work remotely with their assigned lawyer supervisor to assist them with their caseload which can include client-directed work and law reform work. Typical tasks include legal research, client follow up, and letter writing. There will be some opportunity to sit in on intake meetings, but the students will primarily be engaging in research-based work. Examples of potential research topics may include child welfare, human rights claims, privacy matters, immigration matters, criminal law, education law or administrative law matters

Type: Public Legal Education, Research, Client Services

Area(s) of Law: Poverty, Housing, Human Rights

Community served: Children & youth, Homeless & marginally housed, LGBTQ+

# of Student Volunteer Positions: 1 each from Lincoln Alexander, Osgoode, UofT

Commitment: 4-5 hours/week

Special Requirements for Student Volunteers: Strong Legal Writing skills, Client facing experience

Open to: 1L, 2L, 3L

Project Summary

The aim of this project is to develop a Legal Information Guide specific to the legal challenges multicultural women, and those who have experienced (or continue to experience) gender-based violence, face. Students should focus on how the legal system can be better informed by an anti-oppressive and anti-Black racism framework.  

​Students will conduct research and develop a plain language Legal Information Guide that gives general legal information on a collection of issues the women who come to WMRCC for support commonly face. ​Students will choose a focus area under the consultation of the lawyer supervisor and organization.  

Type: Public Legal Education

Area(s) of Law: Human Rights, Criminal Law, Housing, Family Law

Community served: Women, Racialized communities, People living with mental health challenges

# of Student Volunteer Positions: 2 

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements for Student Volunteers: Preference will be given to female-identifying students. Experience working with feminist and/or intersectional-feminist legal theory would be an asset. 

Open to: 1L, 2L, 3L

Project Summary

OKT is working with public interest groups across Canada to explore solutions to the Indigenous mass incarceration crisis. Across Canada, Indigenous people are put and kept in prisons and jails at rates which are vastly disproportionate to their population. Despite courts at every level acknowledging this crisis, little has been done to address it. OKT, along with its community partners, are exploring ways to force solutions to this problem. ​​Student volunteers will work alongside OKT lawyers to do legal research related to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, policies of Correctional Services Canada, UNDRIP, and civil procedure to help develop a ‘theory of case’ for tackling the mass incarceration crisis.

Type: Research

Area(s) of Law: Human Rights Law, Criminal Law, Aboriginal Law

Community served: Indigenous peoples, Criminalized populations

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 2

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: ​​Interest and knowledge in human rights law would be an asset​. Indigenous-identifying students will be given priority for this position.

Open to: 1L, 2L, 3L

Project Summary

Component 1: Legal Clinic Assistance

Volunteers will actively participate in legal clinics organized by the MLSC. They will support the smooth functioning of the clinics by helping with administrative tasks, ensuring proper documentation, and providing general assistance to clients and lawyers.

​​Component 2: Client Support

Volunteers will engage with potential clients who approach the MLSC seeking legal help. They will listen to their concerns, gather relevant information, and assess the nature of their legal needs. Based on this information, volunteers will connect clients with appropriate lawyers from the MLSC's network and be in charge of scheduling appointments

Component 3: Updating Client Files and Data

Volunteers will maintain accurate and up-to-date records of client cases. They will track the progress of each case, record any changes or developments, and ensure that client information remains confidential and secure.

Type: Client Services

Area(s) of Law: Human Rights, Criminal Law, Housing, Family Law

Community served: Religious minority, Racialized communities, Immigrants, refugees & newcomers

# of Student Volunteer Positions: 2 

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements for Student Volunteers: This is a remote project, shift work preferred so you can be scheduled during the Clinic’s hours; Preference for Muslim students or those with lived experience of race-based discrimination that can appreciate the unique issues Muslim clients at the MLSC face.​ 

Open to: 2L, 3L

Project Summary

The Trans ID Clinic provides free legal information, form-filling services and referrals in a learning space that strives to be trans-positive, non-judgmental, anti-oppressive and inclusive. PBSC law student volunteers and lawyer supervisors work collaboratively to assist trans and gender diverse individuals with obtaining new pieces of identification. Students will meet with clients virtually and will assist clients to fill in gender marker applications. 

Type: Client Assistance

Area(s) of Law: Human Rights Law, Clinics/Poverty Law, 

Community served: LGBTQ2+, Trans and Gender Diverse Individuals, Racialized communities

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 5

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: Given the background of clients being served, we welcome applications from trans and gender diverse, Black or POC students. Volunteers selected must demonstrate ongoing and meaningful allyship with the Two-Spirit, Trans, non-binary and non-gender conforming and gender diverse communities.  Volunteers must have strong organizational and time management skills, strong attention to detail, record-keeping and communication with supervisor skills, and experience with client relations or communications. Assets include: 

• Personal or professional experience working with Two-Spirit, Trans, non-binary and non-gender conforming communities

• Front-line/clinical experience

Open to: 1L, 2L, 3L

Project Summary

While the existence of systemic anti-Black racism within the education system is generally acknowledged, there is a lack of clarity regarding the collective remedies available to Black students experiencing this discrimination. An individual who has experienced discrimination can turn to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, but is there a way to address the collective harms caused by systemic anti-Black racism within the education system?

In this project, a student will research three potential avenues of collective redress for systemic anti-Black racism within Ontario’s education system: class actions, Charter challenges, and group Human Rights Tribunal applications. Students will focus on three main ways in which anti-Black racism can manifest – suspensions, expulsions, and streaming (i.e. dividing students into academic or applied tracks) – and weigh the pros and cons of each course of action.

Type: Research

Area(s) of Law: Human Rights Law

Community served: Children and Youth, Racialized communities

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 1

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: This is a virtual project with the option of working in person. History of self-directed research and research in general is a strong asset.

Open to: 1L, 2L, 3L

Project Summary

BLAC regularly receives more requests for assistance with Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) applications than the clinic can fulfill. The goal of this project will be to allow clients to help themselves, even if BLAC does not have the capacity to represent them. The student will create a resource which will help clients complete applications regarding discrimination, specifically anti-Black racism, in services, accommodation (i.e. housing,

occupancy), contracts, and employment. The resource should allow clients to answer relatively straightforward/plain language questions and receive a completed form which is ready to be reviewed by BLAC and/or filed at the HRTO.

The student will investigate potential tech solutions for this resource, such as a more simple PDF/fillable form or more complex AI/wizard. Additionally, the student will research how the HRTO may be using administrative processes (notice of intent to dismiss) to unjustly dismiss applications on the basis that they “fall outside

their mandate,” and try to address this through the resource.

Type: Research

Area(s) of Law: Human Rights Law

Community served: Racialized communities, low income individuals

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 1

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: This is a virtual project with the option of working in person. Ability to translate complex legal processes and issues into plain language and familiarity with technology are assets.

Open to: 1L, 2L, 3L

Project Summary

What legal issues are related to raising awareness of racism, what are the risks, and when does this bleed into defamation or slander? As this recent lawsuit demonstrates, these questions are very real. Pro Bono counsel at Torys LLP has produced a 45-page primer for BLAC addressing the potential risks and liabilities which can arise from engaging in advocacy over social media. This legal memo now needs to be updated and translated into plain language resources for BLAC to share with the wider community. Additionally, the student will use Canva and Powtoon to translate the memo into an educational campaign (graphics, videos, plain language documents) which will be shared with the public.

Type: Research

Area(s) of Law: Human Rights Law

Community served: Racialized communities, low income individuals

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 1

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: This is a virtual project with the option of working in person. Ability to translate complex legal processes and issues into plain language and familiarity with social media are assets.

Open to: 1L, 2L, 3L

Project Summary

Anti-Black racism within the medical system, including mistreatment and disparities, has been documented through social science evidence and more. BLAC does not currently deal with medical malpractice cases, but given the prevalence of this issue, the legal clinic would like to see what avenues of redress may be available. Students will:

• Develop a public resource on anti-Black racism in health care.

• Conduct legal research on the prevalence of anti-Black racism in health care (e.g. maternal, mental).

• Outline possible avenues of redress (e.g. complaint to regulatory body, civil claim for medical negligence, application to human rights tribunal, appeal to Consent and Capacity Board), including the process and associated pros/cons (e.g. adverse costs, remedies, timelines, limitation periods). This portion will include a review of relevant case law.

• Pull together available community resources (e.g. patient navigators).

• Research possible issues with provincial or federal laws and regulations that may be leading to disparate health outcomes, and which BLAC might seek to reform.

Type: Research, Public Legal Education

Area(s) of Law: Human Rights Law, Health Law

Community served: Racialized communities, low income individuals

Number of Student Volunteer Positions: 1

Commitment: 3-5 hours/week

Special Requirements: This is a virtual project with the option of working in person. Background in science or medicine is an asset.