Refugee Law

PROJECT SUMMARY AND ROLE OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

The project will provide accessible, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive legal information services to help immigrants, refugees, refugee claimants, and other newcomers residing at or receiving services from the Peel Reception Centre (PRC) better understand and navigate Canada’s immigration and refugee systems.

Under the supervision of insured volunteer lawyers, volunteer law students will provide legal information only (not legal advice) to support refugee claimants, immigrants, and newcomers in understanding the general purpose of legal notices and the procedural requirements of refugee and immigration processes.

Students will not interpret or apply the law to a client’s individual circumstances or provide legal opinions, recommendations, or legal strategy. Students will also conduct legal research and provide information about relevant legal and community resources and referrals.

In addition to individual client support, PBSC law students will research, develop, and deliver at least two public legal education workshops on legal topics relevant to refugee claimants, immigrants, and newcomers. For each workshop, students will prepare plain-language presentation materials and accompanying resources or handouts, which will be reviewed and approved by the supervising lawyer before delivery and will include PBSC’s required disclaimer. Workshop topics may include refugee rights and responsibilities, the Canadian legal system, immigration pathways and processes, and other relevant legal topics identified in consultation with COSTI and the supervising lawyer.

Through this collaborative initiative, the project seeks to enhance legal literacy, reduce barriers to accessing legal information, improve clients’ understanding of immigration and refugee processes, and strengthen connections to appropriate legal and community resources. By leveraging the expertise of volunteer lawyers and the commitment of PBSC law students, the project will contribute to more equitable access to legal information for immigrants, newcomers, refugees and refugee claimants as they establish their lives in Canada.

TYPE:

Client Services

AREA(S) OF LAW:

Immigration and refugee law.

COMMUNITY SERVED:

Immigrants, refugees & newcomers, linguistic minorities, precariously employed individuals.

NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

2 students - Upper years who are enrolled in or have completed Immigration or Regugee Law.

COMMITMENT:

5 hours/week. Student volunteers will participate in weekly legal information clinics under the supervision of volunteer lawyers. Each student will be assigned a regular weekly shift. Clinics are expected to take place on Fridays between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and may be offered in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format, depending on the availability of student volunteers, supervising lawyers, and COSTI staff.

COSTI will be responsible for coordinating the appropriate arrangements for in-person and virtual clinics, including providing a suitable space or virtual platform that safeguards the privacy and confidentiality of all participants.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Completion or enrolment in Immigration or Refugee Law is required. Strong interest in immigration and refugee law, access to justice, and working with refugee claimants, immigrants and newcomers.

PROJECT SUMMARY:

Students will assist with the intake of clients at KBCLS. Students will be trained on the types of law that callers need information on and KBCLS intake procedures. Students will then provide the callers with legal information, referrals, or gather the information needed to process the intake.

ROLE OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

The students will be performing general intake duties under the supervision of KBCLS staff. Staff will be available, in person and remotely, to assist students.

TYPE:

Client Services

AREA(S) OF LAW:

Housing, Administrative, Immigration, Social Assistance Law.

COMMUNITY SERVED:

Homeless & marginally housed, people living in poverty, people living with disabilities & chronic illnesses.

NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

4 students

COMMITMENT:

3-5 hours/week - In Person

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Clinic/social justice experience an asset but not required.

PROJECT SUMMARY & ROLE OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

The Matthew House Refugee Hearing Preparation Program’s goal is to support individuals prepare for their Refugee Hearing to increase the chances of a successful outcome. The program is run by well

trained volunteers many of whom are lawyers and even retired IRB members. These volunteers play the role of “Board Members” and question the claimants based on their actual Basis of Claim (BOC)

narrative submitted several weeks earlier. While there is no “counsel” present, a Hearing Supervisor sits in the room during the simulation and serves as a liaison between the volunteer adjudicator and the claimant and facilitates the feedback and interaction.

Students will observe client mock hearings, liaise with the adjudicator, provide information to clients about the hearing process, and to assist in the expansion of the mock hearing service offered by Matthew House across various Canadian cities. In particular their duties will include: 

• Being the voluntary supervisor at hearings

• Walking a claimant through the process step by step

• Providing information about the court process to clients

• Expanding the project virtually to other cities and what that would involve for students

Students will act as volunteer supervisors at the beginning stages of their placement. Supervisors are asked to observe three sessions before leading a session on their own. Students are expected to

transition into volunteer adjudicators for at least one session at the end of their placement. They will be responsible for facilitating the session.

TYPE:

Client Services

AREA(S) OF LAW:

Immigration and Refugee Law

COMMUNITY SERVED:

Immigrants, refugees & newcomers, Self-represented litigants, Linguistic minorities

NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

2 students

COMMITMENT:

3-5 hours per week - Virtual

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

As this project allows students to work closely with clients, it is essential for student volunteers to be personable, engaging, and genuinely committed to the project. Strong communication skills are important to ensure the success of the placement.

PROJECT SUMMARY:

Students will assist MLSC by connecting potential clients with lawyers who specialize in their specific area of concern, coordinating their sessions, and maintaining updated case statuses and client data.

ROLE OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

Assisting with Legal Clinics: 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. 

Connecting Potential Clients: 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. Once clients are connected with lawyers, volunteers will be responsible for coordinating their sessions. This includes scheduling appointments, arranging meeting locations (in-person or virtual), and ensuring both parties are well-informed about the session details.

Updating Cases and Client 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:

Public Legal Education & Client Services and Research

AREA(S) OF LAW:

Family law, immigration law, human rights law, and employment law among many others

COMMUNITY SERVED:

Religious minority communities, Immigrants, Refugees & Newcomers, Racialized communities

NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

2 students

COMMITMENT:

3-5 hours/week - Virtual

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Prior experience conducting intake, or workshop administration an asset. 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.

PROJECT SUMMARY & ROLE OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

Rainbow Railroad receives thousands of requests for help every year from countries where LGBTQI+ individuals are open targets of violence. Because the volume of requests is so high, we focus our efforts on assisting LGBTQI+ people who have faced physical violence or face an imminent threat of violence, imprisonment, or death. We have been successful in helping individuals from the Caribbean, Africa, South-Central Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, where we have local networks to support and validate cases. These activities will support Rainbow Railroad’s work in the assessment of LGBTQI+ refugees for the Government Assisted Refugees (GAR) Program. The Government Assisted Refugees (GAR) Program allows Rainbow Railroad to directly refer at-risk LGBTQI+ refugees who lack viable solutions for resettlement in Canada to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Students will support the triaging of cases by assigning a vulnerability score to each case, in order to ensure that Rainbow Railroad is referring the most vulnerable cases to the GAR program.

• Students will review case files in order to prepare for refugee interviews

• Conduct interviews (virtual) with the client to collect biographical data, narrative and information about the refugee’s present-day situation.

• Prepare the final report on the case, ensuring the report accurately reflects the individual's presentday situation.

• Score the case on our Vulnerability Assessment rubric, and include this scoring in the final report, including providing justification for their scoring. 

• As needed, If the case review panel has questions about the scoring, students will respond with further information and/or justification for their scoring. Notify the lawyer supervisor and/or Program Coordinator of any issues or delays as soon as possible.

TYPE:

Client Services

AREA(S) OF LAW:

Immigration and Refugee, Human Rights

COMMUNITY SERVED:

LGBTQ+, Immigrants, refugees & newcomers, Trans and gender diverse individuals

NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

4 students

COMMITMENT:

5 hours per week, with opportunity to take on more if the student has capacity. Hybrid - the students are encouraged to work remotely based on their availability and are not obligated to show up for regular shifts at the Rainbow Railroad office.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Relevant educational/volunteer and/or work experience would be an asset. Those with personal lived experience that relates to our clients are encouraged to apply – i.e. those with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions and/or those from regions where we work internationally (Caribbean, Africa, South-Central Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East).

PROJECT SUMMARY AND ROLE OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERS:

The 519 Refugee Mock Hearing Program provides support and guidance to LGBTQ+ refugee claimants. The individuals supported through the mock hearing are claimants who have and upcoming hearing with the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) to determine whether they can be granted Convention Refugee Status based on their Sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and/or sexual characteristics (SOGIE-SC claims).

This program allows individuals to get guidance on how to effectively prepare for their refugee hearing. The mock hearing provides an opportunity for claimants get assistance with the drafting/structuring their narrative/claim; feedback on the evidence included in their refugee claim and a simulated hearing with the student volunteers and one of our pro bono volunteer immigration and refugee lawyers. The objective of the mock hearing to familiarize claimants with the hearing process in an affirming environment and provide an opportunity for the claimant to take a more critical look at their narrative and supporting evidence provided in their claim to make any final changes before their hearing.

The student volunteer will also assist with preparing a manual for SOGIESC claimants to be able to provide guided written information for clients as an additional resource to help prepare for their refugee hearing.

Student volunteers are expected to review the claimants Basis of Claim (BoC), forms and supporting evidence prior to each mock hearing. They are also expected to review the IRB’s National Documentation Package for the country the claimant is seeking to be protection from. Student volunteers will then identify any key issues and draft questions which may be explored during the mock hearing. Student volunteers will contact the client ahead of the mock hearing to explain what the client can expect from the mock hearing process. They will be expected to consult with their supervising lawyer prior to each mock hearing. If additional support is needed for amending the client’s BoC, they will coordinate with their supervising lawyer to attend a follow-up meeting with the client.

TYPE: 

Client Services 

AREA(S) OF LAW: 

Immigration & Refugee Law

COMMUNITY SERVED:

Trans and gender diverse individuals, LGBTQ+, Immigrants, refugees & newcomers

NUMBER OF STUDENT VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

3 students

COMMITMENT:

Up to a maximum of 5 hours per week - Hybrid

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

We welcome applications from trans and gender diverse, Black or racialized 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 

• Experience in clinical, client-facing, and/or tribunal setting 

• Social work background 

• A strong sense of anti-oppression principles