Serving our neighbours and community
Approximately 140 law students work at the clinic every year, enabling us to serve over two thousand people in eight areas of law. We strive to provide accessible, client-centered, culturally competent services which offer our clients practical solutions.
We operate with the guidance of an advisory board composed of former students and community members to ensure our services are responsive to the needs of our client population.
Fighting for systemic change
Through systemic litigation and advocacy for law reform, we seek to hold the legal system to its promise of providing access to justice for all.
Whenever possible, we work in collaboration with partner organizations to tap into subject matter expertise and benefit from the experience of people with lived experience.
Developing ethics, competence, and compassion
We believe in the vital role of clinical legal education in developing professionals who think critically about the law, serve clients compassionately, and find creative solutions.
Our students work on the frontlines, representing clients at every stage of a case from intake to completion. From counselling a client in crisis to negotiating a settlement, from enforcing an order to bringing an urgent motion, student caseworkers handle every aspect of a legal file, all under expert supervision in a supportive and collaborative setting.
At Downtown Legal Services, students don't learn about the law in a way that divorces it from its social and political context. They are challenged to reflect on the institutions and power structures that make up the legal system, as well as their own roles within it.
Meet our executive director, supervising lawyers, and administrative staff.
The Gallery Project
The paintings on this website were created by the participants in the Gallery Project, an initiative of Law In Action Within Schools (LAWS). In this project, high school students discussed and reflected on their experiences of the legal system, in collaboration with lawyers, justice education facilitators, and artists. They were then invited to paint pieces which reflected their "lived experiences and visions of justice." We are glad to have the chance to showcase their works and hopes for a more just future.