Clinical Legal Education: Externship - YWCA Toronto

Note: Enrollment in this externship is conditional. The Records Office will add the externship to the student's course selection once participation is confirmed by the supervising lawyer.  In the meantime, students must select sufficient credits for the term/year. Students approved for the externship will have the opportunity to adjust their credits before the add/drop deadline. See details on how to register below.

This course offers students the opportunity to advocate for the rights of women and gender diverse people in a feminist legal clinic with an anti-oppression and anti-violence mandate.

Our Work:

YWCA Toronto is a leader in building a world in which women, girls and gender diverse individuals can thrive. Our advocacy at all levels of government and in the community shapes both public policy and public awareness. 

YWCA Toronto regularly contributes feminist insights to the public discourse in response to government initiatives and policies. We also participate on coalitions, sector tables, and committees and partnerships to advance meaningful social change. YWCA Toronto’s recent policy recommendations focus on  improving the lives of women, girls and gender diverse communities. Students will work on projects with the CEO and the Director of Advocacy and Communication. 

The objectives of the YWCA Clinic placement are for students to:

• Conduct policy and legal research, including legislative tracking, briefing notes, and comparative analysis
• Contribute to advocacy and law reform, including government submissions, campaigns, and coalition work
• Support community-informed research grounded in the realities of women, girls, and gender-diverse people facing intersecting barriers
• Engage in system-level work, including organizational strategy and translating research into practical, community-facing resources
• Support governance functions, including comprehensive policy reviews, compliance monitoring, and organizational risk management tracking

We ask students to plan to work one day per week at the clinic. While fieldwork assignments will necessarily vary from term to term, and from student to student, students enrolled in this externship can expect to be exposed to the following fundamental skills:

• problem solving/strategic case development,
• legal analysis and reasoning,
• legal research,
• case evaluation
• policy analysis and development,
• community outreach and engagement,
• Governance Compliance review, 
• negotiation,
• litigation/oral advocacy,
• risk identification and assessment
• alternative dispute resolution procedures,
• organization and management of legal work, and
• recognizing and resolving ethical issues.

How to register for this course:

To register for this course: please send an email to Sara Faherty at sara.faherty@utoronto.ca with a current CV, and a statement of interest including the following information:

- Why you wish to enroll in the YWCA Toronto program;
- Your interest or experience in the areas of social justice and/or women's rights;
- A list of courses taken on social justice or women's rights (transcript not necessary) or that may be otherwise relevant to the YWCA Toronto’s Mandate.

Students must apply to the externship by the deadline which is the deadline for course selection. Students will be interviewed for available positions. Acceptance to the Clinic is on a rolling basis and interested students are encouraged to apply early.