Upper Year Only Projects

Partner Organization: Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA)
Project Name: National Research Project
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is a national, nonpartisan, non governmental organization that promotes and protects rights and freedoms for all of us in Canada. CCLA has developed a unique model of advocacy that supports five core activities: monitoring, litigation, research, public education and civil engagement. 

Currently CCLA’s work is focused on the following thematic areas: Fundamental Freedoms, Criminal Justice, Equality and Privacy. Pro Bono students will conduct legal research in support of CCLA’s litigation, advocacy and public engagement work to protect and promote fundamental rights. Students should rank their preferences (1-4) of program areas. Please see the attached PDF for more information on each program area.

Role of Student Volunteer:
Students will be asked to conduct legal research and prepare memoranda on various topics by the CCLA’s Program Directors. This may include case briefs, reviews of draft or proposed legislation, policy reviews and research memoranda on fundamental freedoms, police powers, national security, privacy, criminal law reform, and equality. Students may periodically be asked to conduct social science research as well, used to inform CCLA’s advocacy and education work.

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: Constitutional Law required; interest in CCLA and/or civil liberties/human rights work; fluency in French is an asset
Eligibility: Upper years only
Number of Placements: 1 (10 total)

Area of Law: Constitutional law, public law, administrative law, criminal law, human rights law
Communities Served: Other - General

Partner Organization: Citizens with Disabilities – Ontario (CWDO)
Project Name: Remedies for Disability Discrimination Across Canada
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
Students will be conducting research into the rights of Ontarians with disabilities, particularly regarding the status of remedies awarded in human rights claims.

Role of Student Volunteer:
Students will survey human rights remedies awarded by provincial, territorial, and federal human rights bodies. This will include both individual and public interest remedies. 

Following the survey, students will conduct a deeper analysis of leading cases to produce a paper outlining the status of remedies across Canada. The two students will work closely to divide up work and collaborate on producing a written report. The memo/paper may be published on CWDO’s website.

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: Demonstrated strength in research and writing is an asset and highly desired. 
Eligibility: Upper years only; exceptional 1L students with strong research and writing skills may be eligible (ex. dissertation before law school)
Number of Placements: 2

Area of Law: Constitutional, Human Rights, and accessibility laws pertaining to people with disabilities in Ontario
Communities Served: people living with disabilities & chronic illnesses; people living in poverty; other

Partner Organization: Luke’s Place
Project Name: Intimate Partner Violence Legal Support Services and Resource Development
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
Courthouse Support: Students will attend our courthouse office along with one of our family court support workers to assist with intake and referrals for drop-in clients.

Accompaniments to Court and Note-Taking at Lawyer Appointments: Students will accompany women to court appearances (including motions and conferences), and to lawyer appointments. Their role will be to provide support and take detailed notes, which will then be provided to women following the court appearance or legal appointment.

Legal Research and Resource Creation (this would take place if there are no women to support during the courthouse support as described above): Students will assist in preparing case law summaries and/or brief legal informational handouts for family court support workers across Ontario to help them better understand a particular family law legal issues. Students may also be asked to prepare brief legal memos on an assigned topic in family law for internal use by the staff team.

Role of Student Volunteer:
Students will assist with client support under the supervision of a lawyer or family court support worker and may complete some legal research. Students will also assist with the creation of informational resources on a particular family law issue. Depending on the needs of the organization and the nature of the assigned task, the students may work together collaboratively.

Mode of Delivery: In-Person; Students are expected to volunteer for one (1) shift at the Luke’s place courthouse office in Oshawa.
Prerequisites: None; Family law experience preferred
Eligibility: Upper years preferred
Number of Placements: 1-2 (2-3 total)

Area of Law: Family law
Communities Served: Domestic violence survivors; women; self-represented litigants

Partner Organization: Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY)
Project Name: Clinic and Research Project
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
Students will work 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. 

Although each student may get the opportunity to sit in on an intake meeting between a client and their supervisor, students will predominately be engaging in research-based work on a broad range of topics.

Examples of potential research topics may include victim representation, criminal law (including YCJA), immigration, child welfare, education law, human rights claims, privacy matters, or administrative law matters. All students are closely supervised and are given regular feedback on task performance. Each student will submit their research directly to their supervisor.

Pursuant to organizational and institutional regulations, students may be able to volunteer in the clinic during the winter term.

Role of Student Volunteer:
Students will complete legal research and may assist with client intake under the supervision of a lawyer.

Mode of Delivery: In-person
Prerequisites: Experience with criminal law, family law, administrative law is an asset but not required.
Eligibility: Upper years only
Number of Placements: 1 (3 total)

Area of Law: Criminal, YCJA, poverty, housing, human rights, constitutional, immigration and refugee, administrative, family, education, criminal, civil and administrative process
Communities Served: Children & Youth; homeless & marginally housed; LGBTQ+

Partner Organization: WoodGreen Community Services
Project Name: Newcomer Drop-In Legal Information Clinic 
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
The Newcomer Drop-In Legal Information Clinic will pilot a bi-weekly clinic during the 2026 Winter Term (January – March 2026) to provide low-income newcomers with direct legal information assistance. This initiative aims to enhance legal support for immigrants and refugees by streamlining legal application processes. Examples of supports include:

• Preparing Basis of Claim (BOC) forms
• ODSP Appeal Documentation
• PR card/work-permit renewals
• Sponsorship applications

The Fall term (October – November 2025) will be used to prepare the templates and educational resources required for the student clinic. The goal is to launch the clinic during the Winter term.

Fall Term: Clinic Tool Development (October – November 2025)
Students will create a Legal Resource Hub with the required documents, including intake forms, referral pamphlets, step-by-step guides, etc. Students will establish the clinic processes and may assist with outreach materials.

Winter Term: Clinic Launch (January – March 2026)
Student volunteers and lawyer supervisors will lead a bi-weekly clinic in-person (exact dates TBD; likely Fridays, 10 AM – 2 PM) to support 6-10 clients per session. Student volunteers will be assigned a maximum of two (2) clients at any one time unless they have the express consent of the lawyer supervisor to take on more than two clients.

The Supervising Lawyers will alternate bi-weekly attendance at the Clinic. The Organization Contact will ensure to schedule clients or facilitate drop-ins based on the available lawyer’s expertise:

• Cathryn Sawicki – Citizenship and Immigration Law
• Robert Blanshay – Refugee and Immigration Law

Students will provide legal information to clients during the drop-in and collect any legal questions that require further examination. During the “off-weeks” from the clinic, students will research the question and draft an answer for the client. The lawyer supervisors will approve the accuracy of the information and then the student will set up a phone call or in-person meeting with the client to deliver the legal information (may occur at a subsequent Clinic session).

Role of Student Volunteer:
Fall Term (October – November 2025): Support development of templates and tools to be used in the Clinic. Establish Clinic processes for launch in January.

Winter Term (January – March 2026): Attend bi-weekly clinics to provide clients with legal information and gather legal questions requiring research. Conducting follow-up research and drafting an answer for clients. Obtaining lawyer supervisor approval and communicating answers to clients.

Mode of Delivery: Hybrid; In-person clinic work in the Winter and virtual in the Fall
Prerequisites: None; experience in a non-profit or immigrant serving organization is an asset; high-level of sensitivity, initiative, and problem-solving is an asset
Eligibility: Open to all years; Upper year project leads preferred.
Number of Placements: 3-4 students total; 1-2 Project Leads

Area of Law: Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship
Communities Served: Immigrants, refugees & newcomers; racialized communities; self-represented litigants

Partner Organization: Pro Bono Ontario (PBO)
Project Name: CERB/CRB Overpayment Intake Project
Full Project Description.

Brief Description: The student will assist primarily with the CERB/CRB Overpayment Pro Bono Program (COPP). COPP assists self-represented individuals residing in Ontario that disagree with a covid overpayment decision and are considering requesting a second review with CRA or applying to the Federal Court for a judicial review. Clients apply to COPP and if eligible, PBO tries to find a volunteer lawyer willing to provide pro bono legal support and/or PBO provides summary legal advice.

Role of Student Volunteer: The student’s work will include: 

• Reviewing court or other documentation submitted to PBO and ensuring the PBO applicant has submitted the required documents to confirm eligibility;
• Communicating/interviewing PBO applicants that have applied to COPP to obtain further information as needed; 
• Drafting a brief summary of the PBO’s applicants’ case/issue(s); 
• Assisting in organizing/preparing the electronic file to send to volunteers lawyer/law firm; 
• Providing research support and/or preparing initial drafts of documents, as needed; and 
• Communicating with potential PBO applicants information about the COPP, as needed).

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: None; civil procedure or admin law familiarity is an asset
Eligibility: Upper years only; highly motivated 1L students may be considered (max 1)
Number of Placements: 1-2

Area of Law: Generally, appeals, litigation, Federal Court
Communities Served: Other – General; self-represented litigants

Partner Organization: Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services (KBCLS)
Project Name: Tenant Application Clinic
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
Tenant applications are document intensive, require extensive amounts of time, and can be confusing to tenants. Students will be trained to help individuals in the KBCLS catchment fill out tenant applications. Students will, with supervision from the supervising lawyer, develop a theory of the case and work with clients to complete applications and gather evidence for their eventual hearings. KBCLS does not represent individuals on these applications. The project exists to ensure tenants have clear and coherent tenant applications with adequate evidence that puts them in the best position to self- represent at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Note that students are not permitted to provide legal advice.

Students may also have the opportunity to research and create digital/audio PLE materials on renting basics in Toronto such as the Standard Form Lease vs OREA forms, RTA versus Condo/coop bylaws etc.]. This is to ensure that students have a sufficient workload in the event that clients are unresponsive.

Role of Student Volunteer: As outlined above.

Mode of Delivery: Hybrid; in-person clinic work
Prerequisites: None; clinical/social justice experience is an asset; interest in Tenant Rights and housing justice is highly desirable
Eligibility: Open to upper years only
Number of Placements: 3 Upper Year students (6 total)

Area of Law: Housing, administrative, immigration, social assistance
Communities Served: homeless & marginally housed; low-income; self-represented litigants

Partner Organization: Kensington Health
Project Name: Wills Clinic
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
The Wills Clinic will pilot during the 2026 Winter Term (January – March 2026) and provide simple wills drafting services for low-income community members who meet the selection criteria outlined below.

To prepare the clinic for launch, the Fall term (October – November 2025) will be used to prepare the templates and educational resources required for the student clinic. The goal is to launch the clinic during the Winter term. If there are any changes to timelines and/or the program, a revised project description form will be shared with the Pro Bono team to reflect the changes.

All involved parties must attend a virtual meeting at the beginning of the project, to be coordinated by the PBSC Program Coordinator

Role of Student Volunteer:
Fall Term (October – November 2025): Clinic Development. Students will work with supervising lawyers to craft the documents needed to support the Wills Clinic. Examples include precedent Wills and power of attorney forms, intake forms, outreach material, etc. 

Winter Term (January – March 2026): Bi-weekly Clinic. Students will lead a bi-weekly Wills Clinic at Kensington Health (KH). The clients will be scheduled by KH and students will have a maximum of two clients at any one time, unless they have the express consent of the supervising lawyers.

Clinic Process: 

• Meeting 1: Drafting Appointment: Conduct drafting appointment and testamentary capacity assessment with oversight provided by supervising lawyer
• Off-Week: Will Drafting: Use client instructions to draft will and send to Lawyer for review within two (2) business days
• Meeting 2: Signing Appointment: Schedule signing appointments, attend signing appointments, act as witness, and give documents to the community member. Obtain feedback from client, conduct client management and appropriate file management and client communications. 

Student volunteers will be assigned a maximum of two (2) clients at any one time unless they have the express consent of the lawyer supervisor to take on more than two.

Mode of Delivery: Hybrid; In-Person clinic and remote research
Co/Prerequisites: Wills & Estates Planning is an asset; Contract Law is required
Eligibility: Upper years only
Number of Placements: 3-4 total, including 1-2 Project Leads

Area of Law: Wills & Estates; Contracts
Communities Served: Seniors; Low-income; Other – General