Legal Research & Writing

Partner Organization: Humane Canada
Project Name: Animal Advocacy Research Project
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
Students will research and summarize animal cruelty cases charged under the Criminal Code and provincial/territorial animal welfare legislation within prescribed parameters as set out by the organization. The summaries will then be edited for style, by the organization, and uploaded by the organization onto a public case law database (NCPAC Case Law Database) made available for use by prosecutors and allied professionals for research and/or informational purposes.

Students will create case summaries from existing animal cruelty cases to be uploaded onto Humane Canada’s case law database. Students can expect to complete between 5 to 7 case summaries per semester. The cases will be provided by Humane’s Crown prosecutor partners and common case law repositories such as CanLII and QuickLaw. Students will also research to find newly reported Criminal Code or provincial/territorial animal cruelty cases.

In addition, students will also be updating the National Animal Prohibition Order database with publicly available cases as well as those submitted by some of our partners at BC SPCA and Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan. The Database was set up as a response to the lack of a consistent method to track animal prohibition orders and is available via secure log in to the NCPAC Resource Portal. Students will update the database using a template provided by the organization. These updates are done as needed and is based on the cases they summarise. Where applicable, the organization will note whether or not the student must update the database, therefore students can expect to update the database 5-7 times per semester.

Students would complete the following depending on the cases they have been tasked to summarize:

• Case without animal prohibition order: NCPAC Database Case Template only; Or
• Case with animal prohibition order (Criminal Code or provincial): NCPAC Database Case Template and NCPAC Animal Prohibition Order database submission form.

Content Warning: Due to the nature of the content that will be reviewed by students, where there is information that the organization deems necessary, a “Content Warning” will be provided to the students. The student can choose, with absolutely no judgement or repercussions, whether they would like to summarise the case in question or be given a different case to summarise.

Role of Student Volunteer: 
Students will conduct research and create case law summaries. The students will be expected to complete between 5 to 7 case summaries per semester. In addition, the students will be responsible for updating offender details to Animal Prohibition Order Database. 

Students will be trained by the organization on the summary template as well as how to update the Animal Prohibition Order Database. The expectation will be that the students participate in both summarizing cases and updating the database.

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: None
Eligibility: Open to all years
Number of Placements: 2-3 (4-6 total)

Area of Law: Criminal Law (federal; provincial/territorial); Administrative Law (charter challenges); Animal Welfare Law 
Communities Served: Other: General 

Partner Organization: WomenatthecentrE (WATC) 
Project Name: Building a Reproductive Justice Framework – Research & PLE
Full Project Description.

Content Warning: Working on this project requires conversations and includes content about gender-based violence, anti-Black racism, racial capitalism, settler colonialism, reproductive injustice, and other forms of violence. This may be triggering or activating for some folks. We ask that you please consider this carefully when selecting this project and prioritize your needs before, during, and after the work. Please reach out to your local support systems as required.

Brief Description:
Over-Represented, and Under-Protected: Building A Reproductive Justice Framework Centering Indigenous, Black, and Afro-Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, Gender-Diverse and Trans (IB- WG2SGDT) Communities in the Greater Toronto Area. 

Reproductive justice advocacy focuses on ensuring that women and those facing gender-based discrimination are able to make their own decisions about their reproductive lives, and have access to the resources and supports they need to be able to do so. 

Student volunteers will assist with the legal dimensions of Reproductive Justice by researching and outlining relevant laws and legal procedures to accessing reproductive justice in Canada for Black and Indigenous communities.

The project’s objectives include:

• Examine and document the systemic barriers impacting IB-WG2SGDT peoples' reproductive and sexual health, including access to culturally safe healthcare, the effects of GBV, and policy gaps
• Engage community members through community-based participatory research (CBPR) that prioritizes lived experiences of survivors and frontline advocates in shaping the research framework and findings
• Build solidarity within and between Indigenous, Black, and Afro-Indigenous communities by recognizing shared histories of oppression and reclaiming ancestral knowledge
• Encourage allyship / accompliceship by involving Indigenous, Black, and Afro-Indigenous men and boys in critical discussions on GBV and its intersection with reproductive rights
• Support sustainable change by sharing research findings through a Reproductive Justice Exchange Hub to inform advocacy, policy recommendations, and service improvements

Role of Student Volunteers 
Students will research and canvas relevant Canadian laws and resources to accessing reproductive justice in Canada. Students will work closely with each other and the lawyer supervisor to determine a work plan and divide up work. 

This project has two components: 

(1) Researching Access to Reproductive Justice: Students will research and canvas relevant Canadian laws and resources to accessing reproductive justice in Canada. 

(2) Public Legal Education Development: Students will then either create a workshop or plan-language resource outlining their findings. These resources will be published to be used by relevant populations, and will support WATC’s research. Please note that the final deliverable will be communicated to students in October, once they are matched with the organization.   

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: None
Eligibility: Open to all years
Number of Placements: 2

Area of Law: Human Rights Law and Health Law
Communities Served: Domestic violence survivors; Indigenous; racialized communities

Partner Organization: Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)
Project Name: Indigenous Rights and Cumulative Impacts of Change in Canada
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
This project explores the effects of climate change on various aboriginal and treaty rights in Canada. This includes exploring how Canada’s commitment to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIP) may require the government to take action to prevent devastating impacts of climate change.

The key output includes a detailed report indicating potential constitutional strategies for legal action to broadly protect Indigenous people’s rights in the face of climate change

Phase 1: Legal Research (Fall Term)
Students will receive research assignments from the Project Leads which may include: 

• historical constitutional challenges by indigenous groups related to large industrial projects (ex. pipelines)
• the evidential burden required to support a finding that harm was in fact caused by industrial/government activity
• whether a broader duty to consult should be triggered when industrial projects are proposed
• whether the government can be held accountable for causing harm via industrial projects to Indigenous communities 

Phase 2: Memo Writing (Winter Term)
Students will work with their peers to develop a detailed research report outlining the research conducted in the Fall term. Ideally, this report will be used as a guideline for self-represented Indigenous litigants seeking to hold corporations and governments accountable for making it unsafe for Indigenous communities to safely exercise their rights.

Role of Student Volunteers 
Students will work closely with the Project Leads and supervising lawyer to research several legal questions including:

• Do repeated evacuations without mitigation infringe s. 35 treaty rights?
• Can land protection be linked to s. 35 treaty rights?
• Can s. 35 be used to compel the government to fund resilient infrastructure for Indigenous communities?
• When communities experience long delays in returning to their land after an extreme weather event, does the prolonged lack of land access violate s. 35 treaty rights?
• Whether UNDRIP or the United Nations Declaration Act compels the Canadian government to implement better consultation and protection procedures for Indigenous communities related to environmental issues. 

Students will then collaborate to produce a detailed report indicating potential avenues for legal action that can be taken to more broadly protect Indigenous peoples’ rights in the fact of climate change. This report will be shared broadly with Indigenous communities to assist with future legal challenges.           

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: None; familiarity with Indigenous history and the cultural nuances particular to environmental issues is considered an asset
Eligibility: Open to all years
Number of Placements: No available placements (2 total)

Area of Law: Environmental Law, Indigenous Law, Constitutional Law (UNDRIP – United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act)
Communities Served: Indigenous; self-represented litigants

Partner Organization: Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) 
Project Name: Immigration Law Research Project
Full Project Description.

Brief Description: 
As a council of autonomous community-based agencies which serve immigrant communities of Ontario, OCASI asserts the rights of all persons to participate fully and equitably in the social, cultural, political and economic life of Ontario. 

Settlement.org is an online resource facilitated by OCASI that provides newcomers with an electronic community to find information, read relevant news, ask questions, share their experiences with others, and access a database of community organizations. The Settlement.org moderated discussion forum works to answer questions with well-researched legal information. Here we provide information and referral to services in response to questions about immigration, health, housing, and other aspects of the settlement process.

Role of Student Volunteer:
Students will help answer questions from the discussion forum by providing detailed legal information in plain language and making competent referrals to lawyers and services. Students will conduct research on various topics related to settlement, including housing (landlord and tenant rights), immigration, citizenship issues, and labour law (i.e. workers’ rights). This research will be used to ensure Settlement.org is accurate and up to date, as well as to create new content. 

Deliverables should be in plain language and/or memo format. All content produced by participating students will be reviewed and approved by the supervising lawyer prior to public distribution. In addition to responding to the discussion forum, students will also perform article writing to fill any content gaps that exist.

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: None; Immigration coursework is an asset
Eligibility: Open to all years
Number of Placements: 1 (1-2 total)

Area of Law: Immigration & Refugee, Housing (Landlord & Tenant), and Employment & Labour
Communities Served: Immigrants, refugees & newcomers; racialized communities; low-income

Partner Organization: Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC) 
Project Name: Indigenous Specific – Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Toolkit
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
The OFIFC seeks to develop an Indigenous Specific – Intimate Partner Violence Prevention (IS – IPVP) Toolkit to support survivors navigate the legal system accordingly. Ultimately, there are two key deliverables:

1. a research memo outlining the relevant trends, referral process, and key issues in family and criminal case law, and
2. a public legal education resource articulating the step-by-step process for participating in either a PAR or IS-IPVP Program.

Phase 1: Legal Research – Reviewing IS-IPV Criminal and Family Law Cases
From October – November (Fall term), students will conduct a landscape review of Indigenous intimate partner violence (IPV) criminal and family case law, with a specific focus on Crown Attorney referrals to either Partner Assault Response (PAR) Programs or an Indigenous-Specific – Intimate Partner Violence Prevention (IS-IPVP) Programs.

Students will research relevant case law and produce an internal legal memo for the OFIFC summarizing trends, referral processes, and key issues identified through the review. This review will support the OFIFC in understanding relevant case law and the processes by which eligible individuals are referred to either a PAR or IS-IPVP Program.

Phase 2: Public Legal Education Development
From January – March (Winter term), students will develop a public legal education (PLE) resource that accessibly articulates the step-by-step process of participating in either a PAR or IS-IPVP program for clients. Students will then assist with delivering a virtual/online PLE workshop to share the developed content and information.

Examples include:

• Explain what clients should and should not do during the duration of the program
• How to communicate with legal professionals
• When to communicate with the Crown Attorney
• Outline possible outcomes of completing the PAR or IS-IPVP Program and what it might
• mean for their criminal record

Phase 3: Developing Precedents to Support Clients
Provided Phase 1 and Phase 2 are completed on or ahead of schedule, students may also assistwith developing resources for an IS-IPVP Toolkit. This may include template letters and advocacy materials to support referrals from Crown Attorneys and Probation and Parole Offices. Students will develop these resources for the OFIFC to consolidate into an advocacy and support toolkit for IS-IPVP.

Role of Student Volunteer:
As outlined above. Students can anticipate conducting case law research, writing a legal memo, developing PLE content and assisting with a PLE workshop.

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: None; interest in Indigenous and Aboriginal Law is preferred
Eligibility: Open to all years
Number of Placements: 1-2 

Area of Law: Indigenous Law, Family Law, and Criminal Law
Communities Served: Indigenous; domestic violence survivors; women

Partner Organization: Legal Advocates for Nature’s Defence (LAND)
Project Name: LAND – Bill C-73 Research Project
Full Project Description.

Brief Description:
This joint project is a response to Bill C-73, the Nature Accountability Act, introduced by the federal Environment Minister on June 13, 2024. Bill C-73 is currently not in a state of legislative consideration due the prorogation of Parliament on March 24, 2025. As a result, Bill C-73 will need to be reintroduced and go through the legislative process once again if it is to become law. Bill C- 73 is particularly significant for Canadians as it represents Canada’s first ever environmental law which aims to protect biodiversity. 

Bill C-73 compels Canada to recognize its commitment to protect nature and biodiversity in alignment with its international commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (as agreed to at COP15) and requires the establishment of a national biodiversity strategy and action plan.

Student volunteers will conduct legal research and analysis with a goal of drafting accessible public legal education (PLE) briefing notes on Bill C-73 with the intention that their research will be relied upon by LAND, its clients or members of the public to assist with the shaping of a new draft framework for Bill C-73 when it is reintroduced.

Students will be paired into three groups; each composed of one University of Toronto student and one Lakehead student. Together, each group will research one case study of an Indigenous Protected Area (IPCA) and organize their findings based on research questions supplied by LAND that will assist in analysis and provide a basis for recommendations for Bill C-73. The deliverable goals for this project include one research memo/briefing note on Bill C-73 (5-10 pages in length), and one 30-second social media reel to be used for PLE purposes by LAND, per group.

Role of Student Volunteer:
The student volunteers are responsible for conducting collaborative legal research and analysis on Bill C-73, drafting a briefing note and creating PLE materials for LAND’s use. PLE materials may include brochures, infographics, or social media reels. Student volunteers will work in paired groups to research and provide answers to questions provided in a spreadsheet prior to providing legal information and recommendations based on their analysis of the documents and legislation. They will then create accessible PLE materials to relay their findings to the public.

In the Fall term, student volunteers will be expected to review their assigned case study for their group’s topic area and answer the questions provided by LAND and display their findings in a spreadsheet format.

In the Winter term, each group of student volunteers will begin drafting their legal briefing note. Once their briefing note has been reviewed and finalized by the supervising lawyer (Kerrie Blaise), they will create a social media post based on their findings and recommendations discussed in their briefing note

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: None; an interest in environmental, indigenous and aboriginal law and experience with legal research / memo writing is an asset
Eligibility: Open to all years
Number of Placements: 3 (6 total)

Area of Law: Environmental law; Indigenous law and Aboriginal law
Communities Served: Indigenous; racialized communities; low-income

Partner Organization: ALPHA Education
Project Name: Legal/Historical Research into WWII in Asia
Full Project Description.

Brief Description: 
The research project will support the ongoing development of ALPHA Education and its WongAvery Asia Pacific Peace Museum. In particular, the research will be on justice and other legal issues arising from WWII in Asia and its post-war years. The output of the project could take different formats proposed by the PBSC student volunteer, such as a research memo, infographic, podcast, or video essay. One impact outcome is the volunteer’s project may be published on ALPHA Education’s website with the consent of the volunteer.

Role of Student Volunteer:
Student volunteers will conduct research on legal topics relevant to WWII in Asia and is encouraged to explore topics relevant to their interests. Examples include post-war trials, lawsuits, treaties and agreements, and statutory interpretation.

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: None; Interest/background in history, international law, human rights, and interest in the History of World War II in Asia is an asset; knowledge of East Asian languages is an asset
Eligibility: Open to all years
Number of Placements: 1-2 students 

Area of Law: Human rights law, international law, labour law, criminal law, treaty law
Communities Served: Children & Youth; Racialized communities; immigrants, refugees, & newcomers

Partner Organization: Law Society of Ontario (LSO)
Project Name: Litigation Services Support
Full Project Description.

Brief Description: 
Assisting with developing resources for the Law Society’s Litigation Services team and storing them 

Role of Student Volunteer: 
Students will research and review case law, legislation and secondary sources for various subject matters related to professional regulation and discipline. The topics will include procedural issues such as abuse of process motions, as well as topics that arise in the context of professional misconduct such as various types of fraud and/or integrity breaches

Mode of Delivery: Virtual
Prerequisites: Administrative law 
Eligibility: Open to all years
Number of Placements: 1

Area of Law: Administrative law
Communities Served: Other – General Project