This is a joint project between the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Osgoode Hall & University of Toronto Faculty of Law.
Name of Organization: Luke’s Place
Website of Organization: https://lukesplace.ca
Organization’s Mandate: Luke’s Place is a non-profit organization providing legal and support services to self-identified women across Ontario who have been subjected to intimate partner violence as they proceed through the family court system. Luke’s Place also engages in systemic advocacy, research and training on gender-based violence and family law.
Project Name: Legal Support Services and Resource Development
Project Type: Client services (court forms, shadowing, mock hearings, intake, legal clinic, etc.)
Project Delivery: In Person.
Description of Project:
Component 1
Courthouse support: Students will attend our courthouse office along with one of our family court support workers to assist with intake and referrals for women who drop-in to our courthouse office.
Component 2
Court accompaniment: Students will accompany women to court appearances, including motions and conferences. Their role will be to provide support and take detailed notes, which will then be provided to women following the court appearance.
Component 3
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.
Students cannot and will not provide legal advice.
Role of Student Volunteers: 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.
Role of Supervising Lawyer(s): The Supervising Lawyer will oversee all the work of student volunteers and will provide guidance as needed. The Supervising Lawyer will ensure that instructions for the students are clear, and that the workload is realistic for students to complete in less than 5 hours per week. The Lawyer Supervisor will review and approve all final deliverables prior to use by the Partner Organization.
Type of Law: Family Law
Main Project Deliverable: Completing client intake and assistance (e.g. completing client intake, providing client referrals, helping clients with their ID documents, etc.)
Number of Student Placements: 2-3 students.
Hours per week the student volunteer(s) will be expected to work: 3-5 hours/week
Regular shifts or a flexible schedule: Students will be required to sign up for a regular shift each week at the Luke‘s Place courthouse office in Oshawa, with the shifts being Monday to Friday from either 9:00AM to 12:00PM or 1:00PM to 4:30PM.
Is there a workspace provided for the student at the Organization:
Yes, a workspace will be provided.
Devices and technologies the students will be required to have:
- Computer
- Internet Access
- Telephone
- Video call capabilities (camera, microphone/headphones, applications such as Zoom)
- Safety software provided by organization will need to be installed
Is there an expectation for the student(s) to be bilingual: No, but would be an asset
Law School Pre-Requisites: Family Law preferred but not required
Other Requirements or Expectations: Background and interests in working with women who have been subjected to intimate partner violence would be an asset. Volunteers are required to complete a Vulnerable Sector Check (organization will reimburse costs)