This is a joint project between Osgoode Hall, University of Toronto Faculty of Law & Lincoln Alexander School of Law.
Name of Organization: Black Legal Action Centre
Website of Organization: www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca
Organization’s Mandate: Established in 2017, the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is an independent not-for-profit community legal clinic, funded by Legal Aid Ontario, that combats individual and systemic anti- Black racism by providing free legal services, conducting research, developing public legal education materials, and engaging in test case litigation and law reform.
Project Name: Social Media Primer
Project Type: Public Legal Education (presentations, workshops, podcasts, brochures, blogs, etc.)
Project Delivery: Remote
Description of Project: What legal issues are related to raising awareness of racism, what are the risks, and when does this bleed into defamation or slander? Pro-bono counsel at Torys LLP produced a primer for BLAC addressing the potential risks and liabilities which can arise from engaging in advocacy over social media. Last year, a PBSC student updated the memo. Due to the ongoing nature of this project, the legal memo needs to be updated further and translated into plain language resources for BLAC to share with the wider community. The emphasis this year will be on creating the Guide and PLE resources for public consumption.
Role of Student Volunteers: Update the memo: The memo was produced in 2020 and a supplement followed in 2021. The student will review the memo and update it to include any recent/ongoing cases since March 2024.
Create a guide: The student will create a PLE guide that summarizes the legal issues and present cases.
Create PLE resources: The student will use Canva to translate the memo into an educational campaign (graphics, videos, plain language documents) which will be shared with the public.
Role of Supervising Lawyer(s): Review the students’ research for thoroughness and accuracy; review and approve PLE resources produced by the student, before it is used by the organization.
Type of Law: Libel and Slander Act, Human Rights Code.
Main Project Deliverable: Presenting public legal education (e.g. in-person or virtual presentations, workshops, training sessions, etc.)
Number of Student Placements: 1 student
Hours per week the student volunteer(s) will be expected to work: 3-5 hours/week
Regular shifts or a flexible schedule: No regular shifts. Schedule is flexible.
Is there a workspace provided for the student at the Organization: Most of this work can be done remotely. However, BLAC does have laptops, desks, and printers that students can use, if needed.
Devices and technologies the students will be required to have: Computer, internet, phone.
The student will be given access to BLAC’s Canva accounts to create interactive videos and documents.
Is there an expectation for the student(s) to be bilingual: No.
Law School Pre-Requisites: Civil Litigation an asset
Other Requirements or Expectations: Understanding of civil litigation, Familiarity with Canva software, Ability to translate complex legal processes and issues into plain language.