As a PBSC volunteer, you will gain valuable hands-on practical experience related to client contact, legal research and writing, and more. Not only do PBSC students receive specialized research training from Thomson Reuters WestlawNext Canada every October, but they also benefit from the mentorship of a lawyer supervisor who oversees their work. Furthermore, a volunteer experience with PBSC is a chance for students to learn from the clients, communities and organizations with which they are working. Pursuant to PBSC’s values, students will learn the importance of practicing law with humility, advancing equity in society, and recognizing the dignity of all participants in diverse legal systems within Canada.
Absolutely! PBSC invites all students at Osgoode Hall Law School to apply for a placement that suits their interests, even if it is their year “away” from the Faculty of Law.
PBSC facilitates a wide variety of projects, which usually fall into one of the following categories:
Client Intake and Assistance Projects: These involve sitting down with clients of partner organizations or clinics to collect their personal information and the facts of their case, and in some cases providing them with legal information or helping them complete court forms or other documents. These projects tend to be most suitable for upper-year students.
Legal Research and Writing Projects: These include reviewing and monitoring pending legislation, writing legal memos or analysing current policy questions, and writing for media such as newsletters or blogs.
Public Legal Education Projects: Students develop and deliver legal education materials (e.g., FAQs, info sheets, etc.), workshops, and seminars to people and communities facing barriers to justice. Students aim to provide legal information in an accessible format about a particular area of law.
Internships: In an internship, a student volunteer is placed with a highly regarded non-profit organization to perform a series of discrete legal tasks throughout the program year, supervised by a lawyer. Students will also have opportunities to observe the operations of the organization and to be integrated into the organization as an “intern.”
Advocacy Projects: Advocacy projects allow student volunteers to represent clients before tribunals and courts, under close lawyer supervision.
PBSC facilitates projects with dozens of organizations serving a diverse range of communities. Additionally, our Program Coordinators develop new projects every year. Check out our Projects page to see the amazing organizations we work with.
Students are expected to volunteer for 3-5 hours per week from October to March, excluding the month of December. Students are also expected to attend two mandatory training sessions: a general PBSC training session and a Thomson Reuters WestlawNext Canada training session. The dates of these sessions will be communicated in the Fall once students are placed with a partner organization.
No. PBSC placements do not run during December and April. Your PBSC commitment should not get in the way of studying for exams and your academic success.
Yes, the volunteer hours you collect will be applied to fulfil your 40-hour Osgoode Public Interest Requirement. Student volunteers are responsible for submitting their hours on MyOsgoode for approval.
Applications for PBSC take place in September. Please keep an eye on our Applications page and our social media for more details.