Name of Organization: Women's Law Association of Ontario
Website of Organization: https://wlao.on.ca/
Organization's Mandate: The Women’s Law Association of Ontario is dedicated to empowering women in the legal profession by providing a collective voice and advocating for equality, diversity and change. Since 1919, WLAO has provided leadership and support to advance the status of women in the legal profession.
Project Name: Women's Legal Issues Project
Project Type: Research (memoranda used for internal purposes only)
Project Delivery: Remote
Description of Project: The Women’s Law Association of Ontario (WLAO) is dedicated to its mission of empowering women by providing a collective voice and advocating for equality, diversity, and change. They have been an active voice for women, and this placement is no different.
The WLAO is seeking a student to advance fulsome responses and state its position on current legal issues facing women (i.e. Statement of Principles, defunding of legal organizations). Some areas of research the students may be asked to engage in are:
• Review of Law Society reports and studies relating to equity issues
• Review of recent court decisions affecting equity seeking groups
• Assessing the implications of legislative developments in the areas of accessibility and diversity and inclusion
• Developing recommendations for policies and practices for the promotion of equity and diversity in the legal profession
• Discrimination against women in the profession
The research will be drafted into research memos and presented to the Board every month. Using the research memo and input from the Board, letters and/or articles detailing the WLAO’s position on these legal issues will be drafted. The letters/articles will be used to communicate the WLAO’s official position to the public and the Law Society of Ontario.
An opportunity to attend Town Halls hosted by the organization may also be possible.
*Note: any in-person activities will only be permissible subject to public health policy and university/faculty directives.
Role of Student Volunteers: The student will conduct legal research on a wide area of women’s issues. The WLAO Advocacy Committee will inform the student on which legal issues are most important to the organization at the time, at which point the student will conduct legal research to unpack the complexities of the issue. The research will be drafted into research memos and presented to the Board every month. Using the research memo and input from the Board, the student will draft letters detailing the WLAO’s position on these legal issues. Upon review from the lawyer supervisor, the Committee, and other appropriate parties, the letters will be used to communicate the WLAO’s official position to the public and the Law Society of Ontario. In addition, the student may have the opportunity to attend Town Halls hosted by the organization. If so, the student will be responsible for informally interviewing some of the participants of the Town Hall to gather information on which legal issues are the most important to them, so that the WLAO can make the decision to establish a formal position on such issues and provide advocacy and support where it can.
Role of Supervising Lawyer(s): The Supervising Lawyer will oversee the research conducted by the student, including reviewing and approving any final deliverables prior to use by the partner organization.
Type of Law: Women’s Law, Equity, Inclusion
Main Project Deliverable: Creating produced content (e.g. research memos, brochures, podcasts, 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: Schedule is flexible -- legal research and drafting will be done remotely. There will be a virtual Board meeting every third Monday of each month from 6-8pm, which the student is required to attend.
Is there a workspace provided for the student at the Organization: No
Devices and technologies the students will be required to have: Computer, internet, phone, Zoom
Is there an expectation for the student(s) to be bilingual: No
Law School Pre-Requisites: N/A
Other Requirements or Expectations: Candidates should possess an interest in women’s issues.