Archives: Grants (page 8)

The Muslim Legal Support Centre (MLSC) will connect Muslim communities across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to volunteer lawyers who will provide free summary advice and brief services. MLSC will also host public legal education sessions in partnership with community organizations in the GTA. This initiative will enhance Muslim communities’ access to culturally responsive and accessible legal support.

Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) will engage the judiciary, the Bar, the courts, and the education community throughout Ontario by developing innovative educational tools that introduce young people to the justice system. This initiative will provide young people with tools to understand the law and develop the ability to address their own legal issues.

The Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History will study and promote public interest in the history of the law, the legal profession, and the judiciary in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada. It does so by publishing books on Canadian legal history, creating and preserving an oral history archive, supporting academic research, and hosting a diverse range of topical educational events.

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) bridges the gap between low-income Ontarians who cannot afford a lawyer or qualify for legal aid and lawyers who want to donate their services. Its programs include a legal advice hotline, litigation assistance programs in small claims court and Superior Court in Toronto and Ottawa, and medical-legal partnerships that operate out of five children’s hospitals. In addition to supporting these activities, the Catalyst grant will enable PBO to enhance its hotline services. The hotline currently provides free summary advice and legal drafting services in the areas of civil litigation, consumer debt and protection, employment law, housing, power of attorney for property and personal care, and corporate law (for nonprofits and small newcomer-run start-ups).

Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) provides legal help without charge to low-income individuals and nonprofit organizations, and experiential learning opportunities to law students. With chapters in 22 of 23 Canadian law schools, PBSC develops legal placements for law students in a range of work settings including legal clinics, nonprofit organizations, courts, and tribunals. Under the supervision of a lawyer, student volunteers draft memos, develop and deliver legal education workshops, assist lawyers and duty counsel with client intake, assist clients with document preparation, represent clients before tribunals and courts (under lawyer supervision), and provide legal information to clients.

The Probono Inmate Appeal Program will continue to coordinate and support a roster of experienced criminal appellate counsel to act as duty counsel on the appeals of unrepresented appellants in criminal cases before the Court of Appeal for Ontario. This initiative will enhance unrepresented appellants’ access to legal support.

Workers’ Action Centre (WAC) will continue to provide information resources to people in low-wage and precarious employment in Ontario. Through its Developing Critical Post-Pandemic Public Education Strategies to Improve Access to Justice for Workers in Precarious Employment program, WAC will provide responsive public education strategies and resources to reach workers facing emerging barriers, including those who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and are facing increased barriers to access to justice.

Angels of Hope (AOH) will provide system navigation support to survivors of human trafficking in Northeastern Ontario. AOH’s court support worker will provide survivors with a range of holistic supports including information about the court process, helping prepare survivors for court, accompanying survivors to court proceedings, and providing referrals to counselling and other community supports. Partners include the Sudbury Crown Attorney’s office.

BGC Durham will hire a youth court access coordinator to provide referrals and system navigation support to racialized youth who are involved in the criminal justice system. The coordinator will also deliver workshops and create a toolkit to share legal information and resources. This initiative will benefit racialized youth, ages 12-17, who live in and around Durham. BGC Durham aims to increase access to legal supports that are responsive to the needs of youth in conflict with the law.

Black Femme Legal (BFL) will pilot a pro bono clinic for Black 2SLGBTQI+ Ontarians who have experienced anti-Black racism and sexual violence in the workplace. Community members will receive summary legal advice, brief services, and appropriate referrals from a volunteer lawyer in BFL’s network. BFL will provide training on anti-Black racism and mysogynoir to all the pro bono lawyers who participate in the project. Partners include The 519. BFL aims to fill a gap in legal support and services that are tailored to the unique legal needs of Black 2SLGBTQI+ Ontarians who have experienced intersecting forms of anti-Black racism and sexual violence in the workplace.