Our names are Nicole Chan and Kyleen Wong and we would like to extend a warm welcome to the Allard community.  We are Allard’s Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) Program Coordinators for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year.

What is PBSC?

PBSC is a national, multiple award-winning organization with chapters in 22 law schools across Canada. The first pro bono organization in the country, PBSC has been working with law schools and the bar associations across the country to deliver high-quality legal services for over 20 years. Supreme Court of Canada Justice Rosalie Abella has described PBSC as “one of the most visionary undertakings I have seen in my 40 years at the bar.”

Our mandate is to provide legal services without charge to organizations and individuals in need across Canada. Each year, about 1,600 PBSC volunteers provide approximately 140,000 hours of free legal services to over 400 organizations, courts, and tribunals across the country. We partner with public interest organizations, legal clinics, and lawyers working on pro bono files. Some of our partners in Vancouver include West Coast LEAF, Access Pro Bono, Pivot Legal Society, and the BC Civil Liberties Association, to name a few.

Top 5 reasons to volunteer with PBSC

1. Make a real difference early on in your legal career

PBSC matches law students with public interest and community organizations that are in need of legal services. As most of our partner organizations are non-profit, they could not do their work without the dedicated support of the legal community in taking on pro bono files and projects.

Laura Harrison, a co-coordinator of the Homeless ID Clinic placement, said the following about her work assisting low-income and marginally housed individuals apply for identification:

“My involvement in PBSC emphasized the importance of using Allard as a platform to reach individuals in need of legal services who may otherwise be unable to access it.”

2. Network with lawyers, firms, and community organizations, and meet other student volunteers

As a student volunteer, you work closely with your organization and supervising lawyer on your project, which gives you the opportunity to network within the legal and social justice community. PBSC also hosts a number of training sessions and other community building events throughout the school year where you can meet other student volunteers.

3. Get hands-on legal experience that you cannot get in the classroom

Cate Provan, a PBSC volunteer, said the following about her placement:

“Unlike law school, where exams are typically based on made-up fact patterns, my placement let me be a part of solving actual legal problems that affect real people. It was wonderful to feel like a contributing member of the legal community!”

There are a wide variety of placement types which give students the opportunity to strengthen different skills.

  • Legal research and writing projects: Students conduct analysis for blogs, radio shows, and newsletters etc.
  • Public legal education projects: Students prepare and present workshop materials and/or draft plain language resources.
  • Client Assistance: Students provide procedural guidance for litigants, help with legal drafting and filling out court forms, assist with court support or accompaniment, and provide legal information and referrals.
  • Internships: Students work directly with lawyers, often at firms or other legal organizations, on discrete legal tasks.

4. Focus on the area of law you are passionate about while helping underserved communities

PBSC gives you the opportunity to explore an area of law in which you are interested in practicing and to expose yourself to areas that you will not otherwise encounter during your time at Allard. PBSC has a range of projects serving the following communities:

  • Homeless and marginally housed individuals;
  • Immigrant, refugee, and newcomer individuals;
  • Indigenous individuals;
  • People who identify as LGBTQ+;
  • People living with disabilities;
  • People living with mental health challenges
  • Prisoners and former prisoners;
  • Racialized individuals;
  • Self-represented litigants;
  • Seniors;
  • Violence against women survivors and other women; and
  • Children and youth.

5. Balance your studies with a manageable volunteer commitment

PBSC placements are just 3 to 5 hours per week, with blackout periods during exams in December and April. Many of our placements allow students to work remotely, while other shift-based placements give students the opportunity to integrate themselves within the organization.

Learn More

To learn more about PBSC, please visit our website. You can also contact us at pbsc@allard.ubc.ca. We look forward to meeting you all in September!