Do you want to represent clients in a courtroom in your first year of law school? How about help a client receive compensation for a human rights violation? How would you like to help somebody who cannot afford legal assistance with their legal issue, from their first intake all the way to a settlement hearing, tribunal hearing or even a full criminal trial?
If you want to get experience with real-life client management, document drafting, and practical litigation skills, be sure to volunteer with the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (LSLAP)!
LSLAP is a student-run clinical organization based out of the Allard School of Law and has been operating since the 1960s. We are the second-largest provider of free legal services in British Columbia after Legal Aid BC. LSLAP is also the largest volunteer program at Allard and is well-known in the legal community.
HOW IT WORKS
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, LSLAP training and work will be remote this year. However, this does not mean students cannot have meaningful, skill-building work. After a short training period by Zoom, clinicians will be assigned to virtual clinics. Clinics take place once every two weeks across the Greater Vancouver Area. Under the supervision of a student clinic head or volunteer supervising lawyer, clinicians perform intake interviews by phone, gathering information on their legal issues. Students then perform independent legal research on the legal issues with the help of our LSLAP manual and various student-developed guides. All legal advice is run through these supervising lawyers before they are given to the client. This system means that new students have an experienced supervising lawyer acting as a safety net and checking their work.
In practice, we operate a lot like a law firm: we track our time, manage files, and report to supervising lawyers.
REAL EXPERIENCE IN VARIOUS AREAS OF LAW
We provide advice and representation on the following practice areas: small claims, residential tenancy, criminal law, employment, Worker’s Compensation Board, Wills and Estates, Immigration and Human Rights.
1L EXPERIENCES FROM LSLAP WORK
For many, LSLAP is the starting point of their legal career. Through LSLAP, 1Ls get experience in the following:
- Courtroom or tribunal experience
- Work on a file from beginning to end
- Use of a professional legal case-management software (Clio)
- Experience making legal arguments on behalf of a client
- Be part of the second-largest legal aid provider in BC
- Qualify for one of our coveted full-time paid summer positions!
TESTIMONY
LSLAP has been a highlight of my law school journey. In addition to the skills I’ve developed through file work, I’ve made some unforgettable friendships both within LSLAP and with supporters of LSLAP in the community. I’ve received an abundance of support from other LSLAPers – from help on drafting submissions, to coaching for my first residential tenancy hearing, to a sense of shared accomplishment when we get our clients a favorable resolution. Judges are also very nice (and very forgiving) to LSLAP students. The first time going before a judge can be nerve-wracking but they are understanding and will help you navigate the system. LSLAP is a great opportunity to get your feet wet with legal work with the safety net of supervising lawyers and student executives having your back.
CONTACT
Stay tuned for our LSLAP 2020-2021 clinicians page on Facebook. We will be sending updates in the Peter A. Allard School of Law Class of 2023 page!
LSLAP website: https://www.lslap.bc.ca/
If you have any questions or just want to chat about LSLAP, don’t hesitate to email Connie, the Executive Director, at execdirector@lslap.bc.ca.
See you in September!
