Hello incoming 1Ls!
This is Mark Dorner and Talia Magder, members of the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (LSLAP) student executive. Welcome to the UBC Faculty of Law! We are sure you are all super excited and looking forward to ways you can put your legal education to practical use during law school. Here is a bit more about what LSLAP is and how you can get involved!
What is LSLAP?
LSLAP is a student run-organization that provides free legal advice and representation to low-income individuals.
LSLAP is a great program because it allows you to engage in real-life legal work while you are still a law student. Every year, our students draft legal documents, run trials, and attend hearings and tribunals. This might sound intimidating (or terrifying) but it is a great opportunity to get hands on legal experience as well as help make a difference in someone’s life.
LSLAP provides a lot of support to its students, with two in-house supervising lawyers overseeing your conduct of a file, volunteer supervising lawyers helping out a clinics as well as supervising student run trials. There are also many upper-year students who are happy to help you whenever you are stuck with a file or are unsure what to do next. We’re always around to help you out with file management and any questions you may have. Mentorship is a huge part of the program, and LSLAP is a great way to get to know upper-year students and seek guidance on filework as well as any other questions you have throughout law school.
How Does LSLAP Work?
Here’s a quick rundown of the program. Students sign up online in early September and are assigned to one of our many clinics throughout the lower mainland. Each student is assigned to a clinic that runs every other week, starting mid-September, for a total of 5 clinics per semester. However, we understand that law school can be busy, so it is up to you to decide how many clinics you want to attend. Some students attend only a couple of clinics per semester, while some students love it so much that they go every week!
LSLAP clinics are two hours long. Students meet with each client for 30 minutes to do file intake. Here you gather documents and interview the client. Afterwards, students make appointments with the supervising lawyers to determine the scope of work for the file. Sometimes, we can only refer clients to another organization or provide basic advice. Other times, we can go as far as representing the client at trial!
Here is an example of a typical file. Mark met with a client and took notes about his recent dismissal from his job. The client was unsure of his rights in the situation. After the clinic, he did some research on wrongful dismissal and employee rights. he thought that the client might be entitled to severance pay. He took his research to the supervising lawyer and discussed the file with her. She suggested that he help the client make a complaint to the Employment Standards Board. He drafted the complaint, got it approved by the supervising lawyer, and submitted it. Later on, he also drafted submissions after the employment standards officer requested more evidence. He will be doing the hearing for the complaint sometime over the summer.
Why Should I Join LSLAP?
If you want another reason to join LSLAP, how about a summer job after 1L? Every year, LSLAP hires about 14 students to be full-time summer employees. Employees are chosen in a job draw. Ballots for the job draw can be earned by attending at least 8 clinics, attending a distance clinic (e.g. Coquitlam, Surrey), or volunteering as clinic head. You also so receive extra ballots for certain types of work completed on files. 1L summer law jobs are rare, so the LSLAP summer job is a great opportunity to get tons of legal experience, meet new people, make some money, and have a fun summer. It also looks great on a CV to prospective second year employers!
How Do I Join LSLAP?
We hope to see you all at the Dean’s BBQ during Orientation Week! Please stop by our table for some goodies and more information about LSLAP. If you have any questions about LSLAP, feel free to send Mark an email at pr@lslap.bc.ca.