During the development of the programme, it was recognized that the legal problems of disadvantaged persons are often linked to social problems. As a result, an interdisciplinary approach to service delivery was developed, combining expertise from the legal professions and social work to enable law students to work together to develop an appreciation and understanding of the knowledge, skills and practice theories of both professions. Many students who have attended LAW have found careers in the world of social justice, including as lawyers for community clinics in Ontario. Located in downtown Windsor, LAW is a community law clinic that provides services to members of the Windsor-Essex community living on low incomes. Full-time and part-time internships are available for students. Students work in a multidisciplinary model with social workers and lawyers in the following areas of law: tenant housing law, criminal compensation, Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Employment Insurance and Refugees/Immigration. More information about LAW can be found on their website. People with special problems or ongoing litigation are asked to contact our office and arrange an admission appointment. If they meet our eligibility criteria, they will be asked to sign a legal mandate for our clinic to act as a legal representative. LAW provides a range of legal and social services to low-income communities in Windsor and Essex County. It continues to make a difference in the community as it serves people who would otherwise not be represented.
LAW has been successful in obtaining ODSP or Ontario Works eligibility for its clients and has often maintained leases where people would otherwise be homeless. This applies in particular to subsidized housing. Legal Assistance of Windsor (LAW) was founded in 1974 as a clinical learning project of the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. The goal was to create an environment where students could experience access to justice issues at a Storefront clinic in downtown Windsor by examining the law and the legal profession in context, while helping to provide legal services to those who could not afford a private lawyer and could not obtain a legal aid certificate. Through an interdisciplinary approach, lawyers and law students, social workers, and social work students engage in a learning environment in the areas of case work, public legal education, legal reform, and community development. Inherent in this work is the recognition that helping people improve their lives or the general conditions of the community can come not only through case-by-case services, but also through community development activities. Students leave the clinic with a deep appreciation for the true application of social justice principles on an individual and community basis. “LAW has tailored its services to the needs of the community,” said Brian Rodenhurst, Executive Director of LAW. “For example, we have done legal work on refugees and immigration to meet the needs of the recent influx of Mexican refugees from the United States. We have also worked with UIC benefits, because of the rising unemployment rates in Windsor.
We constantly try to be flexible to meet the changing needs of the community. Community Legal Aid (CLA) provides legal services to vulnerable and low-income individuals to prevent, prepare for and overcome poverty issues through a combination of community development and action. CLA provides competent and professional legal services, including summary legal advice, comprehensive legal representation and municipal legal education. Please visit our website at communitylegalaidwindsor.com/ CLA offers several volunteer placements for law students who want to learn practical legal skills and serve the community. Students can start volunteering at CLA from 1L. All CBA volunteers attend an orientation session that is offered at the beginning of each academic semester. Our legal advisor introduces students to legal practice with a collaborative approach. We represent clients in the following areas of legal practice: Community Legal Aid (CBS) is a joint project of the University of Windsor Faculty of Law and Legal Aid Ontario. Our legal clinic is staffed by law students under the supervision of licensed lawyers. We are proud to represent students and provide free legal services to financially eligible low-income residents of the City of Windsor and the County of Greater Essex.
CLA is pleased to offer workshops on all our areas of activity that may affect your customers. For more information or to coordinate a workshop, please contact us at 519.253.7150 or by email at CLA@uwindsor.ca, use “PLE workshop” as the re: line. Located in downtown Windsor, CLA is an SLASS legal clinic that provides services to students and members of the low-income Windsor-Essex community. Full-time and part-time internships are available for students. Students work in the following areas of law: summary conviction, criminal matters, provincial crimes, tenant housing law, minor claims including wrongful dismissal, employment standards and academic integrity issues. More information about CLA can be found on their website. SALC, located in Sarnia, is a municipal legal clinic that provides legal aid to low-income residents of Sarnia and Lambton County. Students work in a variety of areas of law, including tenant housing law, Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Canada Pension Plan, labour law, human rights and criminal compensation, access to health care and community care. You can find more information about CLAS on their Facebook page. Our workshops are led by law students.
They provide general legal information about our areas of activity. The reviewing lawyer is present to discuss any issues of interest or concern at the subsequent question and answer session. We are able to provide summary legal information at these meetings. No legal advice is offered unless the person keeps our clinic. Your clinic schedule could be part-time (4-7 credits) or full-time (8-11 credits). Each loan equates to 3 hours of clinical work, so a student taking 4 credits would work 12 hours and a student taking 11 credits would work 33 hours. In addition, on Wednesdays from 14:00 to 16:50, you will attend a mandatory academic seminar with 3 credits (date to be confirmed). For more information, feel free to email the clinic`s university professor, Jeff Carolin, to set up an informal chat on Zoom. As always, Stacey Marion, Windsor Law`s Clinical and Experiential Learning Coordinator, will be available.
See also the titles below and the Clinical Practice Program Student Handbook.
