Law students practise access to justice

November 16, 2006

Source: University of Windsor
http://www.uwindsor.ca/units/pac/newsrel.nsf/f8e26b1a592c9edb8525676a0048614a/821dace17adf1e18852572280074c972!OpenDocument

(WINDSOR, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2006) - Individuals with intellectual disabilities in Windsor and Essex County may make a smoother adjustment to living independently thanks to the generosity of some Faculty of Law students at the University of Windsor.

For the past few years, U of W student volunteers with Pro Bono Students Canada have been bettering their communities by providing free legal assistance to organizations such as Community Living Essex County. This year, they’ll be researching information on tenants’ rights and producing a plain-language resource to help people with intellectual disabilities adjust to living on their own.

"The development of this resource will be a true benefit to the people we support in understanding some of their basic rights as tenants," said Essex Community Living Services Director Donna McKrow.

Since its inception in 1998, more than 150 law students have volunteered their time to complete more than 70 projects for about 40 Windsor-area organizations which don’t have the financial resources to pay for legal assistance.

The program is in keeping with the Law faculty’s access to justice credo, noted Shannon Goffin, Coordinator of the Windsor branch of Pro Bono Students Canada.

"It underlies everything we do at this law school. Windsor is a leader in that principle," she said. "It teaches students that it’s important to give back to their communities."

Volunteers help with tasks such as legal and policy research writing; writing and producing educational materials; legal workshop preparation and other services that make use of students’ legal training.

Organizations that have benefited from the program include: