​Last updated: September 7, 2023
ACCESS TO JUSTICE BC – COMMUNICATIONS INTERNSHIP

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The student volunteers at TRU, UBC and UVic will collaborate to plan a virtual event for Access to Justice Week 2023. The students will have the creative freedom to decide the best approach. This is an opportunity for law students to learn and contribute to work that will improve access to justice by supporting a shift to a person-centered approach to the justice system. The work this year will raise awareness on how the family justice system can prioritize family well-being and life outcomes beyond the legal verdict.

Commitment: Access to Justice Week is in February.


* Joint Project with UBC and UVic
CAEFS - NATIONAL ADVOCACY LINE & DATABASE CODING
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Volunteers will complete 1 weekly, remote shift on the Advocacy Phone Line. The Advocacy Phone Line is a Canada-wide line for federally incarcerated women and gender-diverse people. During these shifts, volunteers will document callers’ concerns and report to Jacqueline. CAEFS will provide appropriate training and support for these shifts. Students will not provide legal advice. 

Additionally, CAEFS has nearly 9000 documents related to their past advocacy work that need to be reviewed, unitized, and analyzed to identify the legal issues and privilege.  As part of this work, they will also work to track and synthesize pressing regional and national systemic issues, and identify substantive areas for legal challenges.

*Students must be able to commit to regular, scheduled shifts for the phone line. 

​**Students who are aligned with CAEFS’ vision and statement of purpose will likely benefit the most from this project. Strong verbal communication is expected. 
CAEFS - RESEARCH, CODING, AND CREATION: SUPPORTING RIGHTS-BASED ADVOCACY IN FEDERAL PRISONS FOR HUMANS IN CANADA
Students will work with CAEFS leadership team to analyze existing and emergent issues in the federal prisons designated for women. They will then research and write memos on these identified issues to be used in CAEFS systemic advocacy and legal work. They will also support with work related to addressing these issues, which may include filing Access to Information Requests, drafting Habeas Corpus Applications, etc.  

*Upper-years only. 

**Students who have completed Administrative Law are preferred. 

***Students who are aligned with CAEFS’ vision and statement of purpose will likely benefit the most from this project. Strong analytical skills and written communication.
CFBX 92.5FM "THE X" RADIO STATION – PUBLIC LEGAL EDUCATION BROADCAST
Working in teams of three, student volunteers will research and prepare one thirty-minute radio show on the legal topic of their choosing. This is a joint project in collaboration with UVic and UBC PBSC Chapters, so each group of students will be comprised of students from each of the 3 Chapters. 

Students, with the supervising lawyer, will choose a research question, area of law, or issue and will prepare and record a show that explains the current state of the law surrounding that topic. The shows will solely contain a legal information session. As well, it will be important that students explain the law without providing legal advice; and do so in plain language that is accessible and digestible for the ‘everyday listener.’
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**Note: Four separate broadcasts will be created: one will be devoted to a legal issue relating to artificial intelligence, two will be devoted to criminal or quasi-criminal law issues; one will be open to the volunteers to determine the topic of.
​COPSIPE - HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES
COPSIPE is currently involved in public interest litigation at the BC Human Rights Tribunal challenging the systemic discrimination immigrant physicians face when undertaking the process to apply or work as resident physicians. Volunteers will support COPSIPE in their active litigation by researching relevant case law and writing memos on topics selected by COPSIPE.

*Upper-years only. 

**Students who have completed Administrative Law and/or Human Rights Law are strongly preferred. 

***Because the position requires the student provide litigation support, we ask that only those who are strongly committed to the placement, have strong time management skills and ability to meet deadlines apply. The final work must be of a high quality and received by the organization with no delays.
FACL BC - EQUITY AND DIVERSITY IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION 
FACL BC promotes equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Canadian legal professionals and the broader community. FACL BC fosters advocacy, community involvement, legal scholarship, and professional development. 

In 2022-2023, student volunteers created the outline for a report on discrimination against racial minorities in the legal profession and law schools. This year, student volunteers will use the outline to develop a brief report of approximately 5-10 pages, using the existing outline. Students will also conduct research on lack of diversity in the judiciary, which will later be developed into a similar report.  

These materials will be used by FACL to increase awareness of racial discrimination in law.  
KAMLOOPS & DISTRICT ELIZABETH FRY SOCIETY - WHEN A TENANT PASSES AWAY: INTERNAL MEMORANDUM OF LAW
Kamloops & District Elizabeth Fry Society runs multiple housing programs that provide a safe and accessible housing for women, children, and families. This includes transition homes for folks experiencing domestic violence, affordable and subsidized housing for families facing economic and systemic challenges, and a program that houses youth involved in the criminal justice system.  
 
The project will focus on creating an internal memorandum of law, to be used by Kamloops & District Elizabeth Fry Society in the case that one of the tenants in their housing programs passes away. 

*Upper-year student preferred. 

**Legal research experience is an asset. 
KAMLOOPS & DISTRICT ELIZABETH FRY SOCIETY - GUIDE TO PRIVATE CAR SALES: RIGHTS, RED FLAGS, AND REMEDIES
Kamloops & District Elizabeth Fry Society provides legal support to low-income and vulnerable community members. Recently, many of Kamloops & District Elizabeth Fry Society’s clients have experienced difficulties, exploitation, and potential fraudulent behaviour from people in the Kamloops area selling vehicles privately.   
 
The project will focus on creating a brochure to help Kamloops & District Elizabeth Fry Society’s clients protect themselves when purchasing vehicles privately, by providing them with relevant legal information. ​

*Legal research experience is an asset. 
KAMLOOPS SOCIETY FOR COMMUNITY INCLUSION - SCAM ALERT: RIGHTS, OBLIGATIONS, AND REMEDIES REGARDING TELEPHONE AND EMAIL SCAMS
The Kamloops Society for Community Inclusion advocates for their clients, either folks with developmental disabilities, or loved ones of those with developmental disabilities by providing information and resources to promote their empowerment. Recently, KSCI has seen an alarming increase in the number of scams their clients are experiencing, and new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is exacerbating what was an already severe issue.

This public legal education project will provide a plain-language presentation outlining what adults with developmental disabilities and their families need to know with respect to identifying, responding to, and protecting themselves against scam phone calls and emails. The presentation is to be given in March, 2024, in person.  ​

*Upper-year students preferred, but years welcome to apply. 

**Students who have taken Community Lawyering are preferred. 

***Previous experience working with vulnerable clients is an asset. Clear communication skills and the ability to present complex legal information in plain language is a requirement. 
KAMLOOPS PRIDE - KNOWING YOUR RIGHTS: A TOOLKIT FOR 2SLGBTQ+ FOLKS
​Given the concerns raised by members of the 2SLGBTQ+ and BITPoC internationally, as well as historical trauma that inform our modern-day perspectives, the issue of folks’ rights is complex and often confusing. Students will build on last year’s electronic Knowing Your Rights Toolkit (FAQ document) which aims at helping the 2SLGBTQ+ community understand their rights in the various  areas. Students will update and create sections as directed by Kamloops Pride, and work to disseminate the toolkit throughout the community.   

*Completion of Family Law and/or Human Rights Law is an asset. 
2SLGBTQ+ GENDER MARKER AND NAME CHANGE CLINIC
BC recently removed the medical requirement for changes to gender designations constituting an important step towards respecting the rights of two-spirit, transgender and gender diverse folks1.  The right to have identification that matches one’s lived identity, and to have easy access to the legal processes required to align the two, is essential to respecting the dignity of gender-diverse persons. Students will work to expand access to rights for transgender, two-spirit and gender diverse folks by assisting to launch a Gender and Name Change ID (or ‘Trans ID’) Clinic in collaboration with the Partner Organizations; and providing client intake and application assistance to folks attending the Clinics.

*Upper-year students only. 

**Completion of Community Lawyering is an asset. 

*** Students must be trans allies; demonstrated commitment to trans allyship is an asset. Priority will be given to 2SLGBTQ+ students, particularly transgender students, if they wish to self-identify.

****Experience with social work or professional interaction with BC Vital Statistics is an asset but is not required. Experience in front-line settings or with clinical work is an asset but not required.
KAMLOOPS IMMIGRANT SERVICES - NEWCOMERS' GUIDES TO EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS
KIS often works with newcomers to BC and Canada as they navigate employment. To help KIS serve their clients better, this project will develop a series of brochures on different topics related to legal rights in the workplace, and powerpoint slides and a brief script to form the basis of a workshop on the brochure topic. The specific topics of the brochures and slidedecks will be decided in collaboration with KIS, the lawyer supervisor, and the student volunteers. Topics may include: wrongful dismissal, paid vs unpaid leave and when they apply (e.g., maternity or medical leaves), an employee’s right to pay after they give notice to quit, what constitutes discrimination or harassment in the workplace, etc. 
LAW STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT: EXPLORATORY RESEARCH INTO STRATEGIES AND THEMES AMONG LAW PROGRAMS
Law students in North America frequently face mental health challenges as they complete their legal studies. This project seeks to: (a) contribute to the pool of information and resources available to TRU Law students by updating and expanding a mental health webpage developed by Ruby and maintained by TRU Law; (b) create a research memo canvasing strategies currently used by law schools across North America, and potential gaps or resources that are under-utilized; and (c) lay the groundwork for future research or a future survey study of law students across North America.  

*A mix of upper-years and 1Ls is preferred. 

**Completion of Mental Health Law is an asset. 

***Students with a demonstrated interest or experience in mental health law/research, or disability law/research, are preferred.​
LEGALAID BC - FAMILY LAW LIVEHELP
 LiveHelp is an instant messaging service available through the Family Law in BC website.  It allows users to ask questions and receive legal information online regarding family law issues.  Students involved in this project will provide remote online support and legal information to these users.  In addition, student will also provide research support to ensure the information used by LiveHelp is current and up to date.  

*Students who have a background, either through work or school, in family law or social justice would be preferred, though this is not a strict requirement.

** Joint project with UBC and UVic
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE ASSOCIATION OF BC - RESEARCH SUPPORT
The goal of this project is to support restorative justice work throughout the province by addressing the legal research needs/resources of many different organizations through a centralized restorative justice research database. Pending sign-off from partner organizations, the legal resources created by PBSC student volunteers will then be available to other restorative justice organizations in BC and the communities they serve. This may be achieved via email circulation or via a webpage on the Restorative Justice Association of BC website.  

*Previous work or experience with restorative justice would be an asset
 
**Joint Project with UVic and UBC. ​
SOUTH ASIAN LEGAL CLINIC OF BC - LEGAL EDUCATION TOOLKIT: ADVANCED LIFE PLANNING

We aim to provide free and accessible legal information on end-of-life planning to low-income South Asian people in the Lower Mainland, in the form of a written Wills Toolkit. The Wills Toolkit will be used by SALC BC to help their clients understand end-of-life issues.   

The students will conduct research on topics such as wills, estate division, wills variation, and power of attorney, then create a plain-language written Toolkit for SALC BC’s clients.

*Given the demographic served, there is a strong preference for a student(s) who can speak/read/write to some extent in a South Asian language or have some familiarity with South Asian culture.​

**There is a preference for a student who has completed Wills and Estates for this project (or related life experience), but there are no required courses.


***Familiarity with the barriers that constrain South Asian people in BC and recent immigrants from accessing justice. Ability to keep these constraints in mind when drafting the legal fact sheets.

****Must be comfortable using MS Office or other comparable program. Able to write confidently in accessible language.
SOUTH ASIAN LEGAL CLINIC OF BC - LEGAL EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN THE WORKPLACE
We aim to provide free and accessible legal information on sexual assault and harassment in the workplace to low-income South Asian people in the Lower Mainland, in the form of a written Toolkit. Newcomers to BC, including South Asian British Columbians and international students, are at risk of being sexually harassed, abused, and exploited in their workplaces. The Sexual Abuse in the Workplace Toolkit will be used by SALC BC to help their clients know their rights in these situations. 

*Prefer mix of upper-years and ILs. 

​**Given the demographic served, there is a strong preference for a student(s) who can speak/read/write to some extent in a South Asian language or have some familiarity with South Asian culture.​

***There is a preference for a student who has completed human rights law or employment law, but no particular courses are required for this project.

****Familiarity with the barriers that constrain South Asian people in BC and recent immigrants from accessing justice. Ability to keep these constraints in mind when drafting the legal fact sheets.

*****Must be comfortable using MS Office or other comparable program. Able to write confidently in accessible language.
TRAC - INFOLINE AND EMAIL SUPPORT
TRAC runs an email service to receive and respond to tenants’ questions with legal information and referrals. The inbox is currently receiving extremely high volumes of inquiries. 

Students will receive training to effectively respond to tenants’ emails in the email inbox. Email monitoring is remote and can be done on a flexible schedule, although work should be planned amongst the students in advance to ensure regular and consistent coverage. 

This project is done in collaboration with the UBC PBSC Chapter. UBC students will complete in-person shifts staffing TRAC’s phone line, in addition to contributing to the email support. 

*Fluency in languages other than English is a strong asset. 

**Any prior client-facing work (legal or non-legal) is a strong asset. Previous experience, personal or professional, with the RTA/MHPTA is a strong asset

***Joint project with UBC

Inter-Generational Network on the Effects of Genocide (INEG) 
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Le Estcwicwé y̓ (the Missing):
Residential Schools and Genocide

Students will contribute to Le Estcwicwéy̓’s ongoing work with a database concerning the discovery of unmarked graves at Kamloops residential school.  Students will also have the privilege and responsibility to hear and record the stories of Kamloops Indian residential school survivors. Using these (anonymized) stories, students will create a research memo (as a group) on how the residential school system constituted genocide under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) and related findings.
 
The project will be completed in three phases:
 
During the first phase of this project, the students will do preliminary research on genocide, residential schools, and the intergenerational impacts of genocide, with a view to creating an initial exploratory memo that will serve as the basis for the final research memo. The students will also prepare a written guide for the interview sessions with residential school survivors and a debrief pamphlet setting out resources for survivors and students if they feel triggered by the work.
 
During the second phase of the project, students will schedule and complete 1 or 2 sessions to hear the survivors’ stories. The Inter-Generational Network on the Effects of Genocide (INEG) will work with students to collect the “genocide stories” (as one survivor calls it) of their experiences at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. This will involve meeting in teams (preferably of one indigenous and non-indigenous student) with a survivor to share their story. This account will then be written up for the survivor for their use and to be shared as they instruct, any information used for the analysis above will be anonymized. Students will create written records of survivors’ stories, which will be provided in a physical, bound form to the survivors for personal use. NOTE: Students will be required to attend mandatory trauma-informed lawyering training before conducting these sessions.
 
During the third phase of this project, students will complete their legal research from the first phase using the preliminary research and memo as a starting point. The final deliverable will be a research memo on their findings regarding how the survivors’ stories reflect themes of genocide.
 
Throughout the duration of this project, students will assist with data-entry for TteS. The work with Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc will involve confidential data entry into a new database used in the context of unmarked graves. Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc was the first indigenous group to uncover unmarked graves of Indigenous children at a former Indian Residential School. This happened in late May 2021 and the eyes of the world have been on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and the former Kamloops Indian residential school. Since then they have announced the interim findings from the first phase of their investigation, le Estcwicwéy̓ Co-Director Jeannette Jules, indicated that this is just the beginning and the work is still ongoing. It will be a real privilege for TRU Law Students to be involved in this work.
 
Additional training will be provided to student volunteers on this project, including intensive training on trauma-informed lawyering. Details will be confirmed later and students will not be asked to miss class time for this training.

*1Ls and upper-years welcome.
 
**Students who can make a 2-year commitment to this project are particularly encouraged to apply, but all students are welcome.
 
***Students with previous experience working with vulnerable populations preferred. 

****Because of the nature and gravity of this project, students interested are asked to reach out to Abigail at tru.pbsc@gmail.com after submitting their application, to provide their availability and contact information for a brief phone conversation on September 16 or 17, before their placement is confirmed. 

Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Community Services - FAMILY LAW FORMS WORKSHOP

Students will work to develop a two-part workshop on the Family Law process in BC. This will include an overview of the Family Law Act, Family Law forms and what they are used for, and the court process for family law proceedings. The second workshop session will allow students to work one-on-one with attendees to complete their family law forms, and ensure the forms are correct before the attendees use them in any ongoing matters.  

The workshop will be hosted by the students in late March 2024, at TteS’ facilities, and offered to TteS’ clients.  

*Upper-year students only. 

**Completion of Family Law required; preference to students who have also completed TRC. 

***Preference to Indigenous students or students with experience working with Indigenous populations. Professionalism and cultural awareness/sensitivity mandatory.

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