Here’s Why You Should Be Interested in Pro Bono Students Canada
I would like to preface this article by saying that I am not speaking on behalf of Pro Bono Student’s Canada, I am strictly speaking from my own personal experience with the organization!
There are so many different extra-curricular opportunities that you can get involved in while in law school. Each brings something different to the table for you to learn and gain experience from. My unsolicited advice is to get involved in something that gets your feet wet in the field of law. Clubs are still amazing, and definitely help you network, but if you only have time to do one extra-curricular, I would focus your energy on something that allows you to gain practical legal experience. Pro Bono Student’s Canada (PBSC), does exactly that.
PBSC has a chapter at most, if not all Canadian law schools. The cross-country nature of the program is great for a couple of reasons. First, you really feel like you are a part of something bigger than just yourself or your school, rather your contribution to PBSC can span across the country. Second, because the scope of this organization is so large, it comes with huge name recognition. You would be hard-pressed to find a legal professional in Canada who is not aware of PBSC and the work that they do. So not only does PBSC provide students with excellent practical experience, but it is also a hot ticket item for your resume.
But let’s talk about what it is exactly that PBSC does. PBSC basically provides free legal work to communities. Each school’s chapter has a variety of “projects” tailored to that community and its needs, that law students can apply to be a part of.
Being law students, we are not actually qualified to provide legal advice just yet. The PBSC “projects” reflect this. They range from informational videos to instructional pamphlets and booklets on certain legal topics or issues to client intake interviews. Projects have also been known to include helping local members of the community fill out certain governmental forms, such as ID documentation. At Windsor’s chapter specifically, some of the projects offered this year include, but are not limited to: navigating family court, safe injection site liability planning, safe interactions with the police and the trans ID clinic.
All of the projects are overseen by a local lawyer, who has agreed to supervise the project. This is a great way to connect with a lawyer in your area about a specific field of law, as the project will likely reflect some of the work they do in their careers.
The project I am assigned to this year is pretty cool! I am a part of the Pro Bono Radio Project, which is a radio show that highlights a different one of Windor’s PBSC projects each week. While I am not really engaging in any legal research and writing, I am learning a lot about the reach that PBSC has in my community. Through these interviews, I am able to discuss at length where the gaps in access to justice are in Windsor and how our PBSC Chapter is working to mitigate them. I am really enjoying the project so far!
In short, I would highly encourage all law students to apply to be a part of their respective PBSC chapter. I think it is such a cool opportunity to get involved in your community and be a part of something bigger than yourself. Pro bono work is also such an important aspect of legal work. Not everyone has access to the funds necessary to hire a lawyer, but this does not make their cause any less worthy. Instilling the value of committing to some pro bono work early in law school, is a great way to set the tone for your career as a whole.
