Alberta

  • March 10, 2014

Pro Bono Law Alberta’s mission is: “To improve access to justice by increasing the scope availability of pro bono legal services for low income Albertans.”

Pro Bono Law Alberta works to promote access to justice in Alberta by:

  • Creating pro bono opportunities for Alberta lawyers
  • Working with law firms to develop pro bono policies and projects
  • Leveraging pro bono resources in the community
  • Enhancing the growth of a pro bono culture in the legal profession

PBLA does this through partnerships, collaborative projects, and events that involve the legal community and the pro bono clinics.  There are six pro bono clinics in Alberta with diverse operating structures which primarily utilize a staff lawyer(s) supplemented by volunteer lawyers: Edmonton Community Legal Clinic, Central Alberta Community Legal Clinic, Grande Prairie Legal Guidance, Lethbridge Legal Guidance, Children’s Legal and Educational Resource Centre and Calgary Legal Guidance.

As PBLA is not a direct service provider, PBLA works primarily with the legal community to encourage pro bono service, which in turn, benefits low income Albertans. Our many projects and activities include:

Legal Grounds Advice Clinic

The “Legal Grounds Advice Clinic” pro bono initiative is a unique volunteer opportunity whereby PBLA partners with a pro bono clinic and a local law firm to host a one-day event for members of the public to receive free legal advice and information in a friendly, approachable environment over a free cup of coffee.

Informational Videos for the Public

PBLA, the Canadian Bar Association – Alberta Branch and members of the judiciary from the Alberta Courts worked together to produce four educational videos that are available for the public to view at the Calgary and Edmonton Courthouses.

Raising the Pro Bono Bar

The “Raising the Pro Bono Bar” events are a celebration for the legal profession and are attended by volunteer lawyers, members of the judiciary, articling students and law students.

PBLA Online Resource Bank

The PBLA Online Resource Bank, developed in 2011, promotes the sharing of information, resources and knowledge between volunteer lawyers and pro bono organizations in Alberta. The PBLA Online Resource Bank includes links to relevant websites, court forms, automatically updated legislation and other resources available only online. The resource bank is a member-only site for volunteer lawyers, articling students, law students and members of legal clinics and organizations.

Family Law: Calgary Emergency Protection Order Project:

This project serves unrepresented, low-income Albertans who require emergency protection orders as a result of domestic disputes. PBSC volunteers work under the supervision of Legal Aid Duty Counsel, assisting with client intake at the courthouse, interviewing clients, assessing requests for an emergency protection order, and completing the Order form for review by the lawyer. By helping manage the workload for the staff, students increase the number of clients who can be served.

Newcomers Project (Calgary):

This project is designed to serve low-income newcomers to Alberta. PBLA has developed an Immigration Clinic using volunteer lawyers and PBSC law student volunteers. The model involves outreach to various communities by way of accessing immigrant-serving agencies in their communities. The Centre for Newcomers (CFN) hosts the clinic. Family Law Office (FLO) staff volunteer at the clinic to provide family law advice as an additional service.

Human Rights Project (Calgary):

This project is designed to serve unrepresented, low-income Albertans in their complaints before the Human Rights Commission. Under the supervision of PBLA, student volunteers serve Albertans who need assistance with the complaints process. PBSC volunteers interview potential clients and prepare a brief outline of the issues for PBLA.

Calgary Innocence Project (Calgary)

This project is designed to support and exonerate wrongfully convicted Albertans. PBSC volunteers research possible wrongful convictions under the direction of experienced Calgary criminal lawyers and assist in the development of comprehensive intake procedures for the project.