Enhancing Access to Justice: Private Bar Lawyers and CALC Collaborations Community Advocacy & Legal Centre 158 George Street, Belleville, Ontario

Enhancing Access to Justice: Private Bar Lawyers and CALC Collaborations

Community Advocacy & Legal Centre 158 George Street, Belleville, Ontario

www.communitylegalcentre.ca

Hastings County Law Association

www.communitylegalcentre.ca/HCLA

HCLA AGM - Access to Justice 2May 30, 2013

Understanding the Issues: Special Access to Justice Forum

Supreme Court of Canada Justice Cromwell & National Action Committee (NAC) on Access to Civil & Family Justice



Creating strategic alignment and possibilities for increased collaboration

Increasing Access to Justice

University Student

Legal Clinics

Law & BarAssociations

Community Legal Clinics

Pro Bono Lawyers

Legal Aid

Government, Courts

& Politicians

NGOs & Law

Foundation

Working with Access to Justice partnersWorking with Access to Justice partners

University Student

Legal Clinics



University Student

Legal Clinics


Government, Courts

& Politicians


University Student

Legal Clinics


NGOs & Law

Foundation

Government, Courts

& Politicians


University Student

Legal Clinics


Legal Aid

NGOs & Law

Foundation

Government, Courts

& Politicians


University Student

Legal Clinics


Pro Bono Lawyers

Legal Aid

NGOs & Law

Foundation

Government, Courts

& Politicians


University Student

Legal Clinics


Pro Bono Lawyers

Legal Aid

NGOs & Law

Foundation

Government, Courts

& Politicians


University Student

Legal Clinics


Increasing Access to Justice

University student

legal clinics

Legal Aid

NGOs & Law

Foundation

Government, Courts

& Politicians


Private bar and

pro bono lawyers



Justice Cromwell & the National Justice Cromwell & the National Action CommitteeAction Committee

A working definition of access to justice:

People will have appropriate access to

justice when they have theresources, skills and services toaddress their civil and family legalissues.


Old view of A2J vs. Emerging view of A2J

Access to Justice “Outcomes” Paradigms Access to Justice “Outcomes” Paradigms

• Clients have increased security in achieving and protecting their basic needs, such as food, shelter, income, education, employment, health care, personal safety and family relationships

• Holistic and transformative

• Includes social justice• Social inclusion outcomes

• Clients obtain access to the justice system, civil liberties, equal protection and intended benefit of the law


Access to Justice (CALC View)Access to Justice (CALC View) Providing information about the law, legal rights, legal Providing information about the law, legal rights, legal

processes and the legal system; processes and the legal system;

Increasing the amount of advice and “brief” services to Increasing the amount of advice and “brief” services to help people understand and navigate the systemhelp people understand and navigate the system

Providing access to enforcement mechanisms, and Providing access to enforcement mechanisms, and appropriate legal representation at all stages of legal appropriate legal representation at all stages of legal proceedings.proceedings.

Supporting methods to reform unjust laws and to Supporting methods to reform unjust laws and to encourage the adoption of new laws to promote justice; encourage the adoption of new laws to promote justice; undertaking systemic advocacy to improve the legal undertaking systemic advocacy to improve the legal practices of institutionspractices of institutions


Supporting Pro Bono efforts


CALC Pro Bono Survey (2006)CALC Pro Bono Survey (2006)


CALC 2006 Pro Bono Survey CALC 2006 Pro Bono Survey ResultsResults

Many local lawyers: Are quietly doing pro bono work Are willing to help with:

Legal columns Radio shows “brown bag” lunches Wills’ donations LEARN legal info workshops


Celebrating Pro Bono volunteers (2007)!!!





2012 – 2013 2012 – 2013 Wills & Wills &

Powers of Powers of AttorneyAttorneyPILOT PILOT ProjectProject

Shared Learning Opportunities

Collaborating to increase the quality of legal services


HCLA Lunch and Learn SeriesHCLA Lunch and Learn Series




Tips for Family Law Lawyers Assisting Tips for Family Law Lawyers Assisting Clients on Social AssistanceClients on Social Assistance


Where Else to Go For Help Chart: Where Else to Go For Help Chart: When LAO-funded Services Can’t HelpWhen LAO-funded Services Can’t Help

A comprehensive online list of referrals in our service area

Preventing Referral Fatigue


Gary Gary Malkowski / Malkowski /

CHS CHS Workshop on Workshop on Working with Working with

the Deafthe Deaf

May 2013May 2013


Compassion Fatigue WorkshopCompassion Fatigue Workshop


Special Special Interest Interest

workshopsworkshops

Working with Community Partners to Increase A2J

Enhancing the legal capability of service providers


Public Libraries ProjectPublic Libraries Project


Public Libraries Outreach Project - Public Libraries Outreach Project - Collaboration with community partnersCollaboration with community partners


Family Law Family Law Information and Information and Resource Sharing Resource Sharing

WorkshopWorkshop

Collaborating on LEARN LAW Workshops for service providers


Learn Law LunchesLearn Law Lunches


LEARN LAW LEARN LAW Workshop:Workshop:

Legal Issues Legal Issues Encountered Encountered

by Clergyby Clergy

Collaborating to create a web presence

A credible portal to legal information


Creating/hosting new HCLA website Creating/hosting new HCLA website

Collaborating to Reduce Legal Costs


Family Law Checklist: What to BringFamily Law Checklist: What to Bring


Will Checklist: What to BringWill Checklist: What to Bring


Tip Sheet: Estate PlanningTip Sheet: Estate Planning

Collaborating to Increase Legal Literacy in the Community


LEARN LAW Newspaper Columns – LEARN LAW Newspaper Columns – Launched in February 2012Launched in February 2012

Jointly produced monthly newspaper columns being published in rural newspapers throughout five counties in Eastern Ontario

Project of Five County LAO-funded Service Providers Network


Learn Law Learn Law Column:Column:

Where Can I Where Can I Find More Find More Information Information

About About Family Law?Family Law?


Learn Law Learn Law Column:Column:

Why Make Why Make a Will?a Will?


Learn Law Columns: Powers of AttorneyLearn Law Columns: Powers of Attorney

Working with OJEN to Increase Legal Literacy in High Schools and the Community (LAW Day)


Belleville-Kingston Regional OJEN Committee Belleville-Kingston Regional OJEN Committee & Law Institute 2014 & Law Day 2013& Law Institute 2014 & Law Day 2013


LAW DAY LAW DAY 20132013

Working with Legal Aid partners to provide more seamless service delivery


Paths to Justice ReportPaths to Justice Report


Introduction to Introduction to Five County Network (FCN)Five County Network (FCN)

Community Advocacy & Legal Centre (CALC) Kingston Community Legal Clinic (KCLC) Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) Northumberland Community Legal Centre

(NCLC) Queen’s Student Legal Aid Society (Queen’s) Rural Legal Services (RLS)


Desired Outcomes of the Five County Desired Outcomes of the Five County Network ProjectNetwork Project

Clients received the LAO-funded services they were eligible for quickly and efficiently

If clients were not eligible for services, clients were helped because they received information about other advocacy help available

Clinic and LAO Area Office staff approached clients’ needs holistically and made referrals for other kinds of help

All staff were responsive to the needs of the local community and could propose solutions for serving unmet client legal needs

All staff could work together cooperatively and collaboratively Members’ ability to provide cost-effective services was

enhanced


Access to Justice OutreachAccess to Justice Outreach Hired part-time Outreach Coordinators to improve awareness of LAO-

funded services to Access to Justice partners in each county Improving referrals Identifying promising practices and perceived gaps in service, and

making recommendations for improvement Outreach has included:

Court Staff FLIC staff Mediators and Information and Referral Coordinators Private bar lawyers Government information centres LAO Staff Court Diversion Staff Family Support Workers Human Services Justice Network

Presentations made and resources distributed



Anticipating significant deliverables from the Legal Aid Services Together @LAST project


Vision Statement

“Legal and non-legal organizations will work together as a coherent system to improve access to legal information and services for persons who do not speak English or French or who live in rural or remote areas of Ontario.” (p. 60)

Connecting Across Language and Distance Report (2008)


Connecting Across Language and Distance Report (2008)

Effort is needed … “to create a systemic response to access to justice challenges that builds from a shared vision, involves all who need to be part of it, identifies the

highest priorities, and explores the benefits of working together.” (p. 58)



Experience has taught me that justice is not a fixed destination that we reach, but an illusive and continuous journey

that we undertake and embrace. Justice does not stand at the end of the

legal rainbow waiting for us to arrive and discover it.

-Prof. David Hall (2005)


There is a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in. – Leonard Cohen in “Anthem”


Possible Discussion QuestionsPossible Discussion Questions1. If you could do one thing to increase access to justice, what would it

be? 2. Do we have in place the mechanisms to identify, promote and

create change? What should they look like?

3. What can we do locally to increase awareness about what "access to justice" means and its expanding scope?

4. What can we do better locally to make it easier for people to "navigate the paths to justice"?

5. What new opportunities are available locally that are already underway or being considered?

Documents

Enhancing Access to Justice: Private Bar Lawyers and CALC Collaborations Community Advocacy & Legal Centre 158 George Street, Belleville, Ontario