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Pro Bono...it is on its way!!

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  • Pro Bono...it is on its way!!

    I have recently been in contact with someone in BC regarding my business plan, and thought I would share for the British Columbians (if any) on the forum.

    There is an agency out there called Access Pro Bono Society of British Columbia. They are filling the gap between legal aid and exorbitant legal fees for the middle class, and have been doing so for years.

    Below is from their website..Access Justice
    • We are a non-profit society incorporated in February 2010 to carry on the work of the Western Canada Society to Access Justice and Pro Bono Law of British Columbia, which formally merged as of April 1, 2010.
    • All services are provided free of charge by our volunteer lawyers.
    • Our services include:
      • 85 summary legal advice clinics in community centres, social agencies, churches and courthouses located throughout the province;
      • a province-wide roster program providing representation services to individuals and non-profit organizations of limited means;
      • a superior courts civil duty counsel project in Vancouver; and
      • a Children's Lawyer Project in Nanaimo.
    • Facilities are provided by social agencies committed to providing help to the needy.
    Our Vision
    A justice system in which having limited means is not a barrier to obtaining quality legal services.

    Our Mission
    To promote access to justice in BC by providing and fostering quality pro bono legal services for people and non-profit organizations of limited means.

    Our Principles
    • Pro bono legal services are those legal services that are provided to people and non-profit organizations of limited means without expectation of a fee;
    • Pro bono legal services should be provided to people and organizations of limited means according to the same standards of dedication, excellence, and professional ethics as paid legal services; and
    • Pro bono legal services should serve to complement and not replace government-funded programs advancing access to justice; a collaborative pro bono system should not substitute for a properly funded legal aid system.
    Our History
    The Western Canada Society to Access Justice ("Access Justice") was incorporated in August of 1990 and was originally known as the Lower Mainland Society to Assist Research of Trials (START), comprised mainly of senior litigation lawyers. Access Justice had a history of research and provided a number of working papers on the length of court proceedings and other legal access issues. The Society was a leader in issues such as advocating for the abolition of P.S.T. and G.S.T. on legal bills. From 1999 through to 2009, one of the Society's main thrusts was the development of pro bono clinics across western Canada.

    On April 1, 2010 Access Justice merged operations with Pro Bono Law of BC to form the Access Pro Bono Society of BC. The new organization brings the capacity to provide more efficient and seamless pro bono legal services in meeting the ever-increasing and otherwise unmet legal needs of BCs people and non-profit organizations of limited means. Access Pro Bono now operates 85 clinics across BC. In 2009, 379 lawyers volunteered at our clinics and served 5,121 clients. A further 153 lawyers provided legal assistance and representation services to 405 clients, through roster and duty counsel programs formerly operated by Pro Bono Law of BC.


    Now the better news? They are looking at developing clinics in Ontario and four or five other provinces in 2011...depending on funding from the law foundation here...So, the dream of having that is still a possibility! I know where I'd be volunteering!!

  • #2
    this would be wonderful!

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