DAVID MOSSOP, Q.C. PUBLIC INTEREST ARTICLING FELLOWSHIP (2018-19) (Closing Friday, June 30, 2017, 4:00 pm, PST) I. Introduction The Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS) is seeking an articling student for May 2018 with flexibility on the start date. This position is for a full articling term of 12 months, including PLTC. All candidates must satisfy the articling qualifications prescribed by the Law Society of British Columbia. The articling student will be introduced to the practical aspects of public interest and poverty law. The articling student will be given significant responsibilities and have conduct of his or her own files. The student will also work on other files in collaboration with our experienced staff lawyers in a wide range of areas. This posting explains: the funding of the articling position; the nature of CLAS; what to expect from this position; the application process; selection criteria and our Equal Opportunity Policy; and testimonials from previous articling students. II. Funding of the Articling Position This articling position is funded by a special grant from the Law Foundation of BC under its David Mossop Q.C. Public Interest Articling Fellowship Program. The purpose of the grant is twofold:
to enhance justice by supporting public interest law; and to broaden public interest opportunities for articling students. III. Overview of CLAS General Description of CLAS CLAS is one of the oldest, most diverse and largest public interest law organizations in Canada. The organization runs four main programs with a staff of approximately 40 people, including twelve lawyers. Our mission statement is as follows: CLAS respects the dignity of all in our community and works towards positive social change by providing legal assistance and advancing the law to address the critical needs of those who are disadvantaged or face discrimination. Legal Activities CLAS as a public interest law organization carries on the following activities: service case work: systemic advocacy, including test case / Charter litigation; law reform; legal supervision of advocacy groups and law students; publication of legal materials designed to assist self-represented litigants; legal training and support to lay advocates, community groups, law students and lawyers doing pro-bono work. CLAS believes you cannot effectively carry on systemic test case litigation and law reform work unless you are also providing service case work. Test Cases and the Supreme Court of Canada CLAS has done several high-level systemic test cases, including many at the Supreme Court of Canada. Please see http://www.clasbc.net/reported_decisions for a list of some of CLAS important cases. CLAS Programs The four program CLAS operates are the: (1) Community Law Program; 2
(2) Mental Health Law Program; (3) BC Human Rights Clinic; and (4) Community Advocate Support Line. Our Community Law Program (CLP) provides legal services in the areas of housing, income security, workers rights, systemic human rights and mental health legal issues that are not covered by our other programs. CLP s work includes test case / Charter litigation, service case work, law reform, legal supervision for legal advocacy groups, legal support to community groups, community development and public legal education. Our Mental Health Law Program (MHLP) provides legal services on detention issues for people with a mental illness. MHLP s work includes: the provision of legal information to persons detained under the Mental Health Act at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital; representation of persons detained pursuant to the Mental Health Act at hearings throughout BC; and representation of persons detained pursuant to the Mental Disorder Provisions of the Criminal Code at hearings in the Lower Mainland. Our BC Human Rights Clinic (BCHRC) provides assistance to complainants with complaints before the BC Human Rights Tribunal filed pursuant to the BC Human Rights Code. This includes assistance with drafting of complaints, preparing disclosure, dealing with preliminary applications as well as providing representation at mediations and hearings. Our Community Advocate Support Line (CASL) provides legal support by telephone and the internet to community advocates across the province. The areas of law covered include housing, income security and family law, among other legal matters. Please visit our website at www.clasbc.net for more information about CLAS. There you can read the latest articles on our work or access our most recent Annual Report. IV. What to Expect From This Position The selected articling student will receive well rounded articles to meet: the requirements of the Law Society of BC; and the grant conditions provided to CLAS by the Law Foundation of BC. The articling student will focus on poverty law issues, including income security, housing, workers rights, disability and inclusion matters, as well as human rights complaints, mental health cases and general administrative and constitutional law issues and challenges. Listed below are the general types of work the articling student will be doing: 3
1. There will be supervised administrative tribunal work in such areas as residential tenancy, income assistance, human rights and mental health law. CLAS articling students will have direct contact with clients and their own files to work on. 2. There will be supervised court work as permitted by the rules of the Law Society of BC. It is anticipated that there will be opportunity for the articling students to work on judicial reviews. 3. The CLAS articling student will, in addition, work in corroboration with staff lawyers on important and complex superior court matters. These assignments include developing strategies, drafting pleadings, preparing affidavits, doing legal research and writing legal arguments. Non-Traditional Opportunities The CLAS articling student will have opportunities not typically available in traditional law firms such as: assisting CLAS lawyers on test case litigation; working with NGOs on issues affecting those with low income and/or disabilities; assisting CLAS lawyers supervising community advocates, funded by the Law Foundation; assisting pro se litigants in judicial review applications in the BC Supreme Court; assisting in the preparation of public legal education material; and assisting in the preparation of training material for community advocates. Salary and Benefits CLAS pays the student s salary for the 12 month articling period as well as the cost of the mandatory Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC). CLAS also provides a generous health, dental and prescription drug benefit plan after a brief waiting period. V. Application Process CLOSING DATE FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2017, 4:00 PM (PST) Application Documents The Application Documents should consist of: 4
covering letter (please try to keep to one page) addressing: o why you want to article at CLAS; o what you can offer CLAS (including any unique skills, experiences or accomplishments); o your home address, email address, phone number and cell number; o the best way to contact you; resume: o please make sure you highlight your relevant experience and identify the number of hearings or trials you have done at student legal aid; at least two references with contact information: o some candidates attach reference letters, but please provide the contact information for these references, regardless; o we usually check references during the second week in August so you should make sure your references will be available to speak with us at that time. your law school and undergraduate transcripts: o if you are a second year law student, do not submit your application until you have your second year marks. Preferred Method of Transmission (E-Mail) We receive a large number of applications each year. Our preference is for you to send us your application by e-mail with your covering letter, resume and transcripts scanned and attached in pdf format, preferably all as a single attachment so that they are contained in one continuous document. We strongly recommend you check your e- mail regularly during the application process. If you are unable to, please indicate so in your application. Alternative Method If you cannot e-mail, please mail, courier or drop off your application in person. 5
Specific Contact The Application Documents should be addressed to: Rose Chin Director of Human Resources Community Legal Assistance Society 300-1140 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6E 4G1 E-Mail: careers@clasbc.net Fax: (604) 685-7611 Phone: (604) 685-3425 Second Year Students (Graduating in 2018) Second year law students are those students who have completed their second year by June 2017 and plan to start their third year in September 2017. For these students, CLAS follows the articling guidelines and timelines published by the Vancouver Bar Association (VBA): https://www.vancouverbar.ca/for-students/articling-and-summer-student-applicationdeadlines/ The deadline for articling applications set by the VBA is Friday, June 30, 2017, 4:00 pm (PST). We strongly recommend you submit your application as well before that deadline if you are able, but not before you have received your second year marks. Following the VBA timelines, we will not be contacting students for interviews prior to our email of an Intention to Call on July 12, 2017. Students other than Second Year Students This category covers NCA candidates who have completed their certification, third year law students and law school graduates. You can submit your application at any time. However, the selection of candidates for interviews and the timing of interviews will generally follow the schedule set for second year law students. Exceptions can be made where warranted. 6
Interviews Candidates who are shortlisted for an interview will be the only ones contacted. CLAS recognizes that some students will be unable to attend an in-person interview for financial or other reasons. Accordingly, CLAS is prepared to hold interviews over the internet using Skype, if required. Students selected for an interview will also be asked to provide a paper they produced at law school. Please be prepared to provide such a paper if you are called for an interview. However, do not include this paper in your Application Documents. VI. Selection Criteria and Equal Opportunity The Community Legal Assistance Society hires on the basis of merit. In determining merit, CLAS considers all relevant factors, including but not limited to: commitment to and participation in public interest law, pro bono or legal aid work; courses chosen (note: it is an advantage if the student has completed more extensive courses in administrative and constitutional law); academic achievement; community involvement; work and life experience; and references. We are also committed to the principle of equity in employment. We welcome diversity and encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including persons from traditionally marginalized groups. VII. Testimonials from Past Articling Students Laura Johnston, who articled at CLAS in 2014-15, had this to say: The CLAS articling position offers challenging, hands-on opportunities to use the law to help change the lived conditions of inequality imposed on marginalized people. The work here will give you diverse experiences in terms of legal topics and forums, and has the scope for a range of skill development. Finding the best outcome for your client may depend as much on your ability to think practically and strategically as on your knowledge of the law. For example, one week I distributed a press release and conducted several media interviews about a systemic human rights complaint I filed. This following week I had to prepare three court applications and two affidavits and appear in BC Supreme Court in a 24-hour time span to prevent an illegal eviction. While I have been trusted with a lot of responsibility, I always had the support I needed from the experienced CLAS staff. 7
Juliana Daley, who articled at CLAS in 2013-14, had this to say: Simply put, articling at CLAS has been an absolutely incredible experience. Just as many former CLAS students will describe, within weeks of beginning my articling term at CLAS, I not only had conduct of several of my own files, but also became involved with several broad, systemic cases. Before long, I had represented several clients before the Residential Tenancy Branch and other administrative tribunals, appeared in B.C. Supreme Court, and drafted pleadings and legal arguments for cases going before the BC Supreme Court and BC Court of Appeal. The sense of responsibility is enormous, but everyone at CLAS was there to support me along the way. The work is interesting, diverse, challenging and always compelling; it provides an unparalleled opportunity to develop advocacy skills while working with clients experiencing various forms of marginalization. In addition to helping me develop more traditional lawyering skills, articling at CLAS provided a unique opportunity to participate in its systemic advocacy and law reform work. It goes without saying that for anyone who is passionate about social justice, CLAS is the ideal place to article. Dante Abbey, who articled with CLAS in 2012-2013, had this to say: My articling experience at CLAS has very much mirrored the experiences of the previous students of previous years. In much the same way, I too have had gained a tremendous amount of professional experience and confidence in being entrusted with my own files and my own clients. CLAS will provide you with the opportunity to develop your advocacy, practice, and procedural skills in a warm environment of trust and mentorship. As my forerunners will testify, CLAS can also provide the opportunity to work on cases before tribunals and courts at all levels, and I will leave describing those details to them. I will, however, touch on some of the other unique opportunities that working at CLAS can offer an articling student. For one, CLAS engagement with test cases means that I have been able to have a hand in developing arguments for current and prospective cases. I feel that working on sometimes thorny fact patterns in this collaborative atmosphere has led me to a more critical and principled approach to legal problems. There is also a certain pleasure in developing a creative argument or in suggesting a less orthodox approach. Another unique opportunity at CLAS stems from is its engagement with legal reform activities. CLAS has frequent contact with a network of advocates in many fields across the province, and articling here has led me to a much broader understanding of the various issues that confront marginalized populations every day. Working at CLAS means participating and contributing to efforts to change problematic legislation or advocate for better laws. In short, not only does CLAS offer a great in-depth articling experience in a fantastic work environment with wonderful lawyers and staff, but it also offers a unique opportunity to engage with social justice issues at all levels. 8