Justice for Children and Youth
This summer, I had the pleasure of working at Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY), a specialty legal aid clinic that only represents youth under 18 in various matters. These matters include but are not limited to youth criminal justice, education law and public legal education about the rights of children.
One of my main projects while working at JFCY was to create new public legal education material in the area of education law. Specifically I was asked to create pamphlets written for youth who have been or will be suspended or expelled from school. As a result of the Safe Schools Act, which was passed by the Harris Government in 2001, specific acts can lead to mandatory suspension or expulsion. In terms of expulsions, a student could be expelled from their school up to one year under a "limited" expulsion or be expelled indefinitely from ALL schools across Ontario until they complete a special program under a "full" expulsion. The appeal process for either suspension or expulsion is complex and these pamphlets are designed so that the youth can navigate the process and where to go for additional help.
One second project was to assist JFCY on test litigation. JFCY often intervenes in current litigation on behalf of the rights of children. I was asked to help prepare motions to intervene at the Federal Court of Appeal and at the Ontario Court of Justice on two different matters. This gave me experience in civil procedure and exposure to the less glamorous side of litigation, that of preparing, binding, serving and filing all of the appropriate court documents.
I also worked on the JFCY intake line, in which youth call to ask for legal advice. Working on the intake line allowed me to have direct client contact as I took the initial call gathering the information surrounding their legal issue. I would then conduct research to help find the answer to the problem and consult with a supervising lawyer to iron out the advice. I would then call the client back with the appropriate information. One intake call resulted in a custody application which I had the opportunity to draft for the client and file with the Ontario Court of Justice. It was very rewarding to be able to give help to youth who are often confused about their rights under the law.
My experience at JFCY has opened my eyes to the various issues that face youth and how the law treats youth differently depending on their age and legal issue. Although my desired career goals is not to concentrate on youth issues, the experience did confirm my desire to help people with legal issues that are more personal rather than business oriented. Thank you to Pro Bono Students Canada, the Donner Foundation and Justice for Children and Youth for allowing me this experience.
