Dear Alumni,  Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC), established at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law in 1996, strives to engage law students in the noble pro bono legal tradition. This commitment ensures each new generation of lawyers enters the profession dedicated to the pro bono philosophy and practice. PBSC matches law student volunteers with an array of non-profit organizations, government agencies, legal clinics, courts and lawyers working on pro bono cases. Students perform a range of legal tasks for these "clients" under the supervision of volunteer lawyers, while contributing to a worthy cause. The program has extended its reach beyond U of T to become a national organization at 19 law schools across the country, with approximately 2,000 Canadian law students participating annually. In addition to their other programs, U of T's PBSC also runs the Donner Civic Leadership Fellowships and the June Callwood Program in Aboriginal Law Fellowships, through which we fund students to do public interest work full-time during the summers. Below, five students working on Donner Fellowships (with public interest organizations) and for the Callwood Program (on aboriginal legal issues) report on their experiences. These students are spending their summers improving access to justice for under-served communities across Canada. Pam Shime
National Director, Pro Bono Students Canada |
