Note: Students enrolled in year-long externships must participate in the fall term Externship Seminar.
Note: Enrollment in this clinic is conditional. The Records Office will add the clinic to the student's course selection once participation is confirmed by the clinic instructor. In the meantime, students must select sufficient credits for the term/year. Students approved for the clinic will have the opportunity to adjust their credits before the add/drop deadline.
See details on how to register below.
This part-time, two-semester clinical education program offers students the opportunity to work for one of the only legal organizations in Canada mandated to combat anti-Black racism.
Pre-requisite: While there are no formal pre-requisites for this course, preference will be given to candidates who have previous knowledge or experience in BLAC’s service areas; a demonstrated commitment to combatting anti-Black racism; or previous experience providing direct client services.
The purposes of the BLAC clinical education program are for students to:
- be exposed to the practice of substantive areas of law in which BLAC delivers services
- critically examine the legal and policy issues impacting Black communities
- develop effective client communication and interviewing skills
- learn how to create and maintain productive solicitor-client relationships
- develop file and case management skills
- recognize and resolve ethical issues
Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC)
The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is a not-for-profit specialty law clinic that was incorporated in 2017 to address individual and systemic anti-Black racism in the Province of Ontario.
BLAC provides free legal assistance to low- and no-income Black people across Ontario, including legal information, summary legal advice, legal representation, and public legal education. BLAC also engages in test case litigation, community development and law reform activities.
BLAC serves people in a variety of areas of law including:
- Human Rights
- Police Complaints
- Education
- Employment
- Income Assistance
- Tenant rights
- Inquests
Students will report to the Executive Director and General Counsel and work under the direct supervision of one of BLAC’s lawyers. Students can expect to:
- participate in client intakes, including collecting relevant demographic information and documentation, providing legal information, and using the clinic’s Client Information Management System
- have full carriage of 5-7 client files for clients that have been charged with a provincial offence and/or are applying for a criminal record suspension
- conduct legal research, draft memos, and prepare correspondence/applications/submissions/pleadings in support of BLAC’s legal team
- conduct research on and draft submissions about the potential impacts of legislative and policy decisions on Black people in Ontario
- develop public legal education materials/resources
- attend issue-specific training
Students should plan to work one day per week at the clinic and to support the work of BLAC 9 - 12 hours per week.
Registration:
Send an email to Sara Faherty at sara.faherty@utoronto.ca with a current CV and a short writing sample (e.g. an excerpt from an academic paper) and your written responses to the following questions:
- Why do you want to enroll in the Black Legal Action Centre program?
- What knowledge or experience do you have in BLAC’s service areas?
- What have you done to combat anti-Black racism?
- Do you have previous experience providing direct client services? Please describe.
Students must apply to the clinic by the deadline for course selection before the lottery. Review of applications begins at the start of the course selection period and BLAC will interview students for the available positions. Acceptance to the Clinic is on a rolling basis and interested students are encouraged to apply early.
