Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC): Social Media Primer (1 Position)

Area of Law: Libel and Slander Act -- Human Rights Code

Established in 2017, the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is an independent not-for-profit community legal clinic, funded by Legal Aid Ontario, that combats individual and systemic anti-Black racism by providing free legal services, conducting research, developing public legal education materials, and engaging in test case litigation and law reform. To learn more about BLAC, check out their website here: www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca

In this project, students will research legal issues related to raising awareness of racism, the risks, and when it bleeds into defamation or slander. Pro-bono counsel at Torys LLP produced a primer for BLAC addressing the potential risks and liabilities which can arise from engaging in advocacy over social media. Last year, a PBSC student updated the memo. Due to the ongoing nature of this project, the legal memo needs to be updated further and translated into plain language resources for BLAC to share with the wider community. The emphasis this year will be on creating the Guide and PLE resources for public consumption.

The student will: (1) update the memo - the memo was produced in 2020 and a supplement followed in 2021, the student will review the memo and update it to include any recent/ongoing cases since March 2024, (2) create a guide - the student will create a PLE guide that summarizes the legal issues and present cases, (3) create PLE resources - the student will use Canva to translate the memo into an educational campaign (graphics, videos, plain language documents) which will be shared with the public. 

Time Commitment

Students are expected to volunteer 3-5 hours per week. There are no regular shifts and work can be completed remotely. 

Required Training

In addition to the PBSC mandatory training, all students will be invited to participate in internal training workshops relating to the research topic and other related areas of law. We offer students the opportunity to participate in free professional development training occurring at the Clinic or at other Clinics or community organizations. 

Number of Students and Prerequisites

  • How many students? 
    • One student
  • Can first year law students volunteer? 
    • First year students are encouraged to apply!
  • Should you be bilingual?
    •  No - bilingualism is not an expectation but is always nice to have
  • Any other expectations for this project? 
    • Experience with civil litigation is an asset. Students should have an understanding of civil litigation, familiarity with Canva software, and ability to translate complex legal processes and issues into plain language.