Kensington Bellwoods Community Legal Clinic - Tenant Application Clinic

Project Type: Client Services (court forms, shadowing, mock hearings, intake, legal clinic, etc.)

Fields of Law: Housing Law, Administrative Law, Immigration Law, Social Assistance, Employment

Positions Available: 5

About Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services (KBCLS):

KBCLS is a non-profit community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario. KBCLS gives people living on a low income in the Kensington-Bellwoods neighbourhood free legal services for certain problems. 

Project Details:

Tenant applications are document intensive, require extensive amounts of time, and can be confusing to tenants. Students will be trained to help individuals in the KBCLS catchment fill out tenant applications. Students will, with supervision from the supervising lawyer, develop a theory of the case and work with clients to complete applications and gather evidence for their eventual hearings. KBCLS does not represent individuals on these applications. The project exists to ensure tenants have clear and coherent tenant applications with adequate evidence that puts them in the best position to self- represent at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Note that students are not permitted to provide legal advice.

Will the student(s) be expected to show up for regular shifts each week, or is the schedule flexible?

Shift work which will be coordinated with KBCLS and the students. KBCLS will make efforts to have students in at times that work with KBCLS’s schedule and the students’ academic schedule. Most work will involve client interaction, but students can work on their own time for non-client interaction work.  

Requirements and Expectations:

Clinic/social justice experience is an asset but not required