Korean Legal Clinic (KLC): Client Intake & Research

Project Type: 

  • Public Legal Education (presentations, workshops, podcasts, brochures, blogs, etc.)
  • Research (memoranda used for internal purposes only)
  • Client services (court forms, shadowing, mock hearings, intake, legal clinic, etc.) 

Fields of Law: Immigration & Refugee Law, Family Law, Housing Law (landlord & tenant), Employment Law 

Positions Available: 1-2

This is a joint project in which University of Toronto students will work with students from Osgoode Hall and Lincoln Alexander Law Schools.

 

About the Korean Legal Clinic:

Founded in 1997, the KCLA is a community of Korean Canadian lawyers dedicated to supporting the personal and professional development of its membership. The KCLA is the voice of the Korean Canadian legal community and the larger Korean Canadian community. They are committed to taking a leadership role in advancing the interests of Korean Canadian lawyers in the legal profession and dedicated to serving and advocating for the interests and well-being of the larger Korean Canadian community.

 

Project Details

The Korean Canadian Lawyers Association (KCLA) has established the Korean Legal Clinic, which is a new project that seeks to address the specific legal needs of members of Toronto’s growing Korean community.

Students on this project will conduct legal research, prepare public legal education (PLE) presentation materials at seminars, as well as contribute to funding research.

Students will help create client intake forms which will be used for conducting consultations with those seeking legal help from the Korean Legal Clinic. As many clients will be Korean speaking, the student will translate and record the intake notes for the lawyer. Following these consultations, students will research the legal issues pertaining to the clients and create a legal information database. Lawyer(s) will be present.

Students will research specific legal topics and prepare PLE presentation materials for the lawyers who will deliver the information at monthly seminars. Topics may include small claims, income tax law, labour and employment, family law, immigration law and housing law. Students will be strongly encouraged to participate in the PLE presentations.

Students will help research for funding for the Korean Legal Clinic, but this aspect of the project will comprise less than 10% of the workplan.

 

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

Flexible since work can be completed remotely (except for PLEs and client intakes, should either be necessary). This year, the clinic may be moving to a hybrid model and may include more in-person interactions. When students are matched with the organization in September, students and the organization will discuss expectations regarding whether work will be completed virtually, in person, or both. This will depend on current public health guidelines, university guidelines, and students’ comfort levels.

 

Requirements and Expectations:

Fluency in Korean is strongly preferred, but students who do not speak Korean will be considered as well. Familiarity with the Korean community’s culture is an asset.