Luke's Place: Legal Support Services and Resource Development (3 positions)

Area of law: Family Law

Luke's Place is a non-profit organization providing legal and support services to self-identified women across Ontario who have been subjected to intimate partner violence as they proceed through the family court system. Luke's Place also engages in systemic advocacy, research and training on gender-based violence and family law. To learn more about Luke's Place, check out their website here: https://lukesplace.ca

In this project, students will assist with client support under the supervision of a lawyer or family court support worker and may complete some legal research. Students will also assist with the creation of informational resources on a particular family law issue. Depending on the needs of the organization and the nature of the assigned task, the students may work together collaboratively. 

There are three components to this project. Component 1 is courthouse support - students will attend the courthouse office with one of the family court support workers to assist with intake and referrals for women who drop-in to the courthouse office. Component 2 is court accompaniment - students will accompany women to court appearances, including motions and conferences. The volunteer's role will be to provide support and take detailed notes, which will then be provided to women following the court appearance. Component 3 is legal research and resource creation, which would take place if there are no women to support during the courthouse support. Students will assist in preparing case law summaries and/or brief legal informational handouts for family court support workers across Ontario to help them better understand particular family law legal issues. Students may also be asked to prepare brief legal memos on an assigned topic in family law for internal use by the staff team. 

Time Commitment

PBSC students are expected to volunteer for one shift a week at Luke's Place courthouse office in Oshawa. The shifts are Monday to Friday, either from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm or from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Additional hours are at the students' discretion, but at no time should the student be volunteering more than 10 hours per week. 

Required Training

In addition to the PBSC mandatory training, Luke's Place will provide a detailed volunteer manual, a 4-hour online training course about IPV and family law, software specific training, court accompaniment, and intake training. 

Number of Students and Prerequisites

  • How many students? 
    • Three student volunteer (students will be working with students from Osgoode Hall School of Law and Lincoln Alexander School of Law)
  • Can first year law students volunteer? 
    • No - given the regular weekly shift required for this role, it would be preferable for upper year students to apply given their more flexible class schedules. 
  • Should you be bilingual?
    • No, but the ability to speak different languages would be an asset. 
  • Any other expectations for this project? 
    • Having taken Family Law is preferred but not required. A background and interests in working with women have been subjected to intimate partner violence would be an asset. Volunteers are required to complete a Vulnerable Sector Check (organization will reimburse costs).