Neighbourhood Legal Services - Intake & Affidavit

Project Type: Client Services

 

Fields of Law: Health, family, housing, immigration

 

Positions Available: 2

 

About:

NLS is a non-profit and independent community legal clinic that has been serving the community since 1973. They provide free legal services and assistance to low-income individuals who live within their catchment area (Downtown, East of Yonge) and qualify for their services. Its signature outreach partnership, the Health Justice Program, sees our staff embedded in the Family Health Team at St. Mike’s in order to facilitate warm referrals for low-income patients seeking legal help.

Project Details

The Health Justice Program is a partnership between St. Michael's Hospital Academic Family Health Team, St. Michael's Hospital and legal clinics ARCH Disability Law Centre, Aboriginal Legal Services Toronto, HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario and Neighbourhood Legal Services. The partnership is funded through Legal Aid Ontario with in-kind contributions from all partners.

Neighbourhood Legal Services/Health Justice Program is seeking a student to perform client intakes and draft affidavits once a week for 3-5 hour virtual shifts. The affidavits will typically be related to testifying the applicant’s income for rent calculation in public housing, but students may also assist with statutory declarations related to the CRA, immigration, and OSAP. Conducting intakes will be preceded with training in our case management system, trauma-informed practice, and our process for pre-vetting and booking clients in with lawyers.

Should public health policy and university/faculty directives permit the resumption of in-person activities, students will be permitted to attend in person at Neighborhood Legal Services clinic or the Health Justice Program office to complete their shifts.

Who can apply?

First-year students are eligible to apply. 

Information about COVID-19

Students will conduct their work remotely.