Pro Bono Law Alberta (PBLA)
PBLA works with the legal community to encourage pro bono service, which in turn, benefits low income Albertans. They are not a direct service provider. PBLA supports the following programs:
- Civil Claims Duty Counsel (CCDC) provides legal assistance to Albertans engaged in civil proceedings before the Provincial Court in partnership with Pro Bono Students Canada. CCDC now runs four days per week in Calgary and three days per week in Edmonton.
- Queen’s Bench Amicus Project assists self-represented litigants with civil (non-family) matters in Queen’s Bench proceedings. It provides amicus curiae assistance for applications or appearances in Master’s Chambers, QB Justice Chambers, and Bankruptcy Chambers. It also runs ‘Storefront Legal Services’ in the courthouse, providing 30 minutes of free legal advice to self-represented litigants for Queen’s Bench civil matters. The project runs three days a week in Calgary.
- Volunteer Lawyer Services (VLS) receives files for individual clients from authorized pro bono providers in Alberta and Legal Aid Alberta, and matches volunteer lawyers to pro bono files. VLS also assists non-profit organizations and charities.
- Legal Grounds Advice Clinics are one-day events for people to receive free legal advice and information in a friendly, approachable environment over a cup of coffee. Local law firms provide volunteer lawyers who meet individuals for confidential, pre-booked 30-minute appointments to assist with legal advice. Legal Grounds Advice Clinics have been held in Calgary, Lethbridge, Crowsnest Pass, Medicine Hat, Brooks and Fort McMurray.
- Centre for Newcomers Legal Clinic offers free and confidential advice and assistance on a variety of legal issues related to Immigration and Family Law on the second Wednesday of every month.
- Online Resource Bank links to relevant websites, court forms, automatically updated legislation and other resources available only online. The resource bank is a member-only site for volunteer lawyers, articling students, law students and members of legal clinics and organizations.
Calgary Legal Guidance
Calgary Legal Guidance is a charitable organization that provides free legal assistance, program support, information, advocacy and representation to economically and socially vulnerable individuals who do not qualify for legal aid. Through their multidisciplinary approach of connecting clients to a team of specialized lawyers, social workers, advocates and community services they offer support in a comprehensive, holistic and compassionate way. The organization offers legal advice clinics and various programs (Homeless Outreach Program, Social Benefits Advocacy Program, Family Law Program, Immigration Law Program, Elder Law Program and Student Indigenous Program).
The Central Alberta Community Legal Clinic
In Red Deer, The Central Alberta Community Legal Clinic provides assistance to people throughout Central Alberta who do not qualify for legal aid but experience a barrier to legal help because of poverty, mental or physical disability, education, language or cultural barriers in civil, family and criminal law.
Children's Legal & Educational Resource Centre (CLERC)
CLERC improves the lives of children and youth 19 years of age and under through legal services and support. CLERC provides direct legal services, advice, information and representation to children and youth in civil law matters, including family law. CLERC provides public legal education through their website www.youthlaw.ca, presentations, workshops and seminars. In addition, CLERC trains lawyers to represent children and youth.
The Edmonton Community Legal Centre (ECLC)
ECLC provides free legal help to low income people in the Edmonton area including:
- Information and referral for all areas of law
- Summary legal advice by volunteers lawyers for all areas of law except criminal at daytime and evening legal clinics
- Additional client follow-up including legal advice and representation by a staff team including four staff lawyers and an immigration consultant
- Weekly family law public legal education sessions, and monthly sessions on a variety of civil and immigration law topics
- Assistance with social benefits appeals
- Waivers of fees to provide for free filing of court documents
- Legal information and advice at annual events such as Homeless Connect and Advice-a-thon
The ECLC relies on support from the Edmonton legal community, including pro bono service from over 200 volunteer lawyers and over 50 law students annually.
Grande Prairie Legal Guidance (GPLG)
GPLG provides free legal help to low income people in the Grande Prairie area including:
- Information and referral for all areas of law
- Summary legal advice by volunteer lawyers in all areas of law at lunchtime and evening legal clinics
- Monthly public legal education sessions
- Additional client support by staff Program Coordinator
GPLG relies on pro bono support from Grande Prairie lawyers to provide client service.
Lethbridge Legal Guidance
Lethbridge Legal Guidance began serving the community of Lethbridge and surrounding area in 2007 believing all Albertans, regardless of income, have a right to full and equal access to justice. With the intent of providing ongoing and expanded legal services and programs to those individuals most in need of legal assistance, Lethbridge Legal Guidance seeks to ensure legal services to those who are most in need.
Student Legal Assistance - Calgary (SLA)
SLA is a non-profit legal clinic through which law students provide legal services to students and low income Calgarians. Located within the Faculty of Law premises in Murray Fraser Hall on the University of Calgary main campus, SLA offers law students the opportunity to develop their advocacy skills while providing legal information and representation in court, in the areas of family, civil and criminal law. SLA also provides specialized legal services to clients in the Tax Court of Canada through its Tax Court of Canada Project, and to inmates and others seeking assistance with correctional facility or parole issues and/or wrongful convictions through its Criminal Justice Clinical project.
Student Legal Services - Edmonton
The University of Alberta chapter of Pro Bono Students Canada offers legal assistance in Edmonton through three main initiatives. Civil Claims Duty Counsel is a drop-in legal clinic, located in the Provincial Court that provides summary legal advice and other assistance, free of charge, to litigants and the public on their small claims matters. The Alberta Human Rights Commission Project sees supervised students assist qualified applicants with their matters in Commission. The organization also engages in short term legal research projects in support of local non-profit, public interest and community organizations.
Women's Centre Legal Advice Clinic
The Women's Centre Legal Advice Clinic is a program of the Women's Centre of Calgary funded by Pro Bono Law Alberta. Volunteer female lawyers provide free legal advice to women on a one-to-one basis in various areas of law. Drop-in clinics in family law and civil law are offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.