The program had 14 students on staff under the direction of Greg Parrack
Western Law’s Community Legal Services has established a court assistance program to expand access to justice and support the local court in London administratively.
The program offers free legal information and supports self-represented individuals through the Superior Court of Justice Family Court process. The program’s goal is to deliver legal services to more than 500 people in the family court system each year on top of the Community Legal Services clinic’s current load of ~135 clients annually.
The court assistance program was launched in light of 2021 findings from the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, which showed that in family cases, 58 percent of litigants and 70 percent of respondents represent themselves. The program was developed to help these individuals make informed decisions through the provision of legal guidance.
Program caseworkers offer both in-person and virtual services like providing information related to making claims, assisting with form completion, supporting users in court for motions and adjournments, and speaking on their behalf as needed, according to Western Law.
The court assistance program had 12 law students and 2 articling students on staff under the direction of family lawyer and review counsel Greg Parrack over the summer. Students taking the Community Legal Services’ introduction to clinical law and advanced family clinical law courses will continue to work with the program during the academic year.
The students are regularly present at the London courthouse to advocate for and deliver the program’s services. An on-site satellite office is in the works.
“The Court Assistance Program is a perfect example of how Western Law can serve our community while preparing our students to lead in the profession. By supporting people who are navigating the family justice system on their own, we’re not only expanding access to justice, we’re also giving our students invaluable, hands-on experience in the courtroom,” said Mohamed F. Khimji, Western University’s faculty of law dean, in a statement. “It’s an initiative that strengthens the courts, uplifts our community and shapes the next generation of lawyers.”
Local administrative judge justice Barry M. Tobin said that the Community Legal Services clinic had been “of considerable help to the Superior Court of Justice Family Court at London.”
“The benefits to the court, from the involvement of the clinic, include allowing cases to be considered more efficiently and allow parties to feel confident that their case is being handled properly and in their best interests,” Tobin said. “The work undertaken by the clinic often results in a durable resolution that is acceptable to all. The judges of the court wholeheartedly endorse the involvement of the clinic as a valued part of the family justice system.”
The Law Foundation of Ontario is supporting the court assistance program.
