uOttawa Law secures three-year agreement with law firm Noël et Associés

The University of Ottawa Faculty of Law – Civil Law Section and Gatineau-based law firm Noël et Associés have signed a three-year agreement to work closely to enhance access to justice.

Under the agreement, the law firm will provide a $30,000 grant over the next three years to enable uOttawa’s social law clinic, Clinique interdisciplinaire en droit social de l’Outaouai, (CIDSO), to provide legal information to marginalized and disadvantaged populations in the Outaouais region, Quebec.

“The Civil Law Section is very grateful to Noël et Associés for their significant support of the interdisciplinary social law clinic, which helps meet the socio-legal needs of marginalized people in the Outaouais region and thus contribute to access to justice in Quebec,” uOttawa Law Civil Law Section dean Marie-Eve Sylvestre.

CIDSO is the first interdisciplinary social law clinic in the Outaouais region. It was established in 2020 by a multidisciplinary team of professors from uOttawa and the Université du Québec en Outaouais to promote access to appropriate services for people who are homeless or suffer from mental health problems.

The clinic particularly encourages a culture of interdisciplinary learning and work among law, social work, and nursing students and supports community organizations in the Outaouais region in claiming the social rights and needs of marginalized people from a perspective of social justice and improvement of living conditions.

“For a long time, Noël et Associés has witnessed the harsh reality faced by people experiencing homelessness and struggling with mental health issues,” Noël et Associés partner Pierre Landry said. “Reaching out and taking action to hope to make a difference was natural for us.”

The law school confirmed that as part of the agreement, the law firm would also welcome an apprentice-civilist from uOttawa’s co-op program each year and a few third-year students looking for practical experience in law firms.