Note: Students enrolled in year-long externships must participate in the fall term Externship Seminar.
Note: Enrollment in this clinic is conditional. The Records Office will add the clinic to the student's course selection once participation is confirmed by the clinic instructor. In the meantime, students must select sufficient credits for the term/year. Students approved for the clinic will have the opportunity to adjust their credits before the add/drop deadline. See details on how to register below.
This course offers students the opportunity to advocate for the rights of women and gender diverse people in a feminist legal clinic with an anti-oppression and anti-violence mandate.
Our Work:
Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic offers trauma-informed legal services and representation, counselling and multilingual interpretation, and drives system transformation to support women and gender diverse people who have experienced violence. Rooted in the foundations of intersectionality, innovation, and a client-centered approach, we foster the skills and resilience of the people we serve and amplify their voices to create individual and collective change.
We envision a world where women and gender diverse people live free from violence and discrimination. Since our founding in 1985, the Clinic has assisted more than 150,000 women and gender-diverse survivors of violence through our direct services, advocacy efforts, legal reform, submissions, projects, and programs.
The U of T Clinical Education Program: Students will work in teams on projects with staff members with the Executive Office with special projects including legal services, policy, law reform and case management projects Student teams will have carriage of 5-7 client or advocacy files. We ask students to plan to work one day per week at the clinic. Casework will include drafting pleadings and affidavits, directing client meetings, attending court appearances, engaging in third-party advocacy, conducting legal research, preparing case summaries, and organizing documentation. Advocacy and special projects may include policy research, assistance with position papers, and public legal education.
The purposes of the Schlifer Clinic placement are for students: - to be exposed to the practice of substantive areas of law that are relevant to violence survivors; - to develop effective client communication and interviewing skills;
- to gain proficiency in legal research and case analysis techniques;
- to cultivate essential team collaboration skills within the non-profit and legal sectors; - to learn to create and maintain productive solicitor-client relationships; and - to develop excellent file and case management skills.
While fieldwork assignments will necessarily vary from term to term, and from student to student, students enrolled in this externship can expect to be exposed to the following fundamental skills:
problem solving/strategic case development,
- legal analysis and reasoning,
- legal research,
- case evaluation
- policy analysis and development,
- evidence/documentation development,
- client communication,
- community outreach and engagement,
- negotiation,
- litigation/oral advocacy,
- risk identification and assessment
- alternative dispute resolution procedures,
- organization and management of legal work, and
- recognizing and resolving ethical issues.
Pre-requisites: There are no formal pre-requisites for this course. Preference will be given however, to candidates who have: previous knowledge or experience in any of the Clinic's practice areas;
previous demonstrated interest in or commitment to social justice or women's rights; or previous experience providing direct client services in a clinical setting.
To register for this course: please send an email to Sara Faherty at sara.faherty@utoronto.ca with a current CV, and a statement of interest including the following information:
- Why you wish to enroll in the Schlifer Clinic program; - Your interest or experience in the areas of social justice and/or women's rights; - Your interest or experience in any of the Clinic's legal practice areas; and - A list of courses taken in any of our practice areas, social justice, or women's rights (transcript not necessary) or that may be otherwise relevant to the Schlifer Clinic's Mandate.
Students must apply to the clinic by the deadline for course selection before the lottery. Students will be interviewed for available positions. Acceptance to the Clinic is on a rolling basis and interested students are encouraged to apply early.
