Note: Students enrolled in year-long externships must participate in the fall term Externship Seminar.
Recommended: Human Rights course
The Health Justice Program at St. Michael’s Academic Family Health Team aims to address the overlapping health and justice needs of our low-income community. Recognizing systemic inequalities in our society and unfairness experienced by individuals living in poverty, the Program is based on the premise that the intertwined nature of health and justice issues affects the basic human rights of individuals with low income. Its work is framed by an understanding of the social determinants of health (SDOH), health equity, and the rooting of equality and social rights as the foundation of access to justice needs. The Program takes collaborative action to address both individual threats and structural inadequacies. In partnership with patients, clients and community groups, the program engages in direct legal system navigation, inter-professional education, and law reform activities to fulfill its mission.
Learning objectives:
The goal of the externship is to provide students both with hands-on experience working on legal issues that arise in urban inner city primary health care settings, and an opportunity to be involved in law reform and systemic advocacy research and activities related to the social determinants of health and access to justice challenges patients and community members living in poverty face in this primary care setting. Students will gain experience interviewing and interacting with clients, conducting focused legal research, and develop written and oral legal and systemic advocacy planning and communication skills.
Placement activities:
From September to March, with blackout periods for reading weeks and December exams, students will commit 12-15 hours per week, embedded in one of our core area of law teams (housing, income security, and immigration) to gain a deep understanding of these key SDOH while also participating in broader legal system navigation and adv.
Within these hours, students will:
· On a rotating basis, attend onsite at a St. Michael's Hospital Academic Family Health Team clinic on Fridays from 1pm-5pm to support the operation of legal information and advice clinic.
· Under the direction of a volunteer pro bono lawyer, draft simple wills and powers of attorney for low-income patients.
· Under the direction of their area of law supervisor,
o undertake written and oral advocacy work in relation to direct services (e.g. drafting memoranda of law, affidavits, advocacy letters, and client communication).
o research and writing and engagement in systemic advocacy or education projects related to the HJP’s mission.
Participation in legal clinic seminars organized with other legal clinics at the Faculty of Law is part of this second component.
Enrolment:
This Clinic requires an application. Send a letter of interest and résumé to sara.faherty@utoronto.ca by the course selection deadline.
