PBSC Internship Experiences 2010

Among its many programs, the University of Toronto Chapter of Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) administers the Donner Civic Leadership Fellowships and Fellowships in Aboriginal Law.  These Fellowships give students the opportunity to do public interest work full-time during the summers.

In the following reports, the Donner and Aboriginal Law Fellows describe their experiences during the summer of 2010. 

Justin Basinger West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) "Working at WCEL was fantastic. In addition to sharpening my legal research and writing skills, I benefited tremendously from spending time with aboriginal, environmental, and natural resources lawyers in a professional context. I really enjoyed the variety and unpredictability of working at a legal NGO. I am very intrigued by the important role the law and lawyers can play in public interest coalitions, and how a legal approach to a complex problem can often be the best one (or the worst)." Read more >>

T Stefania Zilinskas The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic "Immigration and refugee claims brought by female survivors of violence can be extremely complex and require an additional level of expertise that immigration and refugee practitioners may not have the time or resources to acquire. My project involved the creation of a one-stop database where immigration/refugee practitioners can access documents, expert contacts, country-conditions resources, statistics, relevant case law and important research and tips on how to most effectively advocate on behalf of clients who are survivors of violence. " Read more >>

Louis Century Canadian Council for Refugees and Sojourn House "My Donner Fellowship this summer has been to investigate the experiences of refugee claimants at port-of-entry interviews. I have interviewed several dozen refugee claimants about their experiences at the border. This has been a unique opportunity to conduct primary research. Some claimants are grateful for the welcoming reception they received. Others dread the memory of their arrival at the border, where they were intimidated by armed officers, threatened with deportation or reminded of the harsh treatment from which they so recently fled. Still others are burdened with the lingering consequences of poor translation or sloppy interview notes, which obstruct their refugee claim years later." Read more >>

Vanessa Park-Thompson Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) "During my time at CAMH, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in R. v. Conway that the ORB is a "court of competent jurisdiction" under s. 24(1) of the Charter. As many Charter rights are implicated by the detention and supervision of mentally ill accused, Conway has great ramifications for the future of mental health law. The application of the Charter and the ORB's role are completely undefined, and research in this area is critical. I authored a report to provide the ORB with some guidance as to what impact Conway will have on their process and what remedies they will be able to grant."  Read more >>