Aboriginal Legal Services Manages Aboriginal rights programs in Toronto. In addition to one-on-one tutorials with principals, students regularly attend seminars on legal and practical issues (approximately 6 hours per semester). Provides legal aid to Aboriginal people living in Toronto. Youth, criminal and family court staff also provide services. ALST manages an alternative justice program and produces Gladue reports. For more information about the credit clinic, contact Assistant Dean Sara Faherty . Note that applications for this clinic are received on an ongoing basis and applicants are encouraged to apply early. All applications must be received by the end of course selection. This video guides Indigenous peoples through everyday discrimination scenarios at home, shopping and at work.
It contains information about the Ontario Human Rights Code and how to get free legal aid from the Human Rights Legal Support Centre. The video is a joint project of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres and the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario. The HRLSC is committed to providing accessible legal services to Indigenous peoples. Services are available in 140 languages, including Cree, Oji-Cree, Mohawk and Ojibway. Let someone who speaks English call you or let us know at the beginning of your call and we will speak to you for free in the language of your choice. If you wish, you can contact one of the HRLSC`s Indigenous Legal Advisors at all levels. “As part of the ALS Gladue clinic, I worked with Jonathan Rudin and his team of Gladue report writers throughout the year. In the first semester, I assisted Gladue writers in preparing portions of Gladue reports on selected topics on systemic factors faced by many Indigenous offenders, including the effects of residential schools, intergenerational harm, self-harm, adoption and the Sixties Scoop, Bill C-31, substance abuse and other topics. In my second semester, I was assigned a Gladue report to prepare a client.
I met regularly with this client to gather enough information to write the report. I have also reached out to the client`s family and friends, support services and other relevant parties to prepare referrals that put the client in the best position for success. I really enjoyed my time at ALS and it was wonderful to work with the team. I highly recommend this clinical experience to those interested in Aboriginal criminal cases and convictions. The HRLSC works to strengthen Indigenous services to support Indigenous communities by demystifying and providing services at every stage of the Human Rights Tribunal process. ISOC continues to welcome invitations, learning opportunities and resources on anti-discrimination through legislation and court proceedings in Ontario. The Faculty of Law is pleased to offer students an experience with Indigenous Legal Services (ALS). ALS is an Aboriginal legal counselling centre that provides free legal assistance to low-income Aboriginal people living in the City of Toronto. ALS is involved in legal reform, community organizations, public legal education and model disputes. This two-semester, part-time clinical program provides students with the opportunity to examine the legal and policy issues of Indigenous access to justice in an empirical context of public interest. The program challenges students to critically examine justice issues related to the Indigenous community, while developing the professional and ethical skills essential to legal practice.
Human Rights Legal Support provides legal aid to people in Ontario communities who believe they have been discriminated against. The Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation provides and coordinates a range of legal services and alternative processes for First Nations communities. Legal Aid Ontario – Mobile Justice Clinics: Since fall 2018, HRLSC staff in London have been participating in mobile justice clinics in collaboration with LAO. The mobile justice clinics, run by the N`amerind Friendship Centre in London, provide free legal advice in a variety of areas, including human rights. There are many community-based legal services and resources for Aboriginal people in Ontario. Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs Access to Ontario government programs, services and information. Kinna Aweya Legal Clinic: Jamie was a board member of the Kinna Aweya Legal Clinic (all Indigenous councils) from 2018 to 2020. CESI was introduced in 2010 with a focus on developing a service to engage Aboriginal service users across the province. The committee`s approach was to build trust by increasing engagement with other Indigenous organizations and groups, providing free public legal education sessions on the Human Rights Code and Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario process, and building partnerships that are more focused on creating a culturally safe service that could meet the very specific needs of Indigenous clients. The HRLSC recognizes the unique history and disadvantages of Ontario`s Indigenous peoples, Inuit and Métis. The HRLSC established an Indigenous Services and Awareness Committee and implemented culturally appropriate service policies to increase the use of the human rights system by Indigenous peoples.
ALS Student Testimonial: Christina-Markie Mammoletti `14 The student, in collaboration with the Director of Legal Defense, will focus on victim advocacy, including compensation for criminal violations, support for the independent assessment process, and support for families going through the investigative process. The student will receive training on victim issues and support with staff who will have the opportunity to visit and observe cases before the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB), observe forensic investigation procedures in Toronto, and conduct specific cases under the supervision of counsel. Case-specific work includes preparing an application to the CICB and writing written submissions to the Commission on a file. Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres: Kathy Laird, former Executive Director of HRLSC and Lori Mishibinijima over the Moose River in Moosonee. In 2012-2013, Jamie McGinnis organized and staffed application clinics at the Friendship Centre and participated in the collaboration between the Friendship Centre and Elevate NWO in 2016. From the beginning, we have observed the need and impact of ISOC in the community. Between 2016 and 2018, requests for Indigenous services increased by 131%. In 2019, we recorded a further growth of 30%. ISOC statistics show that this trend has continued despite the impact of COVID-19.
