12,000 PEOPLE
Our student volunteers directly serve an estimated 12,000 people facing barriers to justice each year.
400 PARTNERS
Each year, we partner with and help build the capacity of nearly 400 organizations.
1,500 STUDENTS
We train, mentor and engage approximately 1,500 law student volunteers every year.
550 LAWYERS / NOTARIES (QUEBEC)
Our students receive
guidance from nearly 550 lawyer and notary (Quebec) supervisors and mentors.
22 CHAPTERS
We have student-led Chapters at 22 law school across Canada.
500+ PROJECTS
Each year, we operate more than 500 projects involving research, PLE, court assistance, and legal clinics.
120,000 HOURS
Our student volunteers provide approximately 120,000 hours of free legal support annually.
89% OF STUDENTS
89% of our students say that they plan to provide pro bono services in the future.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
ATRIA WOMEN'S
RESOURCE SOCIETY
Law students through PBSC have made immeasurable contributions to our work supporting women impacted by violence in the Downtown Eastside, Vancouver.
NARMADA GUNAWARDANA,
PBSC WINDSOR VOLUNTEER
I am a better advocate because of my experiences with PBSC and I am excited to continue my pro bono journey into my legal career.
SANDRA LANGE,
MCCARTHY TÉTRAULT
It [is] an honour to serve as a supervising lawyer ... I appreciate the opportunity to help those with legal needs, alongside hardworking students who are committed to doing pro bono work and facilitating access to justice.
ACCESS TO JUSTICE
Justice is not a frill. It is not a luxury. It is a fundamental right...
- The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin,
former Chief Justice of Canada (October, 2018)
Equitable access to justice - including the ability to know and exercise your rights, address legal issues in a timely and affordable way, and to obtain just and proportional outcomes - is critical to a healthy, democratic society.
The gaps in Canada’s legal systems disproportionately impact people experiencing systemic oppression, intersectional inequities, or with limited financial means. A 2016 study found that nearly half of the adult population in Canada will experience at least one legal problem within a three-year period. Very few will have the resources to resolve them, and for low-income groups, one legal problem often leads to other legal, social, economic, or health problems. This reality, compounded by a lack of understanding and empathy in our society, has created what many are calling an “access to justice crisis.”
PBSC is addressing this crisis by training and mentoring law student volunteers to work with non-profit and community organizations serving those most in need. As stated by Edward Iacobucci (Chair of PBSC’s Board) and Nikki Gershbain (former PBSC National Director), "there is no other student organization in the world of this size, with this kind of impact on access to justice."
Click the links below to learn more.
