TORONTO, ON NOVEMBER 19, 2021
Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a grant of $180,000 from the Chambre des notaires du Québec (the Chambre).
The new partnership between PBSC and the Chambre marks a joint effort to promote the longstanding and important tradition of pro bono work by Québec’s notaries. “The Chambre is known for its strong commitment to preventative and accessible justice, and PBSC is thrilled to be working together to expand the opportunities for students and professionals to volunteer their expertise,” said Brittany Twiss, Former National Director of PBSC and Acting Assistant Dean, JD Program at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law.
The Chambre’s grant from its Notarial Studies Fund will provide transformative, dedicated funding for PBSC’s five Chapters in Québec. Despite a history of limited resources, PBSC’s committed students at McGill University, Université Laval, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec à Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke annually run more than one hundred unique programs offering free legal information and services. The generous funding from the Chambre will provide a strong financial foundation to maintain and grow these Chapters, develop additional pro bono programs, and increase their reach.
“PBSC’s innovative model channels students’ ability and desire to assist their communities, providing a concrete response to the barriers to access to justice of which we are sadly aware,” said Robert Leckey, Ad. E., a member of PBSC’s Advisory Board and dean of McGill University’s Faculty of Law. “The Chambre des notaires du Québec is well placed to partner with law faculties and their students to improve access to justice, as through this support of PBSC, and it is heartening to see it using its considerable resources in this positive way.”
“The Chambre is excited to be working with PBSC to improve the public’s access to preventative justice in Québec,” said Hélène Potvin, President of the Chambre. “We are proud to support this impactful organization that delivers much needed free legal services while spreading the values of pro bono work in the legal profession.”
About Pro Bono Students Canada
PBSC was established in 1996 at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. PBSC’s mission is to provide free legal support to people and communities facing barriers to justice. Each year, the organization recruits approximately 1,500 student volunteers who work with community partners and under the supervision of pro bono lawyers and notaries to serve over 13,000 people. The organization’s student volunteers alone provide approximately 130,000 hours of free legal support annually, helping to close the justice gap while providing students with opportunities to develop valuable skills and experiences.
About the Chambre des notaires du Québec
The Chambre is the professional order that frames and governs notarial practice in Québec. Regulating and supporting more than 3,900 notaries, the Chambre’s mission is to contribute to excellence of the notarial practice, encourage the evolution of the law, and promote access to preventive justice, with a single objective: protecting the public. Learn more about the Chambre des notaires du Québec at https://www.cnq.org/.
Contact:
Donor and Media Inquiries
Jason Goodman, Acting National Director
416.946.0519
Notary/Lawyer/Law Student Volunteer Inquiries
Carolina Cuevas, Program Manager
416.978.4463
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