The Anti-Discrimination Intensive Program (ADIP) offers full-time, full-term placement at the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (HRLSC) in Toronto. The HRLSC was established in 2008 and has 20 lawyers who work in a team environment to provide summary legal advice and representation at mediations and hearings to applicants before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO).
The HRLSC recognizes the particular history and disadvantage of Ontario’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Over 10 years ago, the HRLSC established an Indigenous Services and Outreach Committee aimed at implementing culturally safe service delivery specific to the needs of Indigenous people, a commitment to providing Indigenous people with an accessible legal service, and a pathway towards increased usage of the human rights system. If you are an Indigenous law student and are seeking meaningful experiences working with Indigenous clients with unique legal issues within Ontario’s provincial human rights framework, you may be paired with one of the HRLSC’s Indigenous Legal Counsel and will have the opportunity to work directly with our Indigenous services team as part of your ADIP placement.
What You Will Do
You will spend four or five days a week at the HRLSC in either the fall or winter semester. After a full week of orientation sessions, you will participate in the HRLSC’s summary advice and legal information service and will be responsible for conducting detailed legal interviews on files that are referred from intake. In addition, you will draft legal documents, partner with HRLSC lawyers at mediation and on files scheduled for hearing by the HRTO. While working at the HRLSC, you will be assigned a personal lawyer mentor. In addition to your clinical placement, you will participate in an academic seminar and in ongoing skills development sessions on alternate weeks throughout the fall and winter semesters.
What You Will Learn
- How to understand, critically assess, and think constructively about prohibitions on discrimination and their impact on society and the challenges of ensuring access to remedies for violations of fundamental rights experienced by disadvantaged communities
- Gain specialized knowledge of anti-discrimination and administrative law
- Apply your skills in research, drafting, client counselling, dispute resolution, and litigation
