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Background

History of LSLAP

The Law Students' Legal Advice Program was established over 35 years ago, when students from the UBC Faculty of Law operated a summer legal advice clinic under Vancouver Inner-City Services. This clinic eventually expanded to include a small number of clinics operating on a weekly basis during the school year. In 1978, the program was incorporated as the Greater Vancouver Law Students' Legal Advice Society, a non-profit society, to provide free legal advice and representation for those who cannot afford it. Since 1969, LSLAP has grown into a large organization of over 200 dedicated volunteer student clinicians staffing 20 legal clinics across the Greater Vancouver Regional District on a year-round basis.

Philosophy of LSLAP

LSLAP’s primary goals are to provide direct assistance to the client, as well as enable our students to educate the lay person in the use of the legal system.  Herein lies our two-pronged approach: assistance and education.

This philosophy of both assisting and educating has very real application in our program.  For example, students may assist clients in writing letters, negotiating with other parties, or preparing to appear on their own behalf in court.  In other cases a student may fully represent clients in each step of working through the legal issue.  In every case, emphasis always remains on assisting the client to solve their own legal problems.  This is quite different from a traditional solicitor-client relationship in which the lawyer takes complete responsibility for management of the client's legal problems.

The LSLAP approach to the relationship between clinicians and clients enables students to take more time to explain the legal alternatives and the legal processes which are available to the client, thereby not only offering legal services to people who could not otherwise afford them, but also helping to de-mystify the law.  In this way, it is hoped, the LSLAP client comes away from the program more aware and more comfortable in exercising their legal rights.

Organization of LSLAP

LSLAP and the LSLAP Manual are offered by the Greater Vancouver Law Students' Legal Advice Society (GVLSLAS).  The GVLSLAS and its programs are unique because they are independently organized and administered by law students.  Therefore, the primary responsibility for the effectiveness of the Society rests with the students themselves.

The ongoing operations of the Program are co-ordinated by an Executive Committee, which consists of the Executive Director, the Director of Operations, the Director of Publications, the Secretary/Treasurer and the Director of Public Relations. The members of the Executive take responsibility for the areas indicated by their titles.  The Executive Director takes overall responsibility for the operation of the Program.  The members of the Executive are law students, elected by the Greater Vancouver Law Students' Legal Advice Society membership.

The Executive and the Clinic Heads hold regular council meetings to discuss the operation and policies of the Program.  The Society is governed by a Constitution and By-laws; copies are available from the Director of  Operations.

The Community Legal Assistance Society