Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) turns 20 this year and its Queen’s Chapter is celebrating this milestone in style. The PBSC Queen’s team has just launched an anniversary website and on September 26 they will host a volunteer welcome reception featuring a special guest. Justice Harvey Brownstone, Law’80, who inspired the PBSC Family Law Project, will give a keynote address to student volunteers, supervising lawyers and faculty members involved with the program in the Kingston area.

“We want everyone to get to know the PBSC Queen’s team: student volunteers, coordinators, supervising lawyers and supporters,” says Katie Ling, Law’17, a PBSC Program Coordinator. “Our new website, which is part of our marketing campaign for PBSC’s 20th anniversary, features each project we are working on this year, the public-interest organizations we are working with and profiles of our team members.”
 
This year the program is involved in 29 projects, meeting an organizational goal to expand the number of opportunities in different areas of the law. These include: public legal education for newcomers to Canada, people with disabilities and small business owners; the Family Law Project, which helps self-represented clients navigate the court process; and legal research for local public-interest organizations. 

“What has always been unique about PBSC is that students get to experience working in an area of the law that they are particularly interested in and to network within that field while promoting access to justice,” Ling says. “It is important for our volunteers to understand how our chapter fits within the national organization. As our program expands, there is an increasing need to establish a community feel.”

The PBSC 20th Anniversary Volunteer Welcome Reception, being held on Monday from 1:00 pm until 2:30 pm in the Macdonald Hall student lounge, will familiarize volunteers with the PBSC Queen’s team, and show them how much their work is appreciated by the broader legal community. After being introduced by Dean Bill Flanagan and Tali Golombek, Program Officer with the PBSC National Office, Justice Brownstone will reflect on PBSC’s accomplishments over the last two decades and speak about the importance of everyone contributing to PBSC’s work.

“Working with PBSC Queen's has exposed me to uniquely engaging opportunities and like-minded individuals – it has been the most rewarding experience of my law school career,” says Ling. “The active involvement of the Queen’s Law community and local lawyers with PBSC reflects the legal community’s commitment to giving back. I am proud of the work that we do and excited to continue our tradition of meaningful student placements that promote access to justice within our community.”

By Anthony Pugh