While students can’t travel across Canada or to the Middle East, they can still lend their talents to public interest organizations. This summer, 20 student interns are gaining valuable skills doing important legal work remotely thanks to financial support from four sources: two law firms, alumni donations, and online seminar proceeds.
Through a long-established award program with Torys LLP, the firm’s $25,000 funding this year is supporting 10 first-year interns. “Queen’s Law students have, time and again, proven that they are resilient, resourceful, strategic and thoughtful,” says Georgia Brown, Head of Legal Recruitment and Diversity and Inclusion at Torys. “That’s why we are confident that the internships, while remote, will still be highly impactful to the organizations.”
Summer 2020 Torys interns are working with such public-interest organizations as the Centre for Law and Democracy, the Red Cross, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, ARCH Disability Law Centre, and the Barbra Schlifer Clinic. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support students at a diverse range of important organizations,” says Brown. “It is our pleasure to support these outstanding emerging lawyers in deploying their skills and knowledge at organizations that benefit our broader communities.”
Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP and the firm’s counsel Peter Griffin, Law’77, are giving three second-year students the opportunity to hone written and/or oral advocacy skills through an internship fund totalling $10,000. These interns are working with an Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation, and the Barbra Schlifer Clinic for survivors of domestic violence.
“We have supported this program for two years,” says Griffin. “It is to our minds an integral experience for our students. Supporting them takes on special importance in times like these where the future for our aspiring new members of the profession can appear less certain.”
For the Debwewin Summer Law Program, the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Indigenous Justice Division and Queen’s Law have awarded funding to three students who will provide community education and legal assistance support to Indigenous communities and community organizations in Ontario. These students are placed with Grand Council Treaty #3, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, and the National Association of Friendship Centres. They started their internships in May with a two-day training session via Zoom co-facilitated by an Elder.
The same law school fund, composed of donations from alumni and friends, is also enabling two students gain experience interning remotely with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Jerusalem. Working for UNRWA’s Department of Legal Affairs, the students will contribute to international law research projects aimed at providing services to assist and protect over five million registered Palestine refugees.
At least two Queen’s Law students are participating in the 100 Interns Project, initiated by University of Alberta Professor Peter Sankoff who raised more than $120,000 through online seminars, direct employment donations and financial contributions. This project aims to provide employment opportunities in criminal, constitutional or animal rights law for law students across Canada whose articles or employment have been impacted by to COVID-19.
“This was an amazing effort to give 100 law students across Canada a criminal law internship in these hard times,” says Professor Don Stuart, a donor. “Several Queen’s grads contributed a great deal.” This includes the Class of Law’19, which contributed a total of $1,300.
Some of the Queen’s Law students interning remotely this summer can also receive academic credit. To complete Law 696 Experiential Learning, students must be working full-time in an unpaid position with a public interest organization under the supervision of a lawyer.
Georgia Brown of Torys is already planning beyond this summer. “We look forward to continuing to support Queen’s Law students into the future.”