National Office

Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) is a national organization that provides free legal services to both organizations and individuals in Canada. Legal Line is a proud partner in all 23 law schools.

As the first pro bono program founded in Canada, and the only national law student program, PBSC has 23 chapters, one in each of the law schools in Canada. PBSC’s national office is located at the University of Toronto. Staffed by a team of seven, the national office oversees and leads 45-50 law students across Canada who run the local chapters.

In partnership with community organizations and supervising lawyers, over 1,700+ law students are involved annually to provide free legal information and service to people and communities facing barriers to justice.

PBSC’s three key objectives:

1. Provide law students with volunteer opportunities to develop their legal skills,
2. Have a positive impact on the legal profession by promoting the value of pro bono service to the next generation of lawyers, and
3. Increase access to justice across Canada

Advisory Board

PBSC’s Advisory Board is made up of legal leaders from across Canada who together bring their knowledge and experience to advance PBSC’s mission of providing free legal information and service to people and communities facing barriers to justice.

The Board is comprised of community members, partner organizations, former PBSC students, and Faculty of Law representatives, and provides strategic guidance and support to PBSC’s leadership team.

Local Law School Chapters

In every Canadian law school, local chapters of the PBSC are run by volunteer student program coordinators, and supported by the national office and on-site supervisors. The program coordinators have a number of responsibilities, including:

• develop projects,
• recruit volunteers,
• train and monitor students,
• hold PBSC events, and
• hire and transition their successors.

With the support and guidance of the program coordinators, volunteer law students across Canada provide professional legal assistance. They are trained in project development and management, and are provided with the resources needed to create and administer programs.

Link to each unique PBSC local chapter website by picking the corresponding law school:

• Lakehead University
• Laval University
• McGill University
• Osgoode Hall, York University
• Queen’s University
• Ryerson University
• The University of Western Ontario
• Thompson Rivers University
• University of Alberta
• University of British Columbia
• University of Calgary
• University of Manitoba
• Université de Moncton
• Université de Montréal
• University of New Brunswick
• University of Ottawa (Civil Law)
• University of Ottawa (Common Law)
• Université du Québec à Montréal
• University of Saskatchewan
• Université de Sherbrooke
• Dalhousie University
• University of Toronto
• University of Victoria
• University of Windsor

For more information about Pro Bono Student Canada (PBSC), visit their website at probonostudents.ca.

								
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