Access to Justice Week Event: Reflecting on A2J Progress – October 25, 2023

 / ,

The Law Society of Manitoba is excited to partner with the Manitoba Bar Association and the University of Manitoba for the annual National Access to Justice Week. Together Manitoba will offer four free engaging virtual events open to the public.

On Wednesday, October 25 the Law Society will host a conversation Reflecting on A2J Progress & the Obligation to Advance A2J in Manitoba.

More Upcoming Events October 23 – 27, 2023

Tuesday, Oct 2412 noon - 2:00 p.m. (CDT)“L’accès à la Justice en Français: un monde à découvrir” (“Access to Justice in French: A World to Discover”)
Hosted by the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law
Wednesday, Oct 25
12 noon - 2:00 p.m. (CDT) “Are we there yet? Reflecting on A2J Progress & the Obligation to Advance A2J in Manitoba” Hosted by The Law Society of Manitoba
Thursday, Oct 2612 noon – 1:30 p.m. (CDT)“Racial Equity, Legal Education, and Access to Justice“ Hosted by the Manitoba Bar Association
Friday, Oct 2712 noon – 1:00 p.m. (CDT)“Access to Justice in Family Law and Navigating a File with a Self-Represented Litigant” Hosted by the Manitoba Bar Association
Click to Learn More & Register

Access to Justice Week Event: People-Centred Data Collection – October 25, 2022

 / 

New ~ Registration for National Access to Justice Week is now open!

The Law Society of Manitoba is excited to partner with the Manitoba Bar Association and the University of Manitoba for the third annual National Access to Justice Week. Together Manitoba will offer four free engaging virtual events open to the public.

On Tuesday, October 25 the Law Society will host a conversation highlighting the latest research findings on People-Centred Data Collection studies featuring Susan McDonald from Justice Canada.

More Upcoming Events October 24 – 28, 2022

Monday, Oct 2412 noon - 1:30 p.m. (CDT)Dispute Resolution at Administrative Tribunals in Manitoba
Hosted by the Manitoba Bar Association
Tuesday, Oct 25
12 noon - 2:00 p.m. (CDT)People-Centred Data Collection
Hosted by The Law Society of Manitoba
Wednesday, Oct 2612 noon - 1:00 p.m. (CDT)Access to Justice Clinics and Organizations in Manitoba:
Where law students assist with the A2J crisis
Hosted by the University of Manitoba- Faculty of Law
Friday, Oct 2812 noon - 1:30 p.m. (CDT)Flat Rates, Unbundling and Coaching:
An Overview of Alternative Private Bar Legal Services Provision
Hosted by the Manitoba Bar Association
Click to Learn More & Register

Registration for National Access to Justice Week is now open!

This year’s theme is “Access to Justice Counts: Using data to address the legal needs of Canadians.” To learn more about upcoming virtual and in-person events aimed at advancing systemic change in the justice system, including feature panels, workshops & public seminars, view the national event calendar.

University of Manitoba Joint Access to Justice Research Study

 / 

Research on the access to justice needs of Manitobans is currently being conducted by Professor Gerard Kennedy of the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law and Manitoba’s Access to Justice Coordinator, Natasha Brown, with the support of the Law Society of Manitoba. Its purpose is to garner legal professionals’ views on the Legal Service Needs of Manitobans. Feedback from the profession will assist in the better tailoring of policy responses to facilitate access to justice in Manitoba.

Manitoba articling students, practising and non-practising lawyers can participate by completing this anonymous/confidential short 15 minute survey by Thursday, September 29. This research has been approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Manitoba, Fort Garry campus. To learn more please see the consent form for this research study.

For questions about this study, please contact Gerard J. Kennedy, Assistant Professor Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba at gerard.kennedy@umanitoba.ca or Natasha Brown, Access to Justice Co-ordinator at nbrown@lawsociety.mb.ca.

Start this Survey

Access to Justice Week October 25 -31, 2021

 / 

The Law Society is excited to take part in Access to Justice Week October 25 – 31, 2021 . Manitoba is hosting A2J Week alongside Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island with each province hosting its own event highlighting the important issues surrounding Access to Justice.

On Monday, October 25 the Law Society hosted an important 90 minute panel discussion with the Honourable Murray Sinclair, first Indigenous CBA President 2020, Bradley Regehr, Dr. Cindy Blackstock, and special guest speaker Dr. Pamela Palmater, moderated by Danielle Morrison. To view a recording of this presentation, please visit the LSM Education Centre here.

More Upcoming Access to Justice Week Events October 25 – 31


Monday
October 25		Tuesday
October 26		Wednesday
October 27		Thursday
October 28
Ontario
A closer look: The justice sectors response to the TRC calls to action
(9 - 10:30 a.m. CST)
Ontario
People-centered access to justice: Best practices for serving clients with mental health needs
(1 - 2:00 p.m. CST)		Saskatchewan
Developing and Engaging in a Reconciliation Mapping Exercise
(12 - 1:30 p.m. CST)		Action Committee on A2J
Advancing Community-Based Access to Justice
(11 a.m. CST)
Manitoba
Access to Justice: Indigenous Perspectives
(11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CST)
Saskatchewan
Reflections on the
impact of COVID-19 on
online adjudication
(2 - 3:30 p.m. CST)		Atlantic Provinces
Rural access to justice
(2:30 p.m. CST)		Alberta
Disability Justice: Accessibility and Beyond
(1 - 2:00 p.m. CST)
Ontario
Building blocks: Cultural competency in the justice sector
(2 - 3:30 p.m. CST)
Legal Aid Plans of Canada
Duty Counsel Day Event
(4 - 5:30 p.m. CST)

New Access to Justice Initiative: Civil Society Organizations 

 / 

Recently the Law Society introduced changes to the Rules and Code of Professional Conduct, to allow lawyers to deliver legal services through Civil Society Organizations (CSO). Registered charities and not-for-profits can now apply to the Law Society to be registered as a CSO, and upon approval, offer legal services to their clients on-site through a volunteer lawyer or a lawyer hired or contracted to provide these services at no cost to the client. Approval is subject to several conditions.

This initiative represents an effort to increase the availability of legal assistance to the more vulnerable segments of our population. By facilitating new and inclusive points for accessing legal services, the Law Society’s goal is to help charities and their clients identify legal issues and potential resolutions sooner. With direct access to legal services, Manitobans can quickly get the help they need, ultimately resulting in less stress and better client outcomes.

For more information about this initiative and how charities and not-for-profits organizations can register see LSM Initiatives Civil Society Organizations.

The Law Library Hub Signs Off for the Summer

 / 

Please be advised that the Law Library Hub service is now on hiatus and will not be able to offer any assistance over the summer months. Services are expected to resume in the fall once law school students return to their studies.

About the Law Library Hub
The Law Society of Manitoba is committed to the advancement, promotion, and facilitation of increased access to justice for all Manitobans. The Law Library Hub is a pilot program, and the goal of the project is to provide information and assistance to members of the public who are engaged with the Justice system.

The Law Library Hub began on an in-person basis in February  2020, with law student volunteers providing free in-person legal information and assistance at the Manitoba Law Library. The Law Library Hub project temporarily shut down shortly afterward when COVID-19 restrictions were introduced. It reopened in a virtual capacity earlier this year with student volunteers resuming Law Library Hub services until the end of the school term.

Funding Awarded for Access to Justice Coordinator

 / 

On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, the Manitoba Law Foundation announced the Law Society of Manitoba would be the recipient of a Special Granting Initiative, supporting the work of increasing access to justice.

This funding will enable the Law Society to hire a full-time Access to Justice Coordinator dedicated to promoting and supporting the work of Manitoba organizations seeking to improve access to justice in Manitoba. The Coordinator will facilitate collaboration and dialogue amongst stakeholders, including the Faculty of Law to develop and implement innovative access initiatives and lead access to justice data collection efforts in the Province. This work is essential to the Law Society’s mission to protect the public interest and an important step forward in demonstrating leadership in the advancement and facilitation of increased access to justice for all Manitobans.

The Law Society of Manitoba is delighted to have this opportunity to establish the role of an Access to Justice Coordinator and be a leader in promoting access to
justice for all Manitobans. We look forward to working with our colleagues at the Faculty of Law and with other stakeholders in the justice system to facilitate and
encourage the delivery of affordable legal services to the public.

– Lynda Troup, President of the Law Society of Manitoba

For Immediate Release: The Manitoba Law Foundation is pleased to announce today that three organisations will benefit from a total of just over $600,000 in Special Granting Initiative funding to support their efforts to enhance access, and remove systemic barriers, to justice in Manitoba.

 

  • First Nations Family Advocate Office of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (FNFAO-AMC) & The Public Interest Law Centre (PILC)

    Bringing Our Children Home through Advocacy and Research

    $328,334

  • The Law Society of Manitoba (LSM)

    Access to Justice Coordinator

    $261,510

  • West Broadway Community Organization (WBCO)

    West Broadway Tenancy Improvement Project

    $17,611

To read more, visit The Manitoba Law Foundation, Special Granting Initiative News

Law Library Hub Pilot Program Launches Monday, February 10th

 / 

Starting Monday, February 10, free legal information and assistance will be offered two days a week.

Monday afternoons 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Wednesday mornings 9:00 am-noon

During these times, members of the public can access free in-person legal information and assistance in the Manitoba Law Library, located at the Manitoba Law Courts building. For more information, visit the Manitoba Law Library here.

The Law Society of Manitoba is committed to the advancement, promotion, and facilitation of increased access to justice for all Manitobans. The Law Library Hub pilot program is a joint initiative developed collaboration with the Manitoba Law Library, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law, the Province of Manitoba, the Legal Help Centre and Community Legal Education Association (CLEA ). The goal of the project is to provide information and assistance to members of the public who are engaged with the Justice system.