Join the CBA-NS Civil Litigation Section for a conversation about PATH Legal. Four years ago, Mike Dull and Emma Halpern came together to provide wrap around services to vulnerable civil clients involved in highly traumatizing litigation. Through the community supports provided by the Elizabeth Fry Society and the legal supports offered through Valent Legal a supportive, trauma informed, therapeutic justice service was offered to meet the complex needs of these clients. This experience taught Mike and Emma about the value and impact of this out of the box legal service and from there the PATH legal model was born. Three years later, after serving multiple other clients together, PATH Legal became the first non-profit law firm in Atlantic Canada. This unique model is a true partnership between lawyers and a charitable organization and serves some of the most vulnerable and marginalized people in our region. Our model seeks to redefine the boundaries of justice by providing support services to vulnerable clients and championing cases that traditional for-profit law models deem too risky, complex or unprofitable. By providing access to justice to this under-served population, we are able to advocate against wrongs that otherwise would not come the forefront. Ultimately, PATH Legal is fundamentally about using the law as an agent for change.
Speakers: Emma Halpern (PATH Legal & Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia) and Mike Dull (PATH Legal & Valent Legal)