The Halifax Free Legal Clinic is looking for lawyers to volunteer during the upcoming winter session at the Law Courts. Volunteer lawyers provide free legal advice to litigants representing themselves on certain types of matters in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
The next session begins on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, and continues until the first week of April. The clinic offers appointments most Thursdays between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., excluding holidays. Each session lasts one hour. Appointments can be in person on the 2nd Floor at the Law Courts, or by telephone.
Volunteer lawyers are needed for the following dates:
• January 19 & 26
• February 2, 9, 16 & 23
• March 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30
• April 6
This initiative was first launched in Halifax in 2015 to fill a gap in services for people needing assistance with their civil law matters and family law appeals, excluding child protection matters. Nova Scotia Legal Aid provides duty counsel services at most courthouses to help self-represented individuals with criminal and family law matters, but there was nothing available for other types of cases.
Since 2015, this work has expanded to include free legal clinics at the courthouses in Yarmouth, Truro, and Sydney, Cape Breton.
These clinics provide a valuable service to litigants who may not otherwise have access to a lawyer and are a rewarding experience for volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please call the Executive Office of the Nova Scotia Judiciary at 902-424-3690 or email [email protected].