BWSS Legal Advocacy Workshops
Over 80% of women accessing Battered Women’s Support Services identify at least one legal issue where they require information. For 15 years, BWSS has been providing legal advocacy workshops for women who have or are experiencing violence in their relationships and require legal support with the resulting family law and other legal issues. Beginning on April 4, 2018 until June 6, 2018, BWSS hosts Legal Advocacy Workshops every Wednesday from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Lawyers with experience on a range of topics will facilitate all workshops with BWSS Manager of Legal Services and Advocacy Program. Women may bring forms or relevant paperwork to the workshop for self reference. To register or for more information please call 604-687-1867 or visit Click Law for information about the workshops and legal resources.
Thank you to our friends at Click Law for choosing BWSS as Organization of the Month for March 2018 and featuring our Legal Services and Advocacy Program. Visit Click Law for more information about our Legal Workshops and Resources.
BWSS welcomes Aditi Master to the Legal Services and Advocacy team at as Staff Lawyer. Aditi was called to the Bar in BC in 2009 and also holds a Master of Public Health from the University of British Columbia. She has worked and volunteered at the grassroots level in multidisciplinary fields for two decades. She believes in equality and achieving equity for all.
Aditi joins Harshada Deshpande, Manager of Legal Services and Advocacy Program, and four legal interns, Archana, Michelle, Mayra and Talia.
Opportunity for Legal Internship
The Legal Services and Advocacy Program has opportunities for self-identified women law students to complete a volunteer-based legal internship at BWSS. The responsibilities of the legal interns includes interviewing women, assessing and analyzing legal problems, assisting in resolving legal problems, assisting women to prepare for court, preparing documents and providing court accompaniments. Legal interns are supervised by the BWSS Staff Lawyer. Legal interns must either be enrolled in a law school or have received their law degree. Additional training is provided to legal interns to become aware of the anti-oppression feminist analysis of violence against women, to have a basic understanding of family and immigration and refugee law, to manage and conduct research on files, work within the Legal Services and Advocacy Program, and to familiarize themselves with the overall internal practices and procedures at BWSS.
Legal interns are required to commit for a minimum of four hours per week for a minimum of four months. This commitment does not apply in the months of December, April or August if legal interns are enrolled in law school and have exams during the specified months. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Please contact Harshada Deshpande, Manager of the Legal Services and Advocacy Program, legaladvocacy@bwss.org for more information.
Thank you!
We are grateful for our funding partner The Law Foundation and generous donors like you who help make the BWSS Legal Services and Advocacy Program possible.
