Windsor Law’s Clinic Practice Programs give upper-year students the opportunity to take their legal education beyond the classroom and into practice. Through placements at community legal clinics, students work directly with clients, develop practical lawyering skills, and contribute to access to justice in Windsor-Essex and surrounding communities.
Students can earn academic credit while gaining supervised, hands-on experience with real legal matters. Depending on the clinic and placement, students may conduct client interviews and intakes, provide legal advice, conduct legal research, draft documents, negotiate with opposing parties, prepare cases, and represent clients before courts and tribunals. Students also develop professional skills in advocacy, file management, client communication, ethics, and problem-solving
Community Legal Aid Academic Program
Full-time placement: 8 - 11 credits
Part-time placement: 4 - 7 credits
University of Windsor Law students can enroll at CLA for course credit during the fall and winter academic terms. The CLA academic Practice Program awards course credits to 2L and 3L law students who will engage in work as Caseworkers at CLA. As a Practice Program students in the CLA General Program, students assigned to a group to work weekly with groups of volunteers, but unlike volunteers, Practice Program students perform the role of both a Caseworker and Senior Caseworker on their own case load.
Credits
- Full-time in the fall or winter terms: students choose to take on practice hours at CLA for between 8-11 credits in one academic term. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 8 credits = 24 hours of work at the clinic per week.
- Part-time in both the fall and winter terms: students choose to take on practice hours at CLA for between 4-7 credits in one or both academic terms. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 4 credits = 12 hours of work at the clinic per week.
- Both full-time and part-time Practice Program students must take the 3-credit Clinic Seminar course concurrently with their clinic practice hours.
Students must complete 3 self-evaluations and review them with the Academic Clinic Professor. The evaluations allow students to reflect on their performance as advocates, development of professional skills and knowledge, and application of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The evaluations are meant to supplement the ongoing mentorship and supervisory relationship with the supervising lawyers.
Questions about the programs? Email Kristijana Gavrovski, kgavrov@uwindsor.ca.
Please apply by June 27, 2025, by 12:00PM via the following link: CLA/LAW Application Form for 2025-2026.
Legal Assistance of Windsor Practice Program
(General Program: Housing Law, Social Benefits Law, and Immigration Program)
Academic Program
Full-time placement: 8 - 11 credits
Part-time placement: 4 - 7 credits
University of Windsor 2L and 3L law students can enroll at LAW for course credit during the fall and/or winter academic terms.
Credits
- Full time in the fall or winter terms: Students choose to take LAW Practice Program hours for between 8-11 credits in one academic term. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 8 credits = 24 hours of work at the clinic per week.
- Part time in both the fall and winter terms: Students choose to take LAW Practice Program hours for between 4-7 credits in one or both academic terms. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 4 credits = 12 hours of work at the clinic per week for both the fall and winter academic terms. (Note that part-time positions at LAW are generally not available. Students are only able to enrol on a part-time basis in exceptional circumstances.)
- Students in both the part-time and the full-time program must also enroll in the 3-credit Clinic Seminar Course.
Students must complete 3 self-evaluations and review them with the Academic Clinic Professor. The evaluations allow students to reflect on their performance as advocates, development of professional skills and knowledge and application of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The evaluations are meant to supplement the ongoing mentorship and supervisory relationship with the supervising lawyers. Students are enrolled in the Clinic Seminar Course during the term the student participates at the clinic.
Questions about the programs? Email Kristijana Gavrovski, kgavrov@uwindsor.ca.
Please apply by June 27, 2025, by 12:00PM via the following link: CLA/LAW Application Form for 2025-2026.
More about the Clinic
Located in downtown Windsor, LAW is a community legal clinic offering services to members of the Windsor-Essex community living on low income. Students work in a multidisciplinary model with social workers and lawyers. Under the supervision of Staff Lawyers, law students conduct file work from the initial intake to the resolution of the matter. This includes correspondence and negotiation with opposing parties, explaining, and drafting applications with clients, analysis of medical documentation, preparation of legal arguments and representation before the Social Benefits Tribunal or the Landlord and Tenant Board. Students can also be involved in systemic advocacy through community outreach and law reform initiatives in the areas of social assistance reform, income security, human trafficking, and landlord/tenant. For more information about LAW, visit their website.
Community Legal Assistance Sarnia Practice Program
Academic Program
Full time ONLY: 8 – 11 creditsUniversity of Windsor Law students can enroll at CLAS for course credit during the fall or winter academic terms. Students work full-time over one term at Community Legal Assistance Sarnia (CLAS) located in Sarnia, Ontario. Students interested in this program are often from the Sarnia community or hope to work there in future. Students must provide their own transportation
Credits
- Full time in the fall or winter terms – you would choose to take CLAS for between 8-11 credits in one academic term. Each credit equals 3 hours of work at the clinic. For example, 8 credits = 24 hours of work at the clinic per week. Students must complete 3 self-evaluations and review them with the Academic Clinic Professor. The evaluations allow students to reflect on their performance as advocates, development of professional skills and knowledge and application of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The evaluations are meant to supplement the ongoing mentorship and supervisory relationship with the supervising lawyers. Students must also enroll in the 3-credit Clinic Seminar Course during the term the student participates at the clinic.
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Students must attend a weekly 3-credit Clinic Seminar class in Windsor.
Questions about the program? Email Professor Rogin at roginjl@uwindsor.ca
More about the Clinic
Located in Sarnia, CLAS is a community legal clinic that provides legal assistance to low income residents of Sarnia and Lambton County. Students work in a variety of areas of law including: housing law for tenants, Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Canada Pension Plan, Employment law, Human Rights and Criminal Injury Compensation, access to health and community care. For more information about CLAS, visit their Facebook page.
