Acting Clinic Director Harpreet Burmy (right) assists second-year law student Annie McDonald (left).
By John-Paul Bonadonna
After several years operating from a downtown location, Community Legal Aid (CLA) has returned to the University of Windsor’s Ron W. Ianni Faculty of Law Building.
The move marks a renewed commitment to enhancing access to justice while offering invaluable, hands-on experience to future legal professionals.
“A lot of our students discover their interests and strengths here,” notes Acting Clinic Director Harpreet Burmy.
“Some of our students find a passion for litigation or criminal law. Others realize they want to pursue public interest work."
“This experience really shapes their path.”
CLA is a student-driven legal services organization dedicated to providing free legal assistance to individuals who financially qualify from across Windsor and Essex County.
Primarily funded by Legal Aid Ontario, the clinic focuses on a wide variety of legal issues including criminal summary convictions, housing issues, small claims, consumer protection, elder law and University of Windsor academic and non-academic misconduct. Students at the clinic also engage in systemic advocacy, including public legal education workshops and law reform initiatives.
The law clinic is accessed via dedicated entrance on Sunset Avenue and serves as both a legal resource and a vital support system to underserved and vulnerable populations, including students.
Community Legal Aid is accessed via a dedicated entrance along Sunset Avenue.
Returning to the Faculty of Law building has also made CLA more accessible to the law students who serve it, allowing them to more easily integrate CLA activities into their daily routines, whether dropping in to consult with Review Counsel, meeting with clients or working on files between classes.
Burmy says the change is already yielding benefits.
“Students can more easily work around their class schedules,” she says.
“We’re seeing better engagement, and ultimately that means better service for our clients.”
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of CLA’s return is its impact on legal education.
With more than 100 student volunteers each term, including first-year students - a rarity among law clinics, CLA is a proving ground for those eager to gain real-world experience.
Student duties are the equivalent to those of real-world lawyers in firms. They meet with clients, manage files, appear in court and tribunals and collaborate with community partners.
“We have our volunteer caseworkers, senior caseworkers who litigate, group leaders who manage teams and then Review Counsel like myself providing direct supervision over all client work,” says Burmy.
“It’s a full mentorship model.”
Law students (from left) Annie McDonald, Duncan Dagley and Teodor Katsarov work in Community Legal Aid office space within the Ron W. Ianni Faculty of Law Building.
Confidentiality is paramount, and CLA follows all the same rules of professional conduct as any law firm.
Clients are informed from the outset that while students will manage much of the file, everything is reviewed by licensed lawyers. It’s a model that works, proven through over five decades of operation.
“We’re supporting our clients through incredibly difficult situations,” says Burmy.
“Students learn to approach these cases with empathy and patience. They’re not social workers, but they do learn to help clients feel heard and supported while providing the best possible legal service.”
With its doors now open at the heart of Windsor Law, Community Legal Aid is once again on the front lines of justice while building a better legal future, one case and one student at a time.
“We’re closer to our students, and still close enough to the courts and the community to continue making an impact,” Burmy reflects.
“It’s the best of both worlds.”