PRO BONO
GOING PUBLIC
2021 VIRTUAL EDITION

BC-WIDE
FREE LEGAL ADVICE-A-THON
SEPTEMBER 13-24, 2021

13 Years

1,312 VOLUNTEER LAWYERS

2,332 CLIENTS SERVED

$786,125 RAISED

Sponsors

TITLE SPONSOR

“We are very excited to continue our support of Access Pro Bono’s ‘Going Public’ again this year”, says Richard Bereti, Managing Partner of Harper Grey LLP. “Lending our support as title sponsor is in keeping with our firm’s ongoing commitment to access to justice, a real and pressing need in the communities  in which we live and work. Our lawyers actively participate in this event, and provide free legal advice to those in need throughout the year. This event shines  a light on that need and on the important work of Access Pro Bono.”

MEDIA SPONSOR

SUPREME COURT SPONSORS

At BLG, we are proud of our strong tradition of pro bono representation. Our pro bono initiatives make a profound difference for people and organizations that otherwise would be unable to access the legal system. As Canada’s Law Firm, we are honoured to have taken on a leadership role in our profession and in the regions we serve across the country. BLG Vancouver is pleased to continue our support of Access Pro Bono and is committed to advancing the welfare of our community. Please encourage our team of volunteer lawyers as they share their passion and professional experience by making a donation towards increased access to justice in BC.

The Canadian Bar Association is a national, legal professional association for over 36,000 lawyers, students and judges in Canada, including more than 7,300 in BC. We are dedicated to protecting the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the Bar, and improving laws, the justice system and access to justice.

CBABC is a vocal advocate for increased access to justice for British Columbians. Our widely-distributed Agenda for Justice 2021 outlines specific issues that create hardship or uncertainty for those who engage with our justice system. In recent years, we have called for increased investment in legal aid, changes to the eligibility criteria so more low-income people can access legal aid, and support for the unbundling of legal services. All this with a vision that society and individuals should be able to access the justice system to resolve issues impartially, swiftly and before they become more serious.

Hunter Litigation Chambers is a twenty-five lawyer litigation boutique in Vancouver. The practice of the firm is restricted to dispute resolution, with an emphasis on commercial litigation and arbitration, class actions, labour and employment, criminal and regulatory, and constitutional and administrative law.The firm is consistently listed at the top rank in independent third party guides such as Lexpert Canada, Canadian Lawyer, the Chambers Global Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Benchmark Canada, The Legal 500 and Best Lawyers of Canada.

Since its founding in 2006, the firm has provided practical and cost-effective advice to clients to resolve disputes through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation. Five of the firm’s lawyers are Queen’s Counsel. With more than twenty active trial and appellate lawyers and a distinguished former appellate judge to draw on, Hunter Litigation Chambers provides clients with effective representation in a broad range of private and public disputes.

At Lawson Lundell, we believe in using our resources to serve the greater good by supporting quality programs in a meaningful way, including doing pro-bono work. This year, we are delighted to continue our partnership with Pro Bono Going Public to provide access to free legal advice as well as raise awareness and funds for the provision of pro bono legal services in BC. Our Firm’s pro bono clients include charities, community organizations and individuals who are marginalized or disadvantaged and without means to obtain legal counsel.

Citadel Law Corporation is a boutique litigation law firm located in Vancouver. We are a dedicated team of lawyers with extensive experience in the following areas: estate litigation; strata property law; residential tenancy; commercial leasing, construction defect claims; class action lawsuits; and insurance defence.

Coach My Case is a different kind of law firm. We assist people who are representing themselves in court, mediation or arbitration in family law in BC or Alberta. We provide legal coaching and paralegal navigation so that clients can represent themselves better. While we have offices in Calgary and Vancouver, our services are 100% remote which makes it accessible BC and Alberta-wide.
Through Coach My Case, clients can hire their own paralegal navigator or legal coach to assist them in the background with various services such as ghostwriting legal documents, preparing for court, providing information on legal procedures and more so they can represent themselves with confidence.

Unlike traditional law firms, at Coach My Case clients control their file, choosing when to use our services and only paying for what they need, when they need it. No expensive retainer is required to get started and clients simply pay-as-they-go.

We are a team of lawyers that represents Indigenous communities throughout Canada. Driven by a passion for justice, we offer creative legal solutions and work towards meaningful change. We have deep experience in litigation, assisting Indigenous nations to use courts strategically to protect their Aboriginal and Treaty rights and involving constitutional and public law beyond the realm of Aboriginal and Treaty rights. Additionally, our firm represents Indigenous communities and individuals in litigation arising from the day-to-day administration of their communities. A core aspect of our work in administrative law, concerns the exercise of power by boards, tribunals and other decision-makers.

Fasken is committed to improving legal access and justice for all. As an international leader in law, it is our duty to improve our legal system as well as the community’s ability to have those within it well served. Our lawyers across the Firm regularly provide pro bono legal assistance on pro bono matters each year. As a Canadian-based international law firm with more than 750 lawyers worldwide, Fasken is the largest law firm in British Columbia with over 155 lawyers. Clients rely on us for practical, strategic and innovative legal services. Visit us at fasken.com to learn more.

BC Housing was established as a Crown agency in 1967 and operates on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples to develop, manage and administer housing options for British Columbians. We work to address critical gaps across the housing continuum, which range from emergency shelters, supportive housing and rent assistance in the private market to affordable home ownership. We also license residential builders, administer owner builder authorizations and carry out research and education that benefits the residential construction industry and consumers. BC Housing’s mission is to make a positive difference in people’s lives and communities through safe, affordable and quality housing. We work with about 800 non-profit housing providers and other partners to help more than 121,000 households in communities throughout British Columbia.

McMillan is a leading Canadian law firm committed to client service and professional excellence. As a full service business law firm, McMillan serves public, private and not-for-profit clients across key industries in Canada, the United States and internationally. With globally recognized expertise and acknowledged leadership in major business sectors, we provide integrated, creative and solutions-oriented legal advice through our offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal, Calgary, Ottawa and Hong Kong. Our firm values — respect, teamwork, commitment, client service and professional excellence — are at the heart of McMillan’s commitment to serve our clients, our local communities and the legal profession.

APPEAL COURT SPONSORS

The Law Society of British Columbia protects the public by regulating the practice of law in the province and setting and enforcing standards for lawyers. To meet our commitment to the public, the Law Society investigates allegations of lawyer misconduct, resolves complaints, takes disciplinary action as necessary, provides an indemnity program to lawyers and trust protection coverage for the public. If you need more information or have concerns about a lawyer’s conduct, visit our website: www.lawsociety.bc.ca.

Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP is a leading full-service, Canadian law firm with offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario. We act for clients located across Canada, the United States and Europe. With close to 100 lawyers, we provide the full spectrum of litigation, business and personal law services. We have operated in British Columbia for nearly 50 years and recently opened our Ontario office, which has been steadily growing since 2019. As a multi-service firm, we are well-versed in managing and servicing the legal needs of clients of all sizes.

Bojm, Funt & Gibbons LLP is a litigation focused law firm practicing principally in the areas of corporate, commercial and real estate litigation. We also have active practices in contaminated sites litigation, securities litigation and class action defense. At Bojm, Funt & Gibbons LLP, we pride ourselves on offering practical advice to clients to resolve disputes through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation. We are committed to contributing to the community through advancing social justice, civil rights and environmental causes.

Carfra Lawton LLP is an established insurance defence law firm offering proactive and effective legal services. Based in Victoria we represent domestic and international insurers, institutions and government agencies throughout British Columbia on claims ranging from the small and routine to the catastrophic and highly complex. Our team includes over 25 lawyers, paralegals and articling students, who are focused on insurance defence, coverage and subrogation services. We provide our clients with the expertise and range of skills needed to quickly assess files, identify defence strategies and progress a file towards resolution in a cost effective manner.

IMA Solutions is the largest Independent Medical Examination company in Western Canada that has over 8 years of operational experience in providing extensive support and value to the medical-legal community. We work with over 400 specialists and we strive to maintain a close connection with every client by guaranteeing accessibility of our services in the niches of each province. Our focus is on the client’s experience by providing exceptional customer service and a diverse team who can handle a variety of case types, thus ensuring a high level of reliability and security in meeting your current and future IME needs.

As one of Canada’s top business law firms, Blakes is proud to lead one of Canada’s largest pro bono programs. We have a longstanding policy that treats time spent on pro bono legal services as equivalent to billable hours, and a national committee that reviews and proactively seeks out pro bono opportunities. Since 2010, Blakes has represented the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association in six interventions before the Supreme Court of Canada, involving a wide variety of issues of public importance. Blakes regularly assists individual pro bono clients regarding tenancy disputes, debt claims, society governance matters and other legal issues.

DLA Piper (Canada) LLP is part of DLA Piper, a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, positioning us to help clients with their legal needs around the world. With 5 offices and 250 lawyers across Canada, our firm has deep roots in the Canadian and International markets. We believe in the importance of conducting business in a manner that is consistent with our values, which are reflected in how we engage with our clients and within our communities. Our support and resources are concentrated on issues where we can have the greatest positive impact to benefit the individuals we work with, strengthen ties within the community, and contribute to the overall cause of access to justice.

Carfra Lawton LLP was formed 35 years ago in Victoria by Jim Carfra and Dean Lawton concentrating on civil litigation with preferred areas of practice in insurance and private law issues. Over time we have grown into a firm of 18 lawyers representing individuals, corporations, non-profit organizations, local government, and others. We strive to maintain a diverse and respectful workplace with a special focus on collegial exchanges of ideas and an apolitical firm culture.

PRO BONO GOING PUBLIC 2021 VIRTUAL EDITION