Pro Bono Assignments

Pro Bono Assignments

It was truly an eye-opening experience to spend two months in the firm's Litigation Group. In my first two weeks I saw the inside of the Federal Court, the Superior Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Experience, expertise and creativity were hallmarks of the advocacy I witnessed. The lawyers did not hesitate to involve me in files through preparation, strategy and even client contact

One of the most interesting parts of my Litigation rotation came as a result of the G20 meetings held in downtown Toronto in June 2010. The crowds of protesters resulted in what has been called the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. As part of our pro bono program, McCarthy Tétrault formed part of the Movement Defence Committee Legal Defence Team, assisting unrepresented people at their bail hearings. I went with a lawyer to the Ontario Court of Justice armed with nothing more than a list of names. The courthouse was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people, and we ended up helping Duty Counsel perform intakes as bus after bus of protesters arrived from the detention centre. The hours of court were extended to 9:00 p.m. to accommodate the number of hearings. We watched as 9:00 p.m. came and went, staying until just after midnight when we were finally able to locate, and have released, two minors whose mother had been anxiously waiting since 9:00 a.m. The tears in her eyes easily made the long hours worthwhile.

The scope of litigation at McCarthy Tétrault translates into broad exposure for summer students; exposure that simply cannot be found in the classroom. Whether it was CMPA work, class actions, complex commercial litigation, or pro bono criminal work, there were two things that always remained the same: the level of excellence demanded by McCarthy Tétrault's lawyers and the dedication they showed in developing young talent.

Timothy D. Chapman-Smith, Summer Student 2010 and Articling Student 2011/2012, Toronto

During my articling year I was involved with the Salvation Army Pro Bono Program: I met with clients for summary advice and took responsibility for managing criminal, civil and family files and I appeared in provincial criminal court a number of times for clients on issues ranging from the variation of a probation order to entering a client into a peace bond. The program offers a colourful group of clients, which makes for a rewarding and interesting variation from our civil litigation practice while also offering great court and client management experience.

In September, prior to starting back with the firm as an associate, I will leave for a six-month internship at the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights (KNCHR) through the Canadian Bar Association's Young Lawyers' International Program 2010-2011. The KNCHR is an independent government body with the power to investigate and adjudicate domestic human rights complaints. It was responsible for investigating the violence following the 2008 presidential elections.

Paige Morrow, Articling Student 2009-2010, Vancouver

We represented, pro bono, the coalition consisting of Lawyers without Borders Canada, the Barreau du Québec and the Groupe d'étude en droits et libertés de la Faculté de droit de l'Université Laval before the Supreme Court in Canada v. Khadr .

During our articles, we were given the opportunity to play a very active role in the preparation of this intervention. We conducted research on various international law issues and contributed directly to the drafting of the brief. Furthermore, we had the opportunity to attend the hearing before the Supreme Court of Canada. This was an extremely rewarding experience for us and gave us the chance to significantly contribute to a major case and work with talented lawyers.

Anja Djogo and Laure Goubau, Associates Montréal (Articling Students 2009, Montréal)