Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan announced this week they are establishing a free legal clinic in Estevan that will be available to the public through booked appointments on the first and third Tuesdays of every month from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., beginning January 17.
The clinics will be conducted at the Salvation Army's Family Centre at 1107 Fourth Street, said Nicole Sarauer, programs manager and staff lawyer for Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan from their Regina headquarters.
"We have three volunteer lawyers in Estevan who have indicated their willingness to provide the service," she said.
"We found there was a big need for legal services of this type in Estevan. We were receiving a high number of calls from Estevan so it will now be part of the model," Sarauer said.
The service should be welcomed by all since it will be complementary to current legal aid services and the regular legal avenues provided by local law firms, she said.
"We have to emphasize though, this is not a walk-in clinic. Appointments have to be made by calling our toll-free number 1-855-833-7257 (PBLS). But the lawyers will provide assistance in all areas of the law during one-hour scheduled appointments."
Each of the three lawyers that are available will take turns, so that the time allocations and file work won't be too onerous.
Besides providing the office space, the Salvation Army will act as host (reception) for the clinic and give them basic administrative service.
"That means a commitment from each of them (lawyers) once every seven or eight weeks. The clinic does not give a client full representation; it's more like an assistance for those who have been denied legal aid, but are of limited means financially. Clients can rebook for future clinic visits if they feel they need more help or information to move forward with a legal issue," Sarauer said.
The local legal trio will be giving their time and talents to the clinic at no charge.
Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan is a registered charity that improves access to justice in the province by creating, facilitating and promoting opportunities for lawyers to provide high quality pro bono legal services to persons of limited means. The volunteer lawyers provide legal expertise to individuals who are ineligible for legal aid, but are of limited means and face difficulty affording traditional legal services. There are now 173 lawyers in Saskatchewan active with Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan programs.
"This is a proud tradition of the legal profession and many Saskatchewan lawyers and law students give their time to help those in need of accessing justice," Sarauer said.
In 2010, there were 926 appointments granted to individuals through these free legal clinic locations.
"They are meant to serve low and modest income individuals who cannot afford a lawyer or for whom retaining a lawyer would be a significant financial burden. A standardized means test is used for income testing," said Sarauer, who noted that the group got underway in an organized fashion in 2008 and now provides clinics not only in Regina and Estevan but also in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Swift Current.
