Parkdale Community Legal Services
Annual General Meeting
September 24, 2008
Annual Report
Introduction to PCLS
Board of Directors
Management Team
Student Program
Staff
Law Groups
Statistics – Casework & Outreach
PCLS - Mission Statement
PCLS helps people to avoid,
prepare for and overcome poverty
law problems through a
combination of:
community development and action;
the provision of competent and
professional legal advice and
representation; and,
community legal education.
PCLS works with our client
community, in all its diversity, to
build and mobilize an ever
increasing community movement
for social change, to create the
social and economic conditions to
eradicate poverty and oppression,
to restore and revitalize the quality
of life and enhance self-reliance in
the Parkdale and Swansea
communities.
Intensive Program in Poverty Law
We have twenty law students per academic
term from Osgoode Hall Law School of York
University. They take part in the law school's
‘Intensive Program in Poverty Law.’
This program attempts to develop in the
students a critical analysis of lawyering, of
poverty, and the limited utility of ‘traditional
lawyering’ techniques versus ‘non-traditional
(`poverty law') lawyering’ (law reform work,
community development).
The actual service delivery — legal advice,
assistance and representation — is provided
by the law students and articling students
under the supervision of the staff lawyers.
Law students and articling students also take
part in community development and law
reform projects.
Map of Our Service Area
Bloor St. West
en
Dufferin Mall
- Bloor Street
[south side] to the
north
W
Parkdale
Little
Portugal
Ossington Avenue
e
Qu
a
sw
as S
treet
Dufferin Street
Roncesvalles Avenue
Swansea
r
College Street W.
Dund
Lansdowne Ave
ay
Rive
ber
Dufferin
Grove
- Humber River to
the west;
Roncesvalles
sw
King
Village
Parkside Drive
South
High Park
Hum
PCLS
Service
Area
Bloor Street West
Bloor West
Village
y
St. Joseph’s
Hospital
Ga
rd
Boule
v
ard
ine
rE
xp
re s
sw
For Exceptions:
see PCLS’
Case Selection Policy
ay
Queen Street West
Dufferin St.
shore
- Lake Ontario to
the south
PCLS
Jameson Ave.
L a ke
- Ossington/
Strachan Avenue
[west side] to the
east
South
CAMH
Lamport
Stadium
Springurst
GO station
Lake
Ontario
N
Liberty
Liberty Street
Liberty Street
Gardiner Expressway
Village
Ricoh
Coliseum
Exhibition Place
Liberty
Place
BMO
Field
CNE
Lakeshore Boulevard
Ontario Place
Strachan Avenue
King Street West
Parkdale
PCLS Org Chart
Parkdale Swansea
Communities
Osgoode Hall
Law School
Legal Aid Ontario
PCLS
Membership
PCLS
Board Of Directors
Management Team
Clinic Director, Academic Director,
Director of Administration
Landlord & Tenant Group
Lawyer, 2 CLWs, GA,
5 law students
SAVAH Group
Lawyer, 2 CLWs, GA,
5 law students
Immigration Group
Lawyer, CLW, GA,
5 law students
Workers’ Rights Group
Lawyer, CLW, GA,
5 law students
Articling Students
Receptionists, Admin Assistant,
Assistant to AD & Cleaner
PCLS Annual Budget - $1.8M
A - PERSONNEL
C - ACCOMMODATION & EQUIPMENT
Salaries, Permanent Staff
Contract Staff
Salary Recovery
Salary Subtotal
Benefits
Pay Equity Benefits
Benefits Recovery
Staff Recruitment
Bookkeeping
Legal Fees
Lawyer’s Professional Dues
SUB-TOTAL:
$1,223,952.00
$00
$0.00
$1,123,952.00
$212,716.00
$84,938.00
$0.00
$0.00
$11,557.00
$6,800.00
$6,596.00
$1,552,930.00
B - TRANSPORTATION & COMMUNICATIONS
AGM
Board Expenses
Staff Travel- Local
Staff Travel - Meals
Staff Travel - Out of District
Telephone - Service & Equipment
Telephone - Long Distance
Telephone Recovery
Mail- Canada Post
Mail – Courier
Mail – Recovery
Publicity
SUB-TOTAL:
$1,050.00
$1000.00
$3,375.00
$70.00
$ 0.00
$7,700.00
$1,750.00
$0.00
$5,200.00
$1,810.00
$0.00
$1,240.00
$24,845.00
Rent
Utilities - Gas
Tax Overruns
Cleaning
Parking, Security
General Office Repair
Photocopier – Base & Overruns
Outside Photocopying
Photocopy Recovery
Equipment Rental
Maintenance Contracts
Repair of Equipment
SUB-TOTAL:
$119,229.00
$21,000.00
$1,000.00
$32,170.00
$1,250.00
$13,000.00
$7,800.00
$1,200.00
$0.00
$3,250.00
$6,100.00
$225.00
$206,224.00
D – STATIONERY & CAPITAL SUPPLIES, PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT & MISCELLANEOUS
Stationery\Office Supplies
Stationery Recovery
Library Purchases
Conference Fees – Lawyers
Conference Fees – CLWs
Conference Fees - Support Staff
Conference Fees – Management
Conference Fees – Recoveries
Bank Charges
Miscellaneous Expenses
Capital Purchases
Capital Purchases Recovery
SUB-TOTAL:
$19,300.00
-$0.00
$11,512.00
$1,012.00
$1,012.00
$1,015.00
$1,012.00
$0.00
$400.00
$2000.00
$8525.00
$0.00
$46,088.00
Areas of Law
The legal services we
provide are in a wide
variety of subject areas,
including:
tenants' rights;
social assistance;
workers' rights;
immigration & sponsorship;
refugee claims;
mental health law, and,
domestic violence.
Mini-Clinics
We have 'mini–clinics' [on–site
'cultural interpreters'] different
afternoons, to decrease barriers to
those in our diverse client
community who would otherwise
have difficulty accessing our
services. The six languages are:
Spanish
Portuguese
Vietnamese
Polish
Tamil
Tibetan
Board of Directors
Reflecting the dual mandate of the
clinic, Board members include:
Parkdale/Swansea community
residents;
present and/or past clients of the clinic;
faculty members of Osgoode Hall Law
School;
lawyers appointed by Osgoode's Dean
(former students of the Parkdale
program);
a student participating in the Parkdale
program elected by their fellow
students; and,
the Academic Director of the clinic.
Board of Directors [cont’d]
In the past year the Board has:
Held a training session on
understanding financial statements
Worked on making board meetings
more productive
Dealt with a conflict-of-interest
situation
Responding to consultations from our
funders Legal Aid Ontario, and the
umbrella organization Association of
Community Legal Clinics of Ontario
Participated in an Osgoode Hall Law
School faculty recruitment
Dealing with a shortfall in our legal
disbursements
Working on changes to our annual
planning process
Getting comfortable with using a
SharePoint website for collaborating
Board Website
PCLS Management Team
Clinic Director
The Clinic Director has overall responsibility
for the delivery of legal services and outreach
services subject to the over-riding authority
of the Board.
Academic Director
The Academic Director has primary
responsibility for student education,
conducting the Academic Seminar and law
reform and research carried out by the
students, monitoring and adjustment of
student workloads, and management of
student supervision.
Director of Administration
The Director of Administration is responsible
for the monitoring and management of
money, supplies, the physical plant, our
physical assets, and support personnel.
PCLS Management Team [cont’d]
Management Team has been
working on the following
initiatives in the past year:
Hirings for six leaves of absence
Managing shortfall in LD funding
Received visitors from the
Edmonton legal clinic
Working with ‘A-Team’ on file
storage room
Negotiating medical/dental
insurance contract
Consulted with staff on a capital
purchase program regarding an
operating surplus
Organized retreat on healthy
workplace initiatives
PCLS – Student Program
The formal educational
component of the student
program include:
an introductory week of clinic based skills
instruction (Skills Training Week) during the
last week of August
an orientation week at the beginning of each
semester
a weekly seminar offered during the school
year at the law school by the Academic
Director
Group meetings conducted at the clinic by
staff lawyers or CLWs two mornings a week,
and,
The writing of a 30-page law reform research
paper, which is intended to be a contribution
to the Clinic's ongoing law reform work. .
PCLS – Student Program [cont’d]
The following initiatives were
worked on in the past year by
Professor Shelley Gavigan and
others:
Revision of Skills Training Week
Organized a Clinic Instructors’
Roundtable with another teaching
clinic
Professional Development Fund
created for clinical instructor staff
Developed a ‘PCLS Social Justice
Quiz’ with fall term students
Had a reference librarian review
the law library in the clinic
PCLS Staff – Service Delivery
Staff Lawyers
Law Students (unpaid)
Articling Students
Community Legal
Workers (CLWs)
PCLS Staff – Admin Support
Group Administrators
Admin Assistant
Receptionists
Office Cleaner
Staff - Achievements
Staff worked on healthy workplace
initiatives arising from a retreat
Developed a new interactive
website
Two staff lawyers awarded
sabbaticals to do work on clinical
instructor teaching modules
Workers’ Rights CLW obtained
grant to conduct research on
precarious employment
Worked on improvements to
information at reception area
Received funding for a Tibetan
language mini-clinic from the Law
Foundation
PCLS Website
Law Groups – L & T
The casework of this group
includes negotiations with
landlords and their agents, and
representation of tenants before
the Landlord and Tenant Board
in housing matters (evictions,
disrepair, etc.), as well as
human rights in housing issues.
The community work of this
Group is directed at tenant
organizing, self-help (including
roomers) and working with the
homeless.
L & T Initiatives
Casework to preserve affordable
housing – e.g. – Spencer
Input into LTB forms & procedures
Worked on a repair ‘self-help kit’
with OCAP
Supporting the City in an OMB
challenge to a by-law preserving
the former ‘Pope Squat’
Working with the Parkdale Tenants
Ass’n (PTA):
• Golden Cockroach Award to
worst landlord in Parkdale
• Lord of the Slums/Slums
Unlimited Campaign
• Landlord licensing Campaign
Organizing TCHC tenants
Organizing METCAP tenants
Golden Cockroach Award
Law Groups – SAVAH
The work of the ‘SAVAH’
Group (SAVAH - Social
Assistance, Violence & Health)
primarily focuses on problems
of income maintenance (i.e.
social assistance, workfare,
disability benefits).
The Group also concerns itself
with assisting victims of
violence and the criminal
justice system, and the mental
health system.
Law Groups – SAVAH [cont’d]
Major campaigns this group is
involved with include:
ODSP Action Coalition – Train
the Trainer & Access to ODSP
Working Group
No One Is Illegal
Ontario Needs A Raise
Hands Off
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Ticketbusters
Mad Pride
PAVE – Parkdale AntiViolence Education Working
Group
Law Groups – Immigration
This group works on
issues relating to refugee
claimants and immigrants,
including:
refugee determination;
family reunification;
rights of children; and,
applications for landing
based on humanitarian and
compassionate grounds.
Law Groups – Immigration [cont’d]
JR’s – e.g. medical
inadmissability due to
HIV/AIDs
Two Strikes, You’re Out
War Resisters Campaign
Drop The Fee Advocates
Children’s Right to
Education & Health
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
No One Is Illegal
War Resisters
Campaign
Drop The Fee
Advocates
No One Is Illegal
Campaign
Law Groups – Workers’ Rights
This Group addresses the concerns
of non-unionized workers and
covers the areas of:
employment standards
employment insurance
employment related human rights, and
workers' compensation.
The community work includes
involvement with contingent
workers' organizations as well as
other community groups concerned
with workers, outreach to workers,
public education and raising
awareness of issues and problems
of non-unionized workers.
Law Groups – Workers’ Rights
Involved in a number of group
cases involving unpaid wages, etc.
Considerable media attention –
e.g.- Toronto Star’s “War On
Poverty”
Work with the Workers’ Action
Centre, a member run workers
centre, on:
• Bad Boss Campaign
• Employment Standards expansion & enforcement
Work with the Employment
Standards Work Group to improve
the Employment Standards Act, and
policies and practices of the
Ministry of Labour.
Casework Statistics
PCLS STATISTICS 2007
LANDLORD &
TENANT
SAVAH
IMMIGRATION
&
REFUGEE
WORKERS'
RIGHTS
AFFIDAVITS
& MISC.
TOTAL
Files
Opened
191
66
63
126
2
448
Files
Closed
195
62
53
66
0
376
Brief
Services*
110
503
207
216
540
1576
Summary
Advice
635
84
440
186
188
1533
* - Brief Services – legal files with no more than two hours work.
Summary of Legal Work - 7 years
Casefiles, Brief Services & Summary Advice by Group
1600
2001
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
L&T
SAVAH
IMMIGRATION
WORKERS
Summary of Casework Activities
Over 10,000 assisted or
referred for assistance
448 new files opened
404 files carried over
1576 brief services
1526 summary advice
376 files closed
3954 assisted (6678
counting family members)
3787 referrals made
Outreach Files
Community
Development
Clinic
Membership
Public
Legal
Education
Law
Reform
Media
Contact
Training
Sessions
Files Open Start
of Year
60
94
77
67
117
81
Files Opened
During Year
23
20
20
15
28
10
#
Staff/Audience
n/a
114
2446
34
# Meetings/Copie
n/a
92
13634
9
Oral
Presentations
77
38
Written Briefs/
Publications
17
10
Outreach Files Open & Opened
Outreach Files By Year
200
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
150
100
50
0
Com m unity
Developm ent
Clinic Mem bership
Public Legal
Education
Law Reform
Media Contact
Training Sessions
Outreach Files by Group
Parkdale Community Legal Services
Community Development Files 2008
Parkdale Community Legal Services
Clinic Membership Files 2008
17
18
IM
28
22
IM
L&T
L&T
WR
WR
SAVAH
SAVAH
6
4
9
8
Parkdale Community Legal Services Law Reform Files
2008
Parkdale Community Legal Services Public Legal
Education Files 2008
18
13
13
IM
IM
L&T
L&T
WR
SAVAH
8
8
WR
33
SAVAH
7
3
Summary of Outreach Activities
Staff attended 92 meetings
38 oral law reform
presentations were made
10 written briefs were
submitted
77 PLE presentations
2446 participants
17 PLE publications
13,634 copies distributed
28 media contacts
34 staff attended 9 training
sessions
The End
This is only a partial snapshot of some of
the great work done by all our board
members, staff, students and volunteers
Thanks to all of them for all the great work!
Any Questions?