2022-23 PBSC UNB Projects

Stewart McKelvey: Stewart McKelvey Wills Project

Through the Wills Project, Stewart McKelvey seeks to assist individuals living on low income (i.e., an income of $35 000/year or less) who wish to have a will or Power of Attorney written for them.

The student will conduct initial and final client interviews with their client, as well as draft the client’s will and Power of Attorney, to be presented by the student to the client for their review and execution.

The student is expected to explain the document(s) in layman’s terms and ensure that it reflects the client’s testamentary wishes.

Community Served: Low-income seniors.

Area of Law Concerned: Wills and Estates, Family.

Project Type: Client Intake and Assistance.

Requirements: Wills and Estates (Upper Year Course). Project reserved for upper years only.

Nature Trust of New Brunswick: Licence Versus Lease Arrangement Research

Nature Trust of New Brunswick (“NTNB”) focuses on conserving and stewarding private land and engaging NB about the importance of protecting NB’s natural heritage and biodiversity. NTNB acquires conservation lands and ensures that these spaces are preserved.

The student will provide legal research for NTNB on a set of legal research questions. NTNB wants to know the legal steps/procedure of how to deal with infractions, violations, or challenges regarding the terms and conditions of a licence agreement. NTNB also wants to understand what separates a licence agreement from a lease agreement.

Community Served: General public.

Area of Law Concerned: Property, Residential Tenancy, Environment.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing.

Requirements: Property Law (Upper Year Course). Project reserved for upper years only.

Public Legal Education and Information Services of New Brunswick: Public Legal Education Research and Family Law Workshop

Public Legal Education and Information Services of New Brunswick’s (“PLEIS-NB”) mandate is to develop public-facing legal education materials to promote access to the justice system.

The student will identify significant statutory developments on provincial and federal levels, as well as significant decisions released from NB provincial courts and the SCC.

The student will summarize these developments in a format accessible to the public. These summaries will be posted on PLEIS-NB’s website.

The student will also assist in facilitating PLEIS-NB’s online family law workshops.

Community served: General public.

Area of Law Concerned: Civil, Family, Criminal.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing; Public Legal Education.

Requirements: None.

Cooper Institute: Migrant Worker Rights (PEI)

Cooper Institute collaborates with PEI groups that are organized for social and economic change. Cooper Institute conducts community development programs in PEI communities, such as the Migrant Workers Program.

In the fall term, the student will update sections of Cooper Institute’s Migrant Workers Guide so that it is up to date with today’s law.

In the winter term, the student will focus on and create plain language summaries of the new Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act.

Community Served: Immigrants and newcomers.

Area of Law Concerned: Immigration, Employment.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing; Public Legal Education.

Requirements: None.

Prince Edward Island Fisherman’s Association: Fisheries Act Research Project

The primary function of the Prince Edward Island Fisherman’s Association (“PEIFA”) is to represent their membership regarding issues that impact fishers that participate in PEI’s inshore fishery. This includes providing membership services and advocacy with provincial and federal departments in a number of areas.

The student will research a series of legal questions regarding the Fisheries Act and the federal government’s duty to consult, with specific regard to negotiations relating to the fisheries industry.

Community Served: PEIFA members.

Area of Law Concerned: Environment, Fisheries, Indigenous.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing.

Requirements: None.

New Brunswick Coalition for Persons with Disabilities: Compliance with New Building Code

New Brunswick Coalition for Persons with Disabilities (“NBCPD”) seeks to promote basic human rights so that New Brunswicker’s living with disabilities can be continuously treated with dignity and respect, and fully participate in society on an equal basis with all citizens.

The student will provide legal research for NBCPD on various legal research questions concerning the new Building and Accessibility Code.

This research should reveal how the Code is/may be enforced in NB, as well as the legal consequences of failing to administer and abide by the new Code.

Note: This project is a deep dive into municipal and construction law, areas of law that most students lack experience/knowledge. Note that the lawyer supervisor will be on hand to provide thorough guidance.

Community Served: People living with disabilities and chronic illness.

Area of Law Concerned: Municipal, Administrative, Construction.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing.

Requirements: Administrative Law (Upper Year Course). Project reserved for upper years only. Construction Law is an asset.

New Brunswick Legal Aid: Family and Criminal Law Shadowing Positions

New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission (“NBLA”) is a publicly funded institution that provides legal assistance to low-income individuals for family and criminal matters.

Under the criminal law position, the student will assist Legal Aid lawyers with file preparation, review Crown disclosure, conduct general research as required, write legal briefs of Charter issues, and, lastly, participate in witness preparation and attend court proceedings.

Under the family law position, the student will assist Legal Aid lawyers with file preparation, review client questionnaires, prepare trial records and affidavits, conduct general research as required, write legal briefs of related law, and lastly, participate in witness preparation and attend court proceedings.

Note: The student will be asked to show up to a regular half day shift each week. The students will rotate positions.

Community served: People living in poverty.

Area of Law Concerned: Criminal, Family, Wills and Estates.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing; Client Intake and Assistance.

Requirements: Criminal Law (Upper Year Course). Project reserved for upper years only. Wills and Estates is an asset.

New Brunswick Coalition for Tenant’s Rights: Research and Client Intake

New Brunswick Coalition for Tenants’ Rights (“NBCTR”) seeks to promote and strengthen tenants’ rights and the right to housing in NB.

The student will conduct legal research for the lawyer supervisor, who will reference this research in their drafting of letters to the NB government. NBCTR and the NB government are frequently in contact about matters concerning the NB Residential Tenancies Act.

The student will produce or update “know-your-rights” resources for NB tenants.

The student will also conduct client intake via the phone. From the phone-call, the student will determine the client’s legal issues and prepare a brief legal memorandum for the lawyer supervisor’s review.

Community Served: Homeless and marginally housed.

Area of Law Concerned: Residential Tenancy; Human Rights.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing; Client Intake and Assistance.

Requirements: None. Experience with Residential Tenancy law is an asset.

Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre: Migrant Justice Work

The Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre (“the Centre”) provides support and services to migrant workers in NB and advocates for migrant justice in the province. The Centre was incorporated on May 30, 2022, so it is a relatively new organization.

The student will conduct legal research of relevant provincial and federal legislation and policy as well as caselaw. This legal research will be synthesized into plain-language legal resources, with the deliverable being flyers, pamphlets, and/or legal information to be posted on the Centre’s website.

If time permits, the Centre will promote and host a Zoom workshop for the student to present their plain-language resource materials.

Community Served: Immigrants and newcomers.

Area of Law Concerned: Employment, Immigration.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing; Public Legal Education.

Requirements: None. Employment Law and Immigration Law are an asset.

Canadian Civil Liberties Association: CCLA Research Project

Canadian Civil Liberties Association (“CCLA”) fights for the civil liberties, human rights, and democratic freedoms of all people across Canada.

Students will conduct legal research and prepare memoranda on various topics given by CCLA’s Program Directors. This may include case briefs, reviews of draft or proposed legislation, policy reviews and research memoranda on fundamental freedoms, police powers, national security, privacy, criminal law reform, and equality.

Students may periodically be asked to conduct social science research as well, used to inform CCLA’s advocacy and education work.

Community Served: General public.

Area of Law Concerned: Constitutional, Public, Administrative, Human Rights, Criminal.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing.

Requirements: Constitutional Law (Upper Year Course). Project reserved for upper years only.

Elizabeth Fry Society of New Brunswick: New Brunswick Women’s Correctional Centre: Family Law Workshop

Elizabeth Fry Society of New Brunswick (EFSNB) is a non-profit, charitable organization supporting women and gender-diverse people and their families affected by socio-economic factors that may contribute to being involved with the criminal justice system.

This project aims to educate incarcerated women at New Brunswick Women’s Correctional Centre (“NBWCC”) on family law related issues.

The student will research and create workshop materials on a family law related issue (e..g, child custody and access). The student will then facilitate a Zoom workshop based on their researched materials for the women incarcerated at NBWCC.

Community served: Incarcerated women.

Area of Law Concerned: Family.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing; Public Legal Education.

Requirements: Family Law (Upper Year Course). Project reserved for upper years only.

Elizabeth Fry Society of New Brunswick: Incarcerated Women and a Trauma-Informed Approach

Elizabeth Fry Society of New Brunswick (EFSNB) is a non-profit, charitable organization supporting women and gender-diverse people and their families affected by socio-economic factors that may contribute to being involved with the criminal justice system.

Through a series of interviews with women who navigated both family and criminal law systems at the same time, the student will pinpoint systemic gaps in civil and criminal procedure that create challenges and trauma for women who must navigate both systems concurrently.

Based on the interviews, the student will explain these gaps in a report. The student will then create survey questions derived from that report.

The questions will be aimed at court professionals (e.g., Crown prosecutors). The questions will seek to identify gaps in understanding between court professionals and the lived experience of women who navigate family and criminal law courts concurrently.

Community Served: Incarcerated women.

Area of Law Concerned: Family, Criminal.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing; Client Intake and Assistance.

Requirements: Family Law and Civil Procedure (Upper Year Courses). Project reserved for upper years only.

Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada: Research of Belief-based Denial Care

The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (“ARCC”) is a broad-based national feminist organization. ARCC’s mission is to ensure reproductive freedom by protecting and advancing rights and access to abortion and to quality reproductive health care.

The student volunteer will research legislation, caselaw, organizational policies, and lawsuits centred on belief-based care denials in healthcare.

A belief-based care denial (otherwise called conscientious objection) is the refusal by a health care professional to provide a legal, patient-requested medical service that falls within the scope and qualifications of their field, based on their personal or religious beliefs.

The purpose of this research is to understand how belief-based care denials can limit access to reproductive healthcare, medical assistance in dying, and gender-affirming care across Canada.

Community Served: Women, trans, and gender-diverse individuals.

Area of Law Concerned: Administrative, Human Rights, Health.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing.

Requirements: None. Administrative Law is an asset.

East Coast Environmental Law: New Brunswick Environmental Law Guide

East Coast Environmental Law (ECEL) advocates for progressive environmental laws and policies in Atlantic Canada, provides public legal education about environmental laws and legal processes, and shares their legal skills to support individuals, communities, and organizations that are working to prevent or redress environmental harms.

The student will assist in the creation of a comprehensive guide of NB’s environmental law. The purpose of this guide is to help the general public understand and use the law for environmental protection and stewardship.

The student will conduct legal research and analysis on selected areas of environmental law, including in areas related to criminal, civil, constitutional, and administrative law.

Community Served: General public.

Area of Law Concerned: Environmental, Constitutional, Civil, Administrative.

Project Type: Legal Research and Writing.

Requirements: None. Environmental Law and Administrative Law are assets.

Youth Imprint Association: Imprint Trans ID Clinic

Imprint Youth Association’s mission is to provide LGBTQ+ Fredericton youth and young adults with a safe, welcome, and celebratory environment.

The Imprint Trans ID Clinic provides free virtual legal information, form-filling services, and referrals to all Atlantic-based clients in a trans-positive, non-judgemental, anti-oppressive, and inclusive space. Two Clinics will be offered per term.

The student will help clients update their sex designation marker and/or legal name on provincial and federal documents. The student will assist the client with complicating factors should they arise, for example: minor status, being outside the province of birth, and publication of name changes.

CBC featured the Clinic last year.

Community served: Trans and gender-diverse individuals.

Area of Law Concerned: Human Rights.

Project Type: Client Intake and Assistance.

Requirements: None. Experience with the LGBTQ+ community is an asset.