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Is legal help within reach?
For too many British Columbians, the answer is no. Legal problems can be overwhelming, complicated, and expensive, and navigating the justice system without guidance can make an already difficult situation even harder.
Everyone deserves a meaningful opportunity to understand their rights, address their legal problems, and be heard.
Welcome to the Access Pro Bono UVic Law Summary Advice Program
Our Summary Advice Program connects low and modest income individuals with volunteer lawyers for free legal advice by telephone, video, or in person at select locations.
Appointments provide up to 30 minutes with a volunteer lawyer, with additional appointments available where needed.
Our Volunteers, In Their Words
Former Student Volunteer, UVic APB
Tiffany Y.
"An invaluable complement to a traditional law school education!"
"I loved that it gave me practical experience in law and that it was rewarding legal work. I got the chance to help people who really need it while gaining valuable legal research and writing experience. I loved the guidance that you are provided with from the club so you feel more equipped going into your first client interview."
Sep 2025
Get Legal Help
We believe that access to justice is central to the rule of law and functional democracy. Every person deserves access to the services they need to resolve their legal problems.
[1]
At our Summary Advice Program clinics, volunteer lawyers provide free legal advice to low and modest income individuals on a wide range of legal issues, including family, immigration, criminal, and civil law
(such as debt, employment, welfare and housing matters).
[2]
The Everyone Legal Clinic offers low-cost legal services to all British Columbians on a fixed-fee basis— in person or by virtual connection. Articling clinicians work under the supervision of practising lawyers, and provide affordable help for family, tenancy/strata, employment, wills/estates, civil, corporate, consumer or criminal law issues.
[3]
Our Residential Tenancy Program provides free legal assistance and representation to low and modest income tenants who are contending with tenancy law issues before the Residential Tenancy Branch.
[4]
Our Roster Program provides free legal representation services for particular case types to low and modest income individuals. Our staff and volunteer coordinators screen client applications, and then send successful applications to a number of volunteer lawyers for their consideration. If a volunteer lawyer chooses to take on a particular case, they choose the scope of their services.
HELP US CLOSE THE JUSTICE GAP.
Everything we do as an organization is premised on the kindness of volunteers.
We’re a diverse mix of hard-working professionals with a common mission to promote access to justice in BC.
We engage thousands of community-minded people to help us deliver critical legal services across BC.
If you are a UVic Law Student and interested in helping British Columbians solve their legal problems, we might have a volunteer role for you.
Student volunteers will help a client with one legal issue by interviewing the client, researching the issue, and speaking with a volunteer lawyer who will supervise the advice given. Students will then provide their summary advice to the client.
We will not hold client interviews in December or April.
The Volunteer Experience
Former Student Volunteer, UVic APB
Brandon G.
“The kind of hands-on experience every law student should have.”
“I really appreciated practical experience meeting with clients, researching their legal issues and writing a summary advice letter. I also enjoyed working with the supervising lawyer who was very committed to helping me learn and draft feedback I was happy with.”
Sep 2025
