Community Legal Clinics

Community based law clinics that provide legal advice and representation to individual clients and other groups in areas of law that affect low income individuals and disadvantaged communities, self advocacy support, and referrals to legal and other services. Most are small organizations that deliver legal services to particular neighborhoods or geographically defined communities, but some are specialty clinics that focus on children and youth, older adults, people with disabilities, injured workers and other specific populations. Typical areas of practice include housing, social assistance, income maintenance, pensions, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, human rights, education and various types of government programs and benefits. Many community legal clinics also engage in system advocacy with the objective of reforming existing laws, programs and practices; and community development activities. Included may be social justice organizations and law school legal clinics.