THE South Asian Legal Clinic of British Columbia (SALCBC) was established by a group of South Asian women in BC who had seen firsthand the gaps in access to justice for South Asian people in the province. With the growing South Asian population in BC, there was a growing call for legal support and representation.
Hence, SALCBC works towards meeting the needs of the South Asian community by offering low-barrier, multilingual and culturally sensitive legal information, education, advice and advocacy. The clinic focuses on several topics, including family law, child protection, elder abuse, tenancy rights, international student support with tuition fees, and many more.
After its foundation, the clinic was officially registered as a non-profit society in May 2019, and shortly after, began offering pro bono legal services in September 2019. Now, it has grown to a fully staffed office – including staff lawyers, legal advocates, a paralegal, and law students, with hopes of further expanding in the future.
SALCBC strives to make the clients feel supported and listened to. Some key points of the approach are collaboration, integrity, equity, service to others, and anti-oppression.
For areas of law outside the practice, SALCBC refers clients to roster lawyers who can volunteer their time with clients. Therefore, coming to SALCBC is always a great first step in receiving the support and guidance one may need.
By empowering the community through the clinic’s workshops and community events, SALCBC prides themselves in the valuable information and mutual support they provide. It is important that clients understand their legal rights and responsibilities within BC and can differentiate between what is accurate and what is not. The clinic partners with various community organizers and legal professionals, and volunteers to maximize its impact.
To receive free summary legal advice, schedule an appointment by completing the online intake form available on their website: https://www.salcbc.org/ or contacting them via email: info@salcbc.org or phone: 236-477-5518. Also, contact SALCBC if you are looking to collaborate on a workshop or event.
