Volunteering to become a better lawyer
Pro bono work is about helping people in vulnerable situations. It also brings valuable insight to your practice.
Lawyers don't often get invited to their clients' weddings. Unless their work is directly responsible for the wedding happening in the first place.
Jackie Bonisteel (pictuured above) has been practicing immigration law since being called to the bar in 2012. The Ottawa lawyer enjoys a varied practice, helping corporate or individual clients from a wide range of countries and with circumstances as varied as there are drops in the ocean.
When Russia invaded Ukraine a little over a year ago, Bonisteel wanted to do something to help.
She signed up with the CBA's pro bono initiative to help vulnerable Ukrainians relocate to Canada, organized by the Immigration Law Section. The initiative was adapted from previous ones offered by the CBA since 2005 — most recently to help vulnerable Afghans escape that country after the return of the Taliban in late summer 2021.
The purpose is to offer free consultations to people applying to Canadian programs, for example the emergency visa for Ukrainians, says Bonisteel. "Our intention was to provide basic summary advice, point them in the right direction, and have them take it from there."
At times, however, volunteer lawyers have had to get creative.
On one occasion, Bonisteel helped a group of journalists sponsor an Afghan journalist. He made it to Canada, but his fiancée, who was in Afghanistan when the Taliban took over, remained stuck in that country. If she'd been his wife, she would have been eligible to join him in Canada.
"The group contacted me to see if there was any way we could ask for special permission for him to bring his fiancée," Bonisteel explains. It took time, but she was able to help them with that request. The sponsor group organized a wedding for the pair in Toronto and invited Bonisteel to attend. "And you know," she says, "it's one of those things that makes it worthwhile."
Daniel Lee, a corporate immigration lawyer with Fasken in Vancouver, has been practising law for nine years and active within the CBA since 2014. "Being part of the CBA is very important," he says, "because it allows us to help people strengthen our profession."
Signing up for the pro bono initiative when Russia invaded Ukraine was an easy decision for him. He keeps the thank-you cards he received from the people he has helped. "It reminds me that I'm able to help someone. And that makes a difference," he explains.
Given his background in human resources, Lee wanted to help people find their way around the federal program for Ukrainians. He also wanted to make sure they had the information and resources they needed to pursue permanent residency status in Canada, to set them up for long-term success.
At the moment, the federal government does not provide those fleeing Ukraine with any special pathway to permanent residency, Lee says. Working on the pro bono initiative helps lawyers understand where the gaps are in programs and advocate for change that would ensure the goals of the programs are met in the most efficient way possible.
Both Lee and Bonisteel say the benefits of working on a pro bono project more than make up for the time commitment, which remains up to the lawyer to decide what they can contribute. "You don't have to be fully available," Lee says. "Commit to the time that you have available based on your current situation. If you only have one hour available per week or one hour per month, set aside that time to help someone because the services you provide will help bring one additional person to Canada and that will save one person's life."
Bonisteel adds that the work itself is relatively easy. "The forms are fairly straightforward." Some cases don't fit neatly into boxes and need a little more strategizing. "It's good for me as a lawyer because it gives me the opportunity to actually put the time in to understand the nuances of these programs." She finds herself using that understanding with her other clients. "Legally, I end up learning a lot."
____________________
CBA Pro Bono Initiatives at a lance
CBA Pro Bono – Crisis in Afghanistan
- Started September 2021
- Between 15 and 20 lawyers participated
- Over 300 individuals applied for support
- Provides services in Farsi, Dari, and Pashto
CBA Pro Bono – Crisis in Ukraine
- Started March 2022
- Between 40-45 lawyers participated
- Nearly 700 individuals applied for support
- Provides services in Ukrainian and Russian
- Additional External Helpful Resources are available
Anyone interested in working as a volunteer lawyer should contact the CBA Immigration Law Section.
