Firm shows support for the Law Help Centres, set to close due to lack of funding.
Toronto (November 19, 2018) — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) is donating over $58,000 to Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) in order to keep its Law Help Centres open, following the announcement that the program will be discontinued next month due to lack of funding.
After hearing of the funding shortage, BLG initiated a fundraising drive and matched donations from individual lawyers, and also made a contribution through the BLG Foundation.
“This donation reinforces our commitment to pro bono work,” said David W. Scott, Q.C., senior counsel at BLG and board member at PBO. “We believe that the legal profession has a professional responsibility to help those in our communities who would otherwise be unable to obtain access to justice or legal services.”
BLG has been actively involved in the Law Help Centres, a court-based program in Toronto and Ottawa that helps people of low income navigate the court process and have meaningful access to the courts. Many of our professionals volunteer at the centres, which assist approximately 18,000 individuals each year.
“BLG has been a standout firm from day one,” says Lynn Burns, PBO’s Executive Director. “The firm’s leaders immediately grasped the reality that court-based help centres are a win for all stakeholders: the clients, the volunteers, and the justice system as a whole. BLG also has the distinction of having two senior lawyers, first David W. Scott and now Guy Pratte, serve as Chair of the PBO Board. This message from the top created a firm wide pro bono ethos that led to an astounding level of participation at all three of PBO’s court-based help centres. It is moving but not surprising to see that BLG and their lawyers have responded so strongly and publically by the prospect of these centres closing. We could not be more grateful for BLG’s support.”
In addition to our involvement in the Law Help Centres, BLG has a rich history in volunteering with Pro Bono Ontario. David W. Scott, Q.C. served on PBO’s board since the organization was launched in 2002, and Guy Pratte is the current Chair of the PBO. Mr. Scott was also instrumental in the creation of the Law Help Centres and shepherded the organization as Chair in 2002 while it created these centres, designed to increase access to the courts.