Becoming a Client

Interested in having the ELC Clinic tackle your public interest environmental law issue? You’ve come to the right place! This is where you can find out about how we select cases and what you need to do in order for us to consider your case.

Our Services

The Environmental Law Centre (ELC) is a non-profit society that operates the ELC Clinic at the University of Victoria, Faculty of Law. Our services are provided by students who are enrolled in the ELC Clinic program. Operating under the supervision of a senior lawyer, ELC Clinic students:

  • provide legal representation and legal assistance to community/conservation groups and First Nations;
  • produce citizen handbooks and other public legal education materials; and
  • advocate on a wide range of environmental law reform issues.

How we select cases

Before the beginning of each semester, ELC staff review project proposals that do not pose a conflict of interest and that align with the Project Selection Criteria, which was established by our Board of Directors. Potential Clinic projects:

  • should represent a public interest environmental law matter in agreement with the goals of the ELC’s vision and objectives;
  • need to have a significant educational component, which may be in the area of advocacy, legal research and writing;
  • should not expose the ELC to financial or other risks; and
  • must provide a service to a client who would otherwise be unable to obtain the service (e.g. unable to pay for their own lawyer) and should not be undertaken merely as a support service for a lawyer or professional who is being paid for the services they are providing.

Preference is given to projects with the potential to make significant contribution to environmental protection or to the development of environmental law.

How to apply

1. Read our Clinic Project Application form that describes our services and asks you for details about your proposed project, including:

    • Project Description answering the following questions:
      • What is the legal issue you would like addressed?
      • What are the facts or story surrounding the legal issue?
      • Who are the parties involved? (List all organizations and individuals that have a role in this issue)
      • What would you like the ELC to produce or do for you?
      • How long do you think will this project take? (Provide information about any important dates.)
    • Contact Information (for you, your organization and any authorized representatives), which we are required by the Law Society of British Columbia to obtain and record.
    • Signed Disclosure of Information that confirms your understanding that while we will treat all information you provide to us as confidential unless you consent to it being treated otherwise, your potential project will be considered by the ELC Society’s Board of Directors, who are responsible for formally approving all of our cases.

3. Return the completed form by email (elcclinicdirector[at]uvic.ca or elc [at] uvic.ca), fax or mail. We may need to contact you for further information.

PLEASE NOTE: We are only able to consider projects for the ELC Clinic that have a completed Clinic Project Application form.