CLA-ACE Launches Aeroplan Matching Campaign!
From Tuesday March 3rd to Tuesday March 31st Aeroplan will match 10% of donations if we reach 90% of our fundraising goal of 50,000 points.
Please visit our Charitable Pooling Page to make your donation!
Why donate? CLA-ACE is a catalyst for positive social change. Through education and engagement we are increasing access to justice for marginalized populations worldwide, and enabling law students and lawyers to use their legal training to make a difference.
From Tuesday March 3rd to Tuesday March 31st Aeroplan will match 10% of donations if we reach 90% of our fundraising goal of 50,000 points.
Please visit our Charitable Pooling Page to make your donation!
Why donate? CLA-ACE is a catalyst for positive social change. Through education and engagement we are increasing access to justice for marginalized populations worldwide, and enabling law students and lawyers to use their legal training to make a difference.
Our important work requires significant travel both within Canada and overseas. This opportunity to offset our travel costs will enable CLA-ACE to use our limited resources to directly benefit the people and communities we serve.
In other words, your Aeroplan Miles contribution will have a significant impact on CLA-ACE's ability to achieve its mission of using law to improve lives.
Dare to Dream Program
When you donate your Aeroplan Miles to CLA-ACE, you will directly benefit First Nation, Métis, and Inuit youth throughout Canada!
CLA-ACE's newest program, Dare to Dream, positively transforms the way First Nation, Métis, and Inuit youth aged 11-14 perceive and engage with the justice system through meaningful interaction with legal professionals and fun, justice-focused learning activities.
This program is now in operation in Toronto, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Calgary and the Siksika Nation. Check out this clip to learn more about this unique program.
Dare to Dream has continued to garner widespread support and media interest. For example, we have recently been featured on CBC Aboriginal, Global Saskatoon, CTV Saskatoon, Radio Canada International, and in the Toronto Star. To read endorsements for Dare to Dream by various Canadian leaders, click here.
Summer Internship Program
Every year CLA-ACE partners with amazing organizations both in Canada and abroad to provide law students at 15 universities across Canada with beyond the classroom social justice learning opportunities.
This year we have new internship opportunities with the Legal Assistance Centre (Namibia), the Center for Justice and International Law (DC), Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (Thailand) and the Yukon Conservation Society.
We will also have interns returning to the Federation of Women Lawyers-Kenya, Beyond Borders (Ontario), Avocats Sans Frontiers (Quebec), Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana, Mikisew Cree First Nation (Fort McMurray), Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council, International Commission of Jurists-Kenya, and the Chiefs of Ontario.
Here's what former interns had to say about their experience:
“.....My daily work has focused on constitutional issues, training of ICJ’s paralegals and security sector reforms. The 2010 Constitution brought a lot of change, much of which is still being debated in the courts and in the public sphere. I have been fortunate to attend a number of constitutional conferences working with local judiciary and academics."-Craig Mracek
"..... I worked on a consolidated report that is based on the progress and challenges of PMOs within four regions in sub-Saharan Africa. These projects were remarkable because of their content and because the issues being explored are alive and apparent in the street corners and government buildings which I pass by each day."-Filippo Titi
Student Research, Education & Engagement
CLA-ACE has Student Chapters in 15 law schools across Canada. These Chapters bring together law students who have an interest in participating in good governance, rule of law and human rights issues. Each fall, CLA-ACE hosts a national conference on a chosen theme.
In October 2014, Student Chapter representatives from across Canada travelled to Ottawa for our conference on "Access to Justice for Refugees".
Our students heard from an impressive list of speakers such as, Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International, Arghavan Gerami, Managing Director of Gerami Law Corporation and Professor Jennifer Bond and Professor LaViolette from the University of Ottawa. Here's what CLA representatives had to say about the conference:
Jeneba Stewart (University of Calgary)
"The CLA Conference was a great opportunity to engage in a dialogue about furthering the participation and involvement of CLA in Law Schools across the country. I was able to learn a lot about Refugee Rights, even over the short duration of the conference, and I look forward to using this knowledge to motivate the CLA chapter here at the University of Calgary.”
Ermina Delalic (University of Manitoba)
“The Refugee Rights Conference has given me the opportunity to think critically and to remind those around us about the ongoing struggle of millions of refugees around the world. It has reminded me that the issues facing the displaced millions are our issues.”
Student Chapters engage in various events during the academic year such as speakers panels, movie nights and other fundraising initiatives. Together with the Université de Montréal Chapter, CLA-ACE publishes an annual bilingual journal called “Perspectives Légales Internationale - International Legal Perspectives” which includes thought-provoking entries from our students.
Please don't forget to donate between March 3rd and 31st! Visit our Charitable Pooling Page to make your donation today.