Advocates for Injured Workers
Encyclopedia
Advocates for Injured Workers (AIW) is a student legal clinic
operating in Toronto
and affiliated with the University of Toronto Faculty of Law
. This clinic is supervised by the Industrial Accident Victims' Group of Ontario (IAVGO) - itself a community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario
. As per By-law 4 of the Law Society of Upper Canada
, student work at AIW is reviewed by a fully licensed lawyer and hence exempt from the normal requirements to practice law in Ontario.
Advocates for Injured Workers provides free legal representation for low-income clients who have been injured in workplace accidents or have suffered onset occupational injuries. AIW deals almost exclusively with claims under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, which are made to the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
(WSIB) of Ontario and may be appealed to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
(WSIAT). Very occasionally the clinic may also represent clients in consequential actions that stem from a workplace injury, such as actions before the Ontario Labour Relations Board
(OLRB) and the Ontario Human Rights Commission
(OHRC).
The clinic is staffed by approximately twenty-five part-time student volunteers during the academic year, and during the summer by eight full-time student employees. Every caseworker is responsible for their own individual client files. Upper-year volunteers have the opportunity to pursue clinical work for course credit. The clinic carries around one hundred active files at a time.
Legal clinic
The phrase legal clinic may refer to any private, nonprofit law practice serving the public interest. In the academic context, these law school clinics provide hands-on experience to law school students and services to various clients. Academic Clinics are usually directed by clinical professors...
operating in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and affiliated with the University of Toronto Faculty of Law
University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Established in 1887, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law is one of the oldest professional faculties at the University of Toronto. The Faculty of Law is particularly renowned in the areas of corporate law, international law, law and economics, and legal theory.The law school has been...
. This clinic is supervised by the Industrial Accident Victims' Group of Ontario (IAVGO) - itself a community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario
Legal Aid Ontario
Legal Aid Ontario is a publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit corporation, responsible for administering the legal aid program in the province of Ontario, Canada...
. As per By-law 4 of the Law Society of Upper Canada
Law Society of Upper Canada
The Law Society of Upper Canada is responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1797, it is known in French as "Le Barreau du Haut-Canada"...
, student work at AIW is reviewed by a fully licensed lawyer and hence exempt from the normal requirements to practice law in Ontario.
Advocates for Injured Workers provides free legal representation for low-income clients who have been injured in workplace accidents or have suffered onset occupational injuries. AIW deals almost exclusively with claims under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, which are made to the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
The Workplace Safety & Insurance Board was established in 1914. It is a workers' compensation insurer for Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are located in Toronto, Ontario.-History:...
(WSIB) of Ontario and may be appealed to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal is an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Government of Ontario. It is located in Toronto, Ontario at 505 University Avenue, 7th floor.- History :...
(WSIAT). Very occasionally the clinic may also represent clients in consequential actions that stem from a workplace injury, such as actions before the Ontario Labour Relations Board
Ontario Labour Relations Board
The Ontario Labour Relations Board was established by the Ontario government in 1948. It defines itself as "an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal mandated to mediate and adjudicate a variety of employment and labour relations-related matters under a number of Ontario statutes"...
(OLRB) and the Ontario Human Rights Commission
Ontario Human Rights Commission
The Ontario Human Rights Commission was established in the Canadian province of Ontario on March 29, 1961 to administer the Ontario Human Rights Code...
(OHRC).
The clinic is staffed by approximately twenty-five part-time student volunteers during the academic year, and during the summer by eight full-time student employees. Every caseworker is responsible for their own individual client files. Upper-year volunteers have the opportunity to pursue clinical work for course credit. The clinic carries around one hundred active files at a time.