News

The Law Foundation of BC (the “Foundation”) is pleased to announce that Hana Bank Canada has joined its list of Preferred Financial Institutions — banks and credit unions that support access to justice by offering competitive interest rates on lawyers’ pooled trust accounts.  The interest generated from these accounts is the Foundation’s primary source of …

Hana Bank Canada Joins Law Foundation of BC’s List of Preferred Financial Institutions Read More »

This article was originally published on BarTalk March 4, 2025. (Photo by Unsplash – Louis Droege) Advocating with Care The legal system can be a daunting, overwhelming experience, especially for people who have endured trauma. Lawyers often represent clients who have been deeply harmed. Golden Eagle Rising has published a toolkit to help legal service providers to …

A Guide to Trauma-Informed Lawyering Read More »

Rural communities face similar economic issues to urban centres, like the housing crisis and inflation. Many rural workers engage in shift work in resource industries, which can strain family ties and relationships. Funding for poverty and family law advocacy programs in places like the Kootenays and Northeastern BC is vital to address these issues. Here’s …

Meeting the need for legal advocacy in rural areas Read More »

The Law Foundation of BC (the “Foundation”) is pleased to welcome Integris Credit Union to its list of Preferred Financial Institutions – banks and credit unions that have committed to paying competitive interest rates on lawyers’ pooled trust accounts.  Interest from these accounts is the Foundation’s primary source of revenue, directly funding grants that support …

Law Foundation of BC Welcomes Integris Credit Union as a Preferred Financial Institution Read More »

Enhancing access to justice for immigrants and refugees in British Columbia This article was originally published on BarTalk April 2, 2025. Mural at Harbour Centre in Vancouver: “The Belonging Action”, 2012, by Melanie Schambach. Learn more about the mural’s creation here. Photo by Mike (squeakymarmot) is licensed under CC BY SA 2.0; Image cropped to …

Strengthening Legal Support: IRLC’s New Partnership Read More »

The Law Foundation of BC is excited to announce the third round of the Racial Justice Grants Call, offering Generate Grants of up to $250,000 per year for up to four years for a total of $1,000,000.   Generate grants are intended to provide funding for groups and organizations who have strategies developed over three years …

2024 Racial Justice Generate Grants Call Launch Read More »

The Law Foundation and the Ministry of the Attorney General have asked Dr. Catherine Dauvergne KC, of the Allard School of Law, to lead an independent sectoral planning process for public legal education and information (PLEI) in the province of British Columbia. The object of this process is to strengthen the provision of public legal …

BC kicks off new planning process for Public Legal Education and Information services Read More »

Indigenous Law Research Unit at UVic takes a relationship-first approach to working with Indigenous nations to revitalize their laws In 2019, the Government of British Columbia passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (“Declaration Act”). Strengthening Indigenous legal orders is essential to fulfilling the Declaration Act. That’s why the Foundation granted $1.2 million …

Revitalizing Indigenous Laws Read More »

The Foundation makes a significant investment to advance racial justice Systemic racism and racial injustice impact racialized people and communities in BC in many different ways. Racialized people, including Indigenous Peoples, Black people and people of colour, experience systemic racism that affects many facets of their lives, and that is a part of many of …

Supporting racial justice in the legal system Read More »

Lois Shelton reflects on a career supporting frontline advocates across BC   In October 2022, the Foundation hosted the first in-person Provincial Advocates Training Conference (the “Conference”) since the onset of the pandemic, in partnership with Legal Aid BC. This annual conference brings together legal advocates, lawyers, and others working on the frontlines of access …

Building community capacity to increase access to justice Read More »