Anyone who needs legal advice - on anything from immigration to housing rights and more - can get a free consultation at the Place-des-Arts metro station every Thursday in March. About 50 volunteer lawyers and notaries from Juripop will be on hand to offer individual 15-minute consultations. The service is free and open to anyone on March 5, 12, 19 and 26, from noon to 6 p.m. This year, immigration law has been added to the list of available areas of expertise, following the end of the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ). Lawyers will also be available to answer questions on housing, family law, labour law, succession, and administrative matters such as fines and tickets. Housing has historically been the most common topic. Tenant rights accounted for a quarter of all consultations last year, when 51 volunteers delivered 260 consultations in total. Several other organizations will also be on hand to inform the public about the legal services they offer year-round, including the Clinique juridique de Saint-Michel, the Collectif juridique, the Interligne legal clinic, the Fondation du Barreau de Montréal, À deux mains / Head & Hands, and Éducaloi. “Access to justice must be simple, human, and truly rooted in people’s lives,” said Juripop director of legal services Me Elyse Desjardins. - With files from The Canadian Press
