OPINION
Tuesday, November 24, 2015 11
Our Experience at the Human Rights Legal Support Centre
A Student’s Perspective of the Anti-Discrimination Intensive
Program at Osgoode
simmy sahdra › contributor
directly with clients on a daily basis, et cetera.
n my opinion, and I know many other people
agree with me, one of the best parts about being
an Osgoode student are the opportunities you
have – not only the opportunities that come
with going to one of the top law schools in Canada, but
also in terms of the practical opportunities you have to
participate in Osgoode intensives.
Other Ontario law schools have nothing that compares and having recently gone through the tough
OCI process, I saw firsthand how much having practical experiences helped me secure a job. In every
single interview, I was asked about my experience
at the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (HRLSC);
almost every lawyer I spoke to during interviews
would follow up with stating how it was so great that
Osgoode was providing these opportunities for students, and that it was something more law schools
needed to do.
There are many intensives to choose from, but personally I decided to complete the Anti-Discrimination
Intensive Program (ADIP). For a full semester, I am
currently working at the Human Rights Legal Support
Centre, Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,
taking only one seminar class at Osgoode every two
weeks to discuss work experiences at the HRLSC with
other ADIP students. I have gained such great exposure to litigation and to the Human Rights System in
Ontario.
To provide other’s experiences, I recently spoke
with Mehrnaz Jahanzadeh, who is a current 3L ADIP
student, and who spent the past summer working at
the HRLSC. The ADIP Intensive program provides the
opportunity for two students to be paid to work at
the HRLSC during the summer before their intensive
placement.
What were your biggest learning lessons?
I
Some of the questions I asked Mehrnaz included:
What have you enjoyed the most about your experience at the HRLSC?
Mehrnaz: The best part is how open everyone is, how
friendly they are, they make you feel like you’re part
of the team, you don’t feel like a student, they ask for
your input, and treat me like I am their equal although
I know they are so knowledgeable. This all makes for a
really good learning experience as you feel like you’re
really working; I feel very prepared for articling now.
What surprised you about your experience at the
HRLSC?
Mehrnaz: I didn’t expect to be dealing with so many
clients, so early on; the expectation of completing
intake calls during the first few weeks; the number
of calls; and the advice you give, et cetera. You really
are having an impact on marginalized communities.
I didn’t expect to be given that much power early on.
I was also surprised about how much experience I got
working directly with lawyers; drafting memos; completing research, which was actually used by the lawyers; and I didn’t realize they would trust me so much,
so quickly. I now am able to lead mediations and work
Mehrnaz: I learned that not everything is black and
white with human rights, not every caller has had
their human rights violated or been discriminated
against, and some people really do just want to be
heard. There is a lot of grey area with mistakes that
both the respondent and applicant make, there are
cases where both parties have been unreasonable,
and being exposed to that was a big learning lesson.
Also, some people are also not always aware of their
human rights violations as well—people are at different levels of vulnerability; there is such a large range
you are exposed to. Then you are also dealing with the
fact that not ever caller is going to be nice to you; they
can take their frustration out on you and you must
recognize your role as a professional.
What will be your biggest take away from your experience at the HRLSC?
Mehrnaz: Because I got to work in the summer and
now, it will be 8 months in total which I have worked
at the HRLSC; the biggest takeaway is being realistic—understanding how long things take, learning
how to handle clients, and managing client’s expectations. When I started, I thought it was awesome that
the Tribunal doesn’t charge applicants, but you realize
that there is a lot of mental, emotional, and time costs
which equally affect the applicants. You’re basically
asking the applicant to not move on from their negative experiences, they’re stuck, and it’s very difficult
for them.
What would you change about your experience at the
HRLSC?
Mehrnaz: I wouldn’t change anything about the
centre; it is the most accommodating, friendly work
environment I have been in, and will ever be a part of.
However, in terms of the intensive program as a whole,
I wish it was treated as a co-op. It was a difficult transition to deal with being paid in the summer for the
same job, and not being paid in the fall semester. Not
only are we not paid, but we are paying for it through
tuition fees. The way I have come to terms with it is
by understanding that I am still learning and it’s just
a different type of learning. I also recognize F