Law students provide assistance to CUPS clients

Law students from the University of Calgary will be onsite at CUPS several times through the summer, providing free legal assistance to clients who need support. 

It’s a partnership that has been on hiatus through the pandemic, but returns this summer as CUPS continues with its commitment to support clients navigating the complexities they face.

CUPS is continually working to provide a trauma-informed environment that gives clients the space to mention legal and justice concerns when they are comfortable to do so. And the Care Coordinators are ready to make referrals to supportive organizations. 

Asking more justice-related questions to provide better referrals

The Integrated Care Tool at CUPS is designed to give clients the opportunity to choose whether they want to talk about a specific area. 

If they do have legal concerns, they may or may not disclose details. They might inform CUPS they are experiencing legal concerns related to a victim or crime and aren’t ready to talk about it. That’s just fine. Another client might indicate they need a restraining order and can ask for help with that right away. That’s fine too. 

The legal challenges clients are facing are varied and nuanced. Clients are dealing with everything from criminal proceedings to landlord-tenant disputes, notary services and more. But when someone is struggling to maintain an income and keep food on the table, legal support can be expensive and inaccessible. 

It’s why, for more than 40 years, University of Calgary law students have been providing free legal information and representation to low-income residents of Calgary. The Student Legal Assistance (SLA) program has an estimated 100 caseworkers working under an Executive Director to provide guidance and legal assistance to those who might not be able to afford it otherwise. 

SLA will be at CUPS on July 20, August 3 and August 17 for a drop-in clinic. For more information, please contact info@cupscalgary.com.