OUR STORY

The concept for a women’s community legal clinic was the result of many years of research conducted by West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund (West Coast LEAF) culminating in their 2014 report Putting Justice Back on the Map. The report found that massive cuts to legal aid, beginning in 2002, had a devastating, disproportionate impact on women, leaving many to navigate the legal system alone. The report identified the need for affordable, accessible legal services for women in the province, and explored a student clinic as one model for delivering accessible legal services. A partnership with the University of British Columbia was created to provide externship opportunities to their law students. Rise opened as a three-year pilot program based on this model in May 2016.

In this video: Kim Hawkins, founding Executive Director talking about the role of Rise followed by Kasari Govender, BC’s Human Rights Commissioner talking about the beginnings of Rise.

The first two years…

Rise started with three full-time staff, and a student clinic with law students from the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. The team was supported by a dedicated board of directors and community advisory committee. Rise’s mission was to provide accessible legal services that were inclusive of all women, regardless of age, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation and ability, and to provide an innovative and practical learning experience for law students. By the end of December 2017, Rise had worked with 24 student clinicians and served 600 clients in the Lower Mainland.

To expand opportunities for students, Rise hired its first articling student, and provided supervision for their first social work practicum student. By the start of 2019, Rise launched an Incubator program for junior lawyers who completed their articles at Rise. The incubator lawyer was able to utilise Rise’s office space, receive client referrals from Rise, and had opportunities for ongoing support from Rise’s staff lawyers. The idea was that junior lawyers could use their Incubator year to launch their own private family law practice.

In this video: Ana Mihajlovic, now a family lawyer, and a Rise alumni (May- August 2016) taking about the opening of Rise and experience as a student clinician.

Innovating client services

In August 2017, Rise created the first iteration of the Virtual Legal Clinic and expanded its services to assist clients living outside of the Lower Mainland. Before virtual meetings became a standard practice, Rise recognized the need for providing virtual (telephone and videoconferencing) legal services to clients in rural, remote and northern communities in BC. Vicky Law spearheaded the Remote Services Project (funded by Law Foundation of BC) to explore best practices in delivering family law service throughout the province. The project was very well received by community organizations, advocates and clients, many of whom would not have access to legal services due to the lack of legal resources in non-urban centres. From August 2017- August 2018, the project reached clients in 23 different communities around the province. Subsequently, the project received additional funding from Face the World Foundation, Health Sciences Association and Vancouver Foundation and eventually the Law Society of BC Access to Justice Fund and is now the Virtual Legal Clinic. The Virtual Legal Clinic introduced a community partner model to client services. Noting the lack of resources for clients in rural, remote, and northern communities, the clinic partnered with community partner organisations to provide wrap-around support to clients, including summary advice through volunteer lawyers. As of 2025, the VLC has over 65 community partners, each with a signed understanding with Rise to provide and accept referrals, and to attend regular training on family law matters.

Community-research projects

In addition to expanding client services beyond the Lower Mainland in BC, Rise started it’s first engagement through community-based research in 2017. This research was undertaken with the goal of understanding the challenges faced by clients and providing recommendations for improving existing family law systems. Rise received funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada (then Status of Women Canada) to explore how the family legal system in BC could improve its response to family violence. Rise partnered with the Center for Response-Based Practice for this interdisciplinary project. Three reports were published from the findings of this research project:

Rise continues to undertake community-based research projects to identify, and magnify existing systemic and structural inequalities perpetuating gender inequality in the family law system. Read more about our research projects.

Expansion of programs and services

Rise added a case manager to work as a first point of contact with clients reaching out to Rise and streamline access to services. The case manager was able to cut down the client waiting period from months to weeks in a short span of time. Over the years, the Law Foundation of BC increased their support to create virtual advocate (now family law advocate) positions under the Virtual Legal Clinic and the Community Legal Clinic. With funding of Department of Justice, Canada, Rise was able to expand it’s programs serving clients by adding a legal navigator, program assistants and two summary advice lawyers.

Funded by the Law Foundation of BC, a new staff lawyer joined the team as the Family Advocate Support Line (FASL) lawyer. This new service was available to support workers, which the lawyer used to answers questions regarding family law. The FASL also started providing training to anti-violence workers, transition house workers, support advocates and settlement workers throughout the province who were supporting family law clients. The same year Centralized Legal Services program was started to create a new advocate supervision model, responsive and adaptive to the growing needs of advocates and clients.

With funding of Department of Justice, Canada the FASL program was expanded to and another lawyer was hired for the Indigenous Family Advocate Support Line (IFASL), who would provide free, specialized family law and child protection legal advice, training, and knowledge sharing spaces to Band Representatives, support workers, and advocates supporting Indigenous families and communities across BC

Celebrating 8+ years

In this video: The Honorable Donna Martinson talking about Rise’s evolution followed by Kim Hawkins, Executive Director talking about our generous funders and donors.

Rise has grown exponentially over the years. In 8 years, the number of Rise staff has increased from 3 to over 30. The Student Legal Clinic has trained over 100 law students. Rise continues to take on articling students, and social work practicum students.

Rise continues to provide compassionate client-centered services that emphasize the agency of our clients and treat them as the experts in their own lives.

Rise continues work on our commitment to breaking down myths and stereotypes about family violence by conducting original community-based research and education, including providing training on family violence to lawyers and legal professionals.

Rise continues to provide support, training and mentorship to family law advocates and support workers across BC through our Family Advocate Support Program, which is made of up of FASL, IFASL, Centralized Legal Services and Family Advocate Educator.

We thank our funders, donors, sustaining circle and volunteers for supporting us and help us fulfilling our vision of a future where all self-identified women and gender diverse people in BC have access to a safe, just and equal legal system.

Want to support our work?

Rise Women’s Legal Centre is a registered charity.
#76336 8099 RT0001

A tax receipt will be issued for every donation in any amount.

We accept donations online, or through cheque.

Cheques can be sent to:
Rise Women’s Legal Centre
PO Box 3761
Vancouver PO Terminal, BC V6B 3Z1

Questions about donating and giving? Contact development@womenslegalcentre.ca

“Just the fact that there is a skilled team helping and providing support is amazing. It is admirable to see how this team of people can join strengths to support when it is most needed. Thank you!”

— Client Feedback

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