41st Edition of the Young Bar of Montréal Telephone Legal Clinic
Free and Accessible Legal Advice for the Public!

Montréal, October 11, 2023 – The Jeune Barreau de Montréal (JBM) is proud to launch the 41st edition of its Telephone Legal Clinic, taking place on October 21 and 22. For one weekend, lawyers and notaries will come together to offer free legal advice by phone to the public. This initiative, along with other services provided by the JBM, is a concrete and lasting action to improve access to justice. This free service for the Quebec population is organized by the JBM in partnership with the Barreau du Québec and the Centre d’accès à l’information juridique (CAIJ).

A unique opportunity to get free information about your rights and obligations

The Telephone Legal Clinic is a unique opportunity to receive free advice from a lawyer or notary, helping individuals better understand their rights and obligations and navigate sometimes complex and delicate situations. Whether concerns are related to family matters, consumer goods, employment, estate management, neighbor conflicts, or other legal issues, volunteer lawyers offer their expertise at no charge to answer any legal questions. The JBM is proud to offer this highly anticipated service twice a year and to contribute to improving access to justice when the need is significant.

A popular service available to the entire population:

The JBM's Telephone Legal Clinic is a free service available to all Quebec residents, running for a full weekend! Whether you need information on your rights and obligations or solutions to prevent or resolve disputes, volunteer jurists are available to answer the public's questions with kindness and professionalism. This well-established event sees strong participation each year: last year, nearly 4,000 calls from citizens were received and processed as part of this initiative.

The Telephone Legal Clinic in brief:

• What: Free legal advice for the entire population offered by about fifty volunteer lawyers
• When: October 21 and 22, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Where: You can call 1 (844) 779-6232

"The Telephone Legal Clinic is a key initiative and an essential resource to improve access to justice for all citizens. By offering this service twice a year, we are proud to meet the crucial needs of our community. We would like to thank the CAIJ and the Barreau du Québec for their constant and invaluable support in this noble undertaking! We also thank the lawyers and legal community members who will volunteer their time over the weekend to help those in need," said Me Joey Suri, President of the JBM.

"The Barreau du Québec salutes the generosity of young lawyers who are mobilizing to provide legal advice and information to citizens. Proposing and implementing concrete solutions to improve access to justice is one of the strategic goals of the Barreau. We are proud to support the JBM’s Telephone Legal Clinic, which has been contributing for years to the practice of values such as accessibility, commitment, and proximity to citizens," said Me Catherine Claveau, bâtonnière of Quebec.

"What a source of pride for the CAIJ to support this exceptional event, the Jeune Barreau de Montréal’s Telephone Legal Clinic! As we approach this 41st edition, it is important to highlight the dedicated work of our talented new generation. There is no doubt that the need for personalized legal advice is growing. As an essential resource for legal knowledge, the CAIJ warmly congratulates the volunteer lawyers and notaries who step forward to help the public understand their rights and obligations, all at no cost," said Karine Mac Allister, Executive Director of the CAIJ.

About JBM

Founded in 1898, the JBM brings together lawyers practicing in Montreal for ten years or less, with over 6,000 members. This makes it one of the largest associations of young lawyers in the world, in terms of numbers for a single city. Its mission is twofold. On the one hand, it defends and promotes the interests of its members. On the other, it provides pro bono legal information services to the general public, and offers a number of services to help Quebecers gain access to justice. In August 2021, the JBM was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's Medal for Exceptional Merit, "in recognition of the remarkable dynamism shown by its members in the ongoing pursuit of collective well-being".

For further information, please contact

Adam Alaoui | Communications and Public Relations Manager

aalaoui@ajbm.qc.ca | 514.954.6936 | www.ajbm.qc.ca