University of Victoria launches BC's first business law clinic for small business
Located in the UVic law building, the students at the clinic will serve the public day and evening. Clients who reside outside of Victoria will be assisted by telephone. The students' work will be supervised by the clinic's legal counsel and the 11 lawyers in Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Nanaimo and Smithers who have agreed to act as their mentors. Anyone requiring legal information must book an appointment and pay a $50 fee. Following an initial consultation, clients will receive legal information for their proposed business, covering tax, financing and zoning issues, and other issues such as the legal protection of intellectual property and business structures. The clinic's telephone number is 250-472-4522, fax 472-4528, email blc@mail.law.uvic.ca and website http://business.law.uvic.ca
The Business Law Clinic will receive up to $195,000 from Western Economic Diversification Canada to run this innovative program, with additional support of $50,000 each from the law firm of Bull, Housser & Tupper, the BC Automobile Dealers Association, and the University of Victoria. The Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture has also put $10,000 towards the project.
"The federal government wants to create a climate where small business can grow by making strategic investments in the future," said the Honourable David Anderson, MP for Victoria, on behalf of Secretary of State Ron J. Duhamel, minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada. "Legal information is an essential ingredient for business success, and the existence of UVic's Business Law Clinic means small business owners can access the legal information they require. That means more jobs and a stronger economy."
"Our firm has benefited greatly from the many excellent UVic law graduates who have joined us as articling students and associates," said George Burke, managing partner, Bull, Housser & Tupper. "By supporting the Business Law Clinic, we have the opportunity to give something back to the law school." The president of the British Columbia Automobile Dealers Association, Ian Stewart, said, "Small business is a steady contributor to job growth and economic stability. As franchised dealers, we welcome every opportunity to support this sector of the economy."
"This initiative is an example of the educational, economic and community benefits that can be generated by innovative and collaborative partnerships among the private, government and university sectors," said Cohen. "It is consistent with UVic Law's commitment to new educational programming that connects the legal communities in Victoria, Vancouver and across British Columbia, with the law school and, in turn, links the law school with the community beyond the campus."
The Business Law Clinic is part of an initiative which will tie the clinic at UVic to similar ones at the universities of Calgary and Manitoba. The services of UVic's Business Law Clinic are available to clients outside the Victoria area through linkages to the Community Futures Development Corporations in Nanaimo, the Sunshine Coast, Kelowna, and Houston. In addition, the clinic operates in partnership with the Women's Enterprise Society of B.C., and the Canada-British Columbia Business Service Centre.
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