NRF's Grace Pastine says civil disputes and housing top the list of pro bono legal needs
The need for pro bono legal services in Ontario is immense, and law firms must take focused action to meet the demand. While awareness of the importance of pro bono work is growing, firms still face significant challenges, particularly around organizing and coordinating their efforts.
That’s according to Grace Pastine, pro bono counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, who oversees the firm’s pro bono initiatives.
Canadian Lawyer recently reported a downward trend in pro bono work across Canada, where law firms still lag behind the US and the UK. Pastine acknowledges that demand is overwhelming, especially amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
A recent initiative by Norton Rose Fulbright, Pro Bono Ontario, and CIBC highlighted how pressing the need is. In early April, the law firm and CIBC partnered to staff Pro Bono Ontario’s free legal advice hotline for two days. The service offered legal guidance to low-income Ontarians, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
The experience, Pastine says, revealed that roughly one-third of callers sought help with civil procedure, such as small claims matters and commencing or responding to proceedings. Another fifth required advice on housing issues, including landlord-tenant disputes under both RTA (Residential Tenancies Act) and non-RTA frameworks.
Additional inquiries related to contract disputes involving consumer protection and debt, as well as employment, corporate law, and powers of attorney.
Over those two days, 36 Norton Rose Fulbright and CIBC lawyers answered around 200 calls, each lasting approximately 30 minutes.
She explains that callers reached a central phone line managed by Pro Bono Ontario, which then routed them to lawyers based on the legal issue involved.
“There is a growing recognition that law firms in Canada have a critical role to play in addressing the justice gap, and we are proud to be contributing to that effort.”
Despite the significant demand for legal help, Pastine says lawyers often struggle to find opportunities that match their areas of expertise and availability.
She suggests one effective solution is the creation of dedicated pro bono counsel roles within law firms. These roles help coordinate initiatives and connect lawyers with clients in need.
Another approach is to allow lawyers to count their pro bono work toward their billable hour goals – something Norton Rose Fulbright has adopted.
Pastine’s role, she explains, was created out of the firm’s broader commitment to corporate citizenship. She leads Norton Rose Fulbright’s nationwide pro bono practice, develops partnerships with charities and legal service organizations, and identifies opportunities to match firm resources with community legal needs.
“Our firm views pro bono as being essential to keeping our legal system fair. It counts pro bono hours towards billable hour targets, and we also have a full-time lawyer directing the pro bono practice. I think those are two important ways in which we send a strong message to our teams that pro bono work is core to who we are and what we do.”
In addition to its collaboration with Pro Bono Ontario, the firm also partners with Pro Bono Québec, Pro Bono Law Alberta, Pro Bono Law British Columbia, and Pro Bono Students Canada.
