This is a Special Project managed by PBSC National.
Name of Organization: Innocence Canada
Website of Organization: innocencecanada.com
Organization's Mandate: Innocence Canada’s mission is to identify, advocate for and support the exoneration of individuals who have been convicted of a crime they did not commit and to prevent wrongful convictions through legal education, advocacy, and justice reform.
Project Name: Project & Communications Lead
Project Type: Public Legal Education (presentations, workshops, podcasts, brochures, blogs, etc.)
Project Delivery: Hybrid.
Description of Project: The project lead will have two main responsibilities:
- Act as the touchpoint between Innocence Canada and student volunteers on the “legal modules” project (described below). This will involve project management, supervision of volunteers, and providing strategic expertise to improve legal modules.
- Working closely with the Executive Director, they will develop social media content for Innocence Canada’s Instagram account – how they happen, the stories of the wrongly convicted, the legal road to exoneration, etc. They will get an insider’s look on NPO management and communications, while increasing the public’s awareness and understanding of wrongful convictions.
“Legal modules” Project Description: As part of Innocence Canada’s education program, we are looking to expand our offerings of academic programming for law students. This project aims to create legal course content, or ”modules” that can be used by professors to integrate WC topics and perspectives into their teachings, or for guest lectures by Innocence Canada’s Manager, Education. There are approximately 20 topics available from ”traditional” causes of wrongful conviction (eg. False Confessions, Tunnel Vision, False Guilty Pleas) to broader systemic issues (eg. Race and WC, Youth, Parole) that also play a role in wrongful conviction work.
Role of Student Volunteers: Monitor, mentor and provide guidance and feedback to students working on legal modules and develop social media content.
Role of Supervising Lawyer(s): Mentor and provide guidance to project lead, review material.
Type of Law: Criminal Law
Main Project Deliverable: Presenting public legal education (e.g. in-person or virtual presentations, workshops, training sessions, etc.)
Number of Student Placements: 1 student
Hours per week the student volunteer(s) will be expected to work: 5 hours/week
Regular shifts or a flexible schedule: Flexible schedule.
Is there a workspace provided for the student at the Organization: No
Devices and technologies the students will be required to have: Computer, Internet, Zoom, Canva, Hootsuite
Is there an expectation for the student(s) to be bilingual: No, but it would be an asset.
Law School Pre-Requisites: Criminal law, evidence, criminal procedure, wrongful convictions
Other Requirements or Expectations: Experience creating social media campaigns/advocacy content, design, project management.