Will the Law Society of Upper Canada help this man help the homeless?

By: May El-Abdallah · November 3, 2009 · Filed Under Uncategorized · Add Comment 

Law Times: Lawyer stymied in pro bono efforts

My thoughts on what looks, basically, like gatekeeping: The first comment has it right, the Law Society is not addressing the fact that putting someone like Mukhtiar Dahiya in an organization will do little to nothing to reduce the barriers homeless people have to accessing legal services. Here is an experienced lawyer, late in his career, who wishes to provide free legal services to a population that very few others want to/can provide counsel for. Put another way, he is contributing value to the legal profession. Especially as many in the field make grand pronouncements about social responsibility, a large basis upon which the profession itself seeks to maintain legitimacy. Mr. Dahiya has suggested the assistance/supervision of a mentor provided by the Law Society, effectively trying to accomodate their concerns — how about a little vice versa?

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