Who We Are

Lakehead University Community Legal Services is a student legal clinic.  We were founded in 2015, in partnership with Legal Aid Ontario and Lakehead University's Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.

We offer free legal services to help provide access to justice for low-income residents of Northwestern Ontario who would otherwise not be able to afford a lawyer, including people living with physical and mental disabilities, as well as Indigenous persons and other visible minority groups.

The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law has three mandates: (1) Aboriginal & Indigenous Law; (2) Natural Resources; and (3) Solo / Small Town Practice. Here at Community Legal Services, we proudly contribute to the first and third faculty mandates. We strive to provide excellent legal services to low-income individuals including many Indigenous persons throughout the Northwest Region who otherwise would not be able to afford a lawyer. Additionally, our program is supervised by experienced lawyers who teach our students the day-to-day skills necessary to practice law in small towns and in small firm settings.

One of our main goals at Community Legal Services is to provide a practical clinical education program for our Law Students. Second and third year Law Students have the opportunity work in the clinic, under the direct supervision of our experienced staff lawyers (Review Counsel), for academic credit. Students have full carriage of files. Their work in the clinic allows them to gain valuable experience interviewing clients, drafting legal documents, negotiating with opposing parties, and conducting motions, hearings and trials.

We are dedicated to achieving social justice through equitable, supportive, and innovative engagement with our clients, the community and the justice sector.  Community Legal Services is generously funded by Legal Aid Ontario, Lakehead University and the Law Foundation of Ontario.

For more information about Community Legal Services, check out this link to our Shaw Cable video,

or follow us on Facebook.

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Director

Headshot of Rodi-Lynn Rusnick-Kinisky

Rodi-Lynn

Rusnick-Kinisky

Director, Community Legal Services

Director

Campus: Thunder Bay

Office Location: PA 1001

Phone Number: +1 (807) 346-7815

Email: rlrusnic@lakeheadu.ca

Read more about Rodi-Lynn Rusnick-Kinisky

Review Counsel

Headshot of Joanna Goldenberg

Joanna

Goldenberg

Review Counsel, Community Legal Services

Personnel

Campus: Thunder Bay

Office Location: PA1002

Phone Number: +1 (807) 346-7815

Email: jgoldenb@lakeheadu.ca

Read more about Joanna Goldenberg

Headshot of Amy Parker

Amy

Parker

Review Counsel, Community Legal Services

Personnel

Campus: Thunder Bay

Office Location: PA1002

Phone Number: +1 (807) 346-7815

Email: aparker@lakeheadu.ca

Read more about Amy Parker

Headshot of Mike Maher, review counsel

Mike

Maher

Review Counsel, Community Legal Services

Personnel

Campus: Thunder Bay

Office Location: PA1001AB

Phone Number: +1 807-346-7815

Email: mmaher@lakeheadu.ca

Read more about Mike Maher

Administrative Assistant

Headshot of Tuula

Tuula

Maunula

Legal Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant

Campus: Thunder Bay

Office Location: PA1001

Phone Number: +1 (807) 346-7815

Email: adminpt.lucls@lakeheadu.ca

Read more about Tuula Maunula

Nidhi Verma

Nidhi

Verma

Legal Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant

Campus: Thunder Bay

Office Location: PA1001

Phone Number: +1 807-346-7815

Email: admin.lucls@lakeheadu.ca

Read more about Nidhi Verma