Suggested Resources

For Use With Clients:

Telephone Legal Information Services

Dial-A-Law
Canadian Bar Association
BC Branch
(Information and Referral)
In Lower Mainland Tel: (604) 687-4680
Toll Free: 1-800-565-5297

Law Line
Legal Services Society
Legal Resource Centre
(Information and Referral)
In Lower Mainland Tel: (604) 660-4673

Lawyer Referral Services
Canadian Bar Association
BC Branch
(Referral only)
In Lower Mainland Tel: (604) 687-3221
Toll Free: 1-800-663-1919

Video Legal Information

Note: The videos listed in this brochure can be borrowed from the Legal Services Society Resource Centre [call audio visual clerk 660-4665 (M,Tue,Th) or Fax 660-9579; 200 - 1140 West Pender, Vancouver, BC V6Y 2C3] or obtained from the specified distributors listed below.

Being a Witness; BC Court System; and Welcome to Court Services: The People Who Make It All Work, Law Courts Education Society of BC

Do I Really Need a Will?, 411 Seniors' Centre

Helping Families Through Separation: Family Court Counsellors; and Young Offenders Act: A Canadian Approach to Juvenile Justice, Justice Institute of BC

In Search of Safety; WCB -- How It Works for You (dated), Workers' Compensation Board of BC

The Malcolm Matter: A Family Court Case (dated); Surviving as a Tenant, Legal Services Society

Sexual Harassment on the Job: Management Responsibilities, Identification, Prevention and Penalties; Witness Preparation: For Labour Hearings and Tribunals, Canada Law Book

"What We're All About:" Office of the Public Trustee, Office of the Public Trustee

Additional Video Resources

The Law Society of BC created a series of one half hour programs on legal issues in 1989-91. Copies of Legal Wise episodes are available on loan from the Legal Services Society Legal Resource Centre.

Distributors of Videos:

Canada Law Book Inc
240 Edward Street
Aurora, Ontario L4G 3S9

411 Senior's Centre Society
411 Dunsmuir Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1X4

Justice Institute of BC
New Westminister
715 McBride Blvd
New Westminister, BC

Law Courts Education Society
221 - 800 Smithe Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2E1

Office of the Public Trustee
Communications Coordinator
600 - 808 West Hastings
Vancouver, BC V6C 3L3

Workers' Compensation Board of BC
Film and Posters Section
6711 Elmbridge Way
Richmond, BC V7C 4N1

Legal Information Classes

Law Courts Education Society
221 - 800 Smithe Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2E1
Provincial Office: (604) 660-9870
(Offices in six regions; court orientation, including classes in several languages)

People's Law School
150 - 900 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2M4
Tel: (604) 331-5400
(Legal information classes in 60 communities, including classes in select languages)


For Use By Lawyers:

Note: Many of these resources are available from the Legal Services Society Legal Resource Centre or Literacy BC, or contact the CBA BC Branch Plain Language Committee of the Law Practice Management Section for more information.

How to Recognize if Your Client has a Literacy Problem

Adult Literacy Work in Canada, Richard Darville, 1992 (can be borrowed from Literacy BC)

Literacy, Economy and Society, Results of the First International Literacy Survey, Organization For Economic Cooperation and Development and Statistics Canada, Ottawa, 1995, Toll Free Order Line:1-800-267-6677

Literacy, the Gift of Understanding, (video), BC Literacy Public Awareness Campaign, (can be borrowed from Literacy BC)

Survey of Literacy Skills Used in Everyday Activities, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, 1990, Toll Free Order Line: 1-800-267-6677

Adapting to Meet Client Needs
-- Writing and Speaking Clearly

Plain Language Legal Writing, Cheryl Stephens, PlainLanguage.Com, Vancouver Canada Tel: (604) 739-6884

Better Writing for Lawyers, Timothy Perrin, The Law Society of Upper Canada

The Plain English Guide, Martin Cutts, Oxford University Press, 1995

Plain Language: Clear and Simple, 1990, National Literacy Secretariat, Canada Communications Group Publishing, Customer Services, Ottawa, Tel: (819) 956-4800 (audio cassette also available -- catalogue #C153-3-3-1991E-A)
also available online as Plain Train

Clear Writer's Hit Squad, (video and workbook, 1991), Frontier College, 35 Jackes Ave, Toronto, Ontario V4T 1E2 , Tel: (416) 923-3591

Decline and Fall of Gobbledygook: A Report on Plain Language Documentation, Canadian Bar Association, Ottawa, Ontario, 1990, copies available from the BC Branch

Legal Writing for Lawyers: Everything you wanted to know about legalese...but were afraid to ask, Plain Language Committee, State Bar of Michigan (video, with humorous approach -- can be borrowed from Legal Services Society, Legal Resource Centre)

Plain Language for Lawyers, Michele Asprey, Grant & Sons, Florida, 1995, Tel: 1-800-942-8683 or Fax: (813) 778-5252

Writing in Plain English, Robert Eagleson, Australian Government Publishing Services, GPO Box 84, Canberra ACT 2601

Taking Action

Literacy Audit for Social Agencies, 1992, Literacy BC, Vancouver

Reading the Legal World: Literacy and Justice in Canada, 1992, Canadian Bar Association Task Force Report, copies available from BC Branch.

Taking Down the Wall of Words: Community Agencies and Literacy, 1990, John Howard Society of Canada, 22 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 1E5 Tel: (613) 728-1865 Fax: (613) 729-7715

On Line/Newsletters/Pictionaries

Legalpix, A Pictorial Journey Through BC's Criminal Justice System, 1995, Law Courts Education Society, Vancouver (first of a series to explain the justice system using pictures to illustrate common legal words)

Plain Language On Line Centre: http://plainlanguagenetwork.org/

Plain Language On Line Training: http://plainlanguagenetwork.org/plaintrain/index.html

Rapport: News About Plain Language

Literacy Organizations

Literacy BC
622 - 510 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1L8
Toll Free: 1-800-663-1293

ABC Canada
1450 Don Mills Road
Don Mills, Ontario M3B 2X7
Tel: (416) 442-2292 Fax: (416) 442-2293

National Adult Literacy Database Inc (NALD)
Scovil House, 703 Brunswick Street
Fredericton, NB E3B 1H8
Tel: (506) 457-6900 Fax: (506) 457-6910

National Literacy Secretariat
Human Resources Development Canada
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0M5
Tel: (819) 953-5286/5280 Fax: (819) 953-8076


Native and Multicultural Legal Assistance Organizations

Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies (AMSSA) 385 Boundary Road
Vancouver, BC V5K 4S1
Tel: (604) 298-0747
(umbrella organization, for resources and referral throughout the province)

Immigrant Information Program
Law Courts Education Society
Vancouver Provincial Court
222 Main Street
Vancouver, BC V6A 2S8
Tel: Chinese - 660-6088, Vietnamese - 660-6087, Spanish -- 660-6090, Coordinator -- 660-6090
(information and referral on criminal court process)

Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISS)
501 - 333 Terminal Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 684-2561
(legal assistance and language training for recent arrivals)

Legal Services Society:
(1) Native Programs Branch, Main Office
1500 - 1140 West Pender, Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 660-4600

(2) Vancouver Aboriginal Justice Centre Society
191 Alexander Street, Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 684-2121
(also, native community law offices in Burns Lake, Duncan, Fort St. James, Hazelton, Lillooet, Lytton, Masset/Skidegate, Merritt, New Aiyansh, Port Alberni, Prince George, and Terrace)

(3) Community Law Clinic
Immigration/Refugee Law Clinic
1220 - 605 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 687-1620

Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (MOSAIC)

1522 Commercial
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 254-0244
(multilingual social services and language aid, interpretation, translation)

Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of BC
404 West Esplanade
North Vancouver, BC V7M 1A6
Tel: (604) 985-5355
(assist native people in conflict with the law, 30 offices throughout BC)

Orientation Adjustment Services for Immigrant Society (OASIS)
8165 Main Street
Vancouver, BC V5X 3L2
Tel: (604) 324-8186
(legal assistance, counselling, job training for Indo-Canadians)

United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society (SUCCESS)
87 East Pender
Vancouver, BC
Tel: (604) 684-1628
(legal clinic, interpretation, language and job training for Chinese)

Lawyers For Literacy Project:

Lawyers for Literacy Project
Plain Language Committee
Attention: Cheryl Stephens
Law Practice Management Section
Canadian Bar Association
BC Branch
P.O. Box 33813, Station D
Vancouver, BC V6J 4L6
Tel: (604) 739-0443 Fax: (604) 739-0522
Email mail@cherylstephens.com


Lawyers for Literacy is an initiative of the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch originally funded by the National Literacy Secretariat.
Now a self-funding project, we welcome your donations made payable to Lawyers for Literacy, B.C. Branch, Canadian Bar Association.
For information, or to contact the project manager, email Plain Language Committee, Law Practice Management Section.
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