Parkdale or CLASP

[IDKWHATIMDOING]

Hi everyone!

Just got interview invitations for both CLASP and Parkdale. Very grateful that I got the opportunity to interview for both but a little stuck on whether I would go with Parkdale or CLASP IF i got an offer for both. Any insights on either clinic? Culture? anything would be very helpful! thank you in advance! 

[Scrantonicity2]

I'm a Parkdale alum. It has absolutely been the highlight of my law school experience so far. You will learn more about legal procedure than any course could teach you. You will get to work on meaningful cases and go to bat for the "little guy" against powerful people/institutions who aren't used to being challenged (employers, landlords, government). You will learn very quickly (in housing, SAVAH, and workers' rights at least) whether you find litigation energizing or dreaful. Depending on your previous experiences, you will also be directly exposed to the brutal realities of poverty in a way that will (hopefully) change the way you see the world.

You will also work VERY hard, and the hours can be long. This is true in all the divisions, but particularly true in housing. You will have a heavy caseload, and each case represents a very real person who will be relying on your work. I've heard from a lot of people that they didn't feel like they had enough supervision. That wasn't my experience, but I want to be transparent about that. Personally, I liked that I really had carriage of my files and could manage them myself (obviously with input and sign-off from my supervising lawyer). I learned a lot that way.

I don't have experience at CLASP, so I can't comment directly. I think the worload issues are similar. CLASP also covers some areas of law that Parkdale doesn't (and vice versa I think?), so that's worth considering. FWIW, I think that Parkdale places much greater emphasis on community organizing and activism for legal reform. Generally, the politics at Parkdale are explicitly lefty and, at times, pretty radical. I think CLASP is more strictly focused on casework and less involved in broader systemic reform issues.

 

 

[ZineZ]

I worked at CLASP and I loved it. Similar to @Scrantonicity2, legal clinic work was a highlight for me and one of the best things I did during my time at the school. The files were interesting, the atmosphere was fantastic and the work was incredibly gratifying. One note - there is also a focus on advocacy & system reform at CLASP. Less than Parkdale - but there's a fair amount of community involvement (working with organizations that support the Jane-Finch community, political advocacy, providing legal education sessions etc). I was quite involved on that front and there's enough work to go around if people are interested.  

Few notes about the program:

• It gives full-time employment for the summer and then keeps you on for the rest of the year (with a significantly reduced course load). So you end up getting about 12 months of experience total - which is really gratifying as I was able to see some of my files through from beginning to end. The challenge is that even though you're supposed to be working much less during the school year (with the help of volunteers who work under you), you're going to end up pulling longer hours. 
• Having access to the offices during the school year rocked. It was nice to have the ability to just pop into the clinic and spend time with the other Division Leaders whenever you wanted.

Generally, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. IIRC, Parkdale didn't guarantee a summer gig when I was at school - I'm not sure if that has now changed.  I was going to go with CLASP regardless for a number of reasons (it's one of the reasons I chose Oz), but for some people I knew - the summer experience was a big draw. 

And on the flip side, taking CLASP means that you don't get a break from being at Osgoode for a full year. Parkdale brings you downtown and exposes you to a very different atmosphere. The advocacy organizations down there are fantastic, and Parkdale's rep is fantastic.