LawLine Staff Lawyer for the Legal Services Society of British Columbia

Manjeet Chana, B.A., LLB

"As professionals in BC, my colleagues and I give free legal advice that enables callers to resolve their legal problems and, as a result, to lead happier and healthier lives. I believe the LawLINE team is making a real difference in the lives of BC residents."

Find out more about her exciting career and contributions by clicking below

My Job

Describe your job for me:

I have been a staff lawyer with the LawLINE since it started in September 2003. LawLINE was the first free telephone legal advice service for low income people in Canada. It developed after Legal Services Society (LSS) experienced significant funding cuts in 2002. 

Since that time, BC’s legal aid system has undergone a fair amount of restructuring and this has impacted the LawLINE and my job responsibilities.

Originally, my job involved speaking with callers over several hours a day, providing legal information and advice to low income individuals in various areas of social justice law including aboriginal, consumer, criminal, debt, employment, family, health and estates, housing, human rights, immigration, income security, and torts. 

As the LawLINE grew, I was one of a staff of 8 lawyers and 4 paralegals, each taking several calls daily from a single telephone queue.

 

What’s the job like now?

My role previously focused on taking calls and providing legal advice to callers. However, my job responsibilities evolved over time in response to various operational and procedural changes that LawLINE has experienced. For example, in July 2008, Legal Services Society adopted a call centre system where incoming calls are screened based on coverage and financial eligibility policies and then directed to appropriate legal resources, including LawLINE. At the LawLINE level, calls are initially taken by paralegals and have a fairly quick turnaround. Until this April, the more complex calls were escalated to staff lawyers, including myself. 

In April of this year, LawLINE was impacted by funding shortfalls, resulting in the loss of three staff lawyer positions. Consequently, I am only one of two staff lawyers remaining at LawLINE. Our responsibilities now are primarily supervisory and include providing assistance to staff paralegals and other staff members with cases, providing and attending training, and handling complex calls.

In addition to the reduction of staff in April 2009, the scope of areas of law covered by LawLINE was reduced to those most affected by the economic downturn. LawLINE now provides free legal advice about debtor’s assistance, employment law, family law, health/estates/seniors issues, housing law, and income security issues.

 

So what does a typical day look like in your position?

Everyday at the LawLINE is different and interesting. There is no typical day!

The LawLINE takes calls between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays (with the exception of Wednesdays when LawLINE closes at 2:30 p.m.) and the remainder of the day is often spent researching and working on callers’ files.

On a daily basis, my job involves a variety of work – everything from working with staff on caller’s cases and my own complex cases, reviewing documents, and researching law to developing and attending training sessions, formulating policies and procedures, and participating in meetings and projects.

 

My Career

What’s your career path thus far?

I have been interested in law for many years. After high school, I went to the University of British Columbia where I obtained my Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. 

I went straight into the Faculty of Law at UBC where I achieved my law degree. I worked as an articled student for a year and then practiced for three years at a private law firm before coming to Legal Services Society in 2003.

 

What brought you to your current position?

In grade 7, I played the part of a lawyer in a few mock trials like Jack and the Beanstalk and Goldilocks. That’s when I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in law. I also took a law class in high school and worked in a law firm during the summer breaks while studying for my undergraduate degree. While working in private practice, I obtained valuable legal, writing, and analytical skills and courtroom experience. When I saw the posting for the LawLINE staff lawyer position at the Legal Services Society, I was excited by the potential to use my skills to assist low income people with legal problems.

I believe that if you find a job that matches your skills and interests, your passion and commitment for your work energizes you and, in turn, benefits those you wish to help. I enjoy the work I do in the social justice legal field and feel that the work I am doing makes all those years of studying worthwhile.

 

What are some major work-related accomplishments?

When I first started with Legal Services Society, the LawLINE telephone advice service was just beginning as a pilot project. Because it was a new service involving newly designed computer and telephone systems, policies and procedures needed to be developed, tested, and implemented, and I participated in these processes in addition to helping people with their legal problems over the telephone.  

Also, LawLINE is fairly technologically advanced.  One of the significant features of our project is that files are created and stored in an electronic database rather than on paper. This has many advantages, including helping to preserve our environment.

I would also say that every time a colleague or I assist a caller over the telephone, it is a significant accomplishment knowing that we have provided legal advice and options to a caller to help resolve their legal problems when they might not have other options.

 

My History

What are some of the typical legal issues you handle?

We keep summaries of some of our cases and there are a few that come to my mind:

  • An older gentleman with a heart condition called about a credit card debt that he owed to a bank. His only source of income was welfare disability benefits electronically deposited into his bank account. The caller had fallen behind in his payments to the bank and the bank set off the amount it was owed against his welfare income in his bank account. As a result, his rent cheque bounced and he was given an eviction notice. LawLINE wrote a letter to the bank explaining the law and the caller was able to access his funds to pay rent soon after.

  • LawLINE received a call from someone who was living alone on a ranch in a small, remote BC town without running water, telephone service, etc. He could not continue to afford to pay his mortgage and foreclosure proceedings were started in BC Supreme Court. The individual called LawLINE near the end of his redemption period as he did not want to lose his property. On the caller’s behalf, a LawLINE staff member contacted the creditor’s lawyer and negotiated an extension of the redemption period during which the caller was hoping to obtain refinancing that would stop the foreclosure proceedings.

  • An elderly caller phoned for legal assistance regarding a debt owed on a car lease by her husband who was living in a care facility and could not drive. The caller told the leasing company about her husband’s poor health, and she was told that payments still had to be made. The caller was unable to afford making the payments and on contacting the leasing company was told that if payments were not made, the company could seize the car and that would end the matter.  However, after the car was seized, the caller received a bill for few thousand dollars.  LawLINE wrote a letter to the leasing company about BC’s “seize or sue” law and the company decided not to pursue the husband for the debt.

 

What is the biggest hurdle you have had to overcome while working at LSS?

In my job, the biggest hurdle I’ve had to overcome is actually a personal one - finding a balance between work and home life. Often, I want to stay and work until the early part of the evening, but I need to go home and be with my family.  Sometimes, though, when I am at home, it is difficult not to think about some of the cases I have handled or assisted with that day.

 

My Thoughts

What is the importance of the LawLINE at Legal Services Society?

Legal Services Society has various mandates, including assisting individuals to resolve their legal problems and facilitate their access to justice and giving priority to identifying and assessing the legal needs of low-income individuals in British Columbia. I believe that LawLINE is an important LSS project because it helps LSS meet both of these mandates.

LawLINE is a valuable service because our staff provides legal information and advice to people who are unable to afford a lawyer but need access to legal resources.  In the current economic climate in particular, many people are struggling with a number of legal issues, including employment loss, foreclosure, debt, and family law problems.

LawLINE staff members are dedicated to helping callers  assess the legal issues, do legal research if necessary, and provide the caller with legal information and advice as to their options.   

 

What’s the best thing about your job?

The best part of my job is helping people with their legal problems. Throughout BC, low income people  who meet financial and coverage eligibility guidelines can obtain legal advice from the LawLINE by calling either a local or a toll free number. This is particularly helpful to those who live in remote towns or smaller communities that have little or no access to legal resources. Often, callers will tell us that we are their last or only resource for legal advice. Callers also express their appreciation of LawLINE’s assistance, and it is rewarding at the end of a call to know that we have provided them with helpful advice and direction in resolving their legal problem(s).

 

Can you tell me a little bit about your home/personal life?

I live with my husband and young son in Vancouver. They brighten my life and give me a lot of joy. As I mentioned before, my job is a hard one to leave at work at the end of the day. Some of the callers are in quite difficult circumstances, and it is hard not to worry about them. But, my son makes me smile and laugh – he does a wonderful job of changing my focus and taking my mind off work.

 

What do you think is in the future for legal services in BC?

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about access to justice, and I believe that the LawLINE is a cost-effective service which helps to provide access to legal services to those who need legal advice but cannot afford a lawyer.

Unfortunately, the future of the LawLINE service is in jeopardy. We only have funding until March 2010 and the project may end if funding cannot be found. I believe it will be a significant loss to the average person attempting to access legal help to deal with their urgent legal issues.

 

What is the value of Professionals to BC?

BC professionals have various important jobs but all share one thing in common – we all strive to improve the overall quality of life for people in our province. Professionals helping British Columbians is part of what makes BC the “best place on earth” to live.

 

What does the phrase Professionals Making a Difference in BC mean to you?

To me, it means people having education and specialized training that they use to help others and improve their lives. As professionals in BC, my colleagues and I give free legal advice that enables callers to resolve their legal problems and, as a result, to lead happier and healthier lives.  I believe in the work I do as a member of the LawLINE team and feel that we are making a real difference in the lives of thousands of BC residents.