Pivot's mandate is to use the law strategically to achieve widespread social change. We work with low-income communities to develop legal strategies to address systemic problems affecting people who are marginalized. We use systemic litigation and public advocacy campaigns to create a broad shifts in laws, policies, and practices that affirm human rights and inclusion.
Please note: Pivot is not a legal clinic or legal aid organization. We don't provide drop-in services or legal advice over the phone or by email. When you contact us for legal support or representation, we will try our best to refer you to an appropriate legal service. Please read below for legal resources that may be of assistance before calling us.
COVID-19 SERVICE UPDATES: Download updated legal referral information with changes in services in response to COVID-19 - Updated on April 6th, 2020
Visit our COVID-19 Resource List for specific supports during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Legal Aid
The Legal Services Society of BC (LSS)
- LSS provides legal help to low-income people who meet certain criteria. If you don't qualify for representation by a legal aid lawyer, you may still be able to get some legal help through LSS. To apply or to find the office nearest you contact LSS:
- Tel: 604-408-2172, 1-866-577-2525
- Website: legalaid.bc.ca
Rise Women’s Legal Centre
- Rise is a community legal centre striving to create accessible legal services that are responsive to the unique needs of self-identifying women, particularly those who are victims of violence, abuse and unequal power dynamics.
- Tel: 604-451-7447
- Website: https://womenslegalcentre.ca
Prisoners' Legal Services
- The West Coast Prison Justice Society promotes the rule of law within prisons and the fair and equal treatment of prisoners. The Society operates Prisoners’ Legal Services, a legal clinic for federal and provincial prisoners in BC.
- Tel: 604-636-0470, 604-636-0464 (Mon - Fri, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
- Website: https://prisonjustice.org
Family Justice Counselling/Family Duty Counsel
- Services for people with lower incomes who are representing themselves in court
- Tel: 604-660-1508
- Website: https://family.legalaid.bc.ca/
Legal Advice & Information
Access Pro Bono
- Access Pro Bono operates a network of clinics across the province that offers free summary legal advice to low and modest-income people.
- Tel: 604-878-7400, 1-877-762-6664
- Website: http://www.accessprobono.ca
Atira Women's Resource Society
- For low-income women (including transwomen) in Vancouver, especially women in the Downtown Eastside, to obtain free legal assistance in a safe and confidential, women’s-only space
- Tel: 604-428-9202, 604-908-0048
- Website: http://www.atira.bc.ca/legal-advocacy
The Law Students' Legal Advice Program (LSLAP)
- LSLAP offers free legal advice to people in the Lower Mainland who cannot afford a lawyer. LSLAP clinics are run by law students from the University of British Columbia who are supervised by practicing lawyers.
- Tel: 604-822-5791
- Website: http://www.lslap.bc.ca
The Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS)
- CLAS may be able to help with human rights claims, judicial reviews, mental health cases, social assistance, welfare, Canada Pension Plan, and Worksafe BC issues.
- Tel: 604-685-3425, 1-888-685-6222
- Website: www.clasbc.net
MOSAIC's Legal Advocacy Program
- This program assists temporary foreign workers and offers advice on immigration and refugee law.
- Tel: 604-254-9626
- Website: http://www.mosaicbc.com
UBC Indigenous Community Legal Clinic
- This clinic provides Aboriginal clients with help related to many legal issues. Their office is located at 101 - 148 Alexander Street, Vancouver.
- Tel: 604-684-7334
- Website: http://www.allard.ubc.ca/iclc/indigenous-community-legal-clinic
Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre
- This non-profit organization is part of a networked community of helping professionals who prioritize the autonomy and dignity of transgender and gender diverse people. CWHWC provides trans* clients with summary advice.
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.cwhwc.com
Clicklaw
- This online legal information and education site includes information about family law, immigration law, personal injury law, employment law, consumer law and much more. Clicklaw also provides online access to court forms and information about legal resources across BC.
- Website: www.clicklaw.bc.ca
Lisa Rupert, YWCA (Women Only)
- Affordable housing and violence prevention services
- Tel: 604-734-5722
- Website: https://ywcavan.org/contact-us
Respect at Work Legal Clinic, ISSofBC (Newcomers)
- Free legal clinic in the Lower Mainland focusing on providing assistance to newcomers who have faced sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace, whatever their status in Canada.
- Tel: 604-684-3599
- Website: https://issbc.org/our-services/respect-at-work-legal-clinic
Poverty Law Program, Langley Community Service (Serving Langley)
- Free legal clinic serving the Langley area, advocates focused on aiding with Income assistance, Housing, Federal Income benefits, Public Legal Education (PLE),
Resource and referrals. They help with BC Housing applications and have a pro-Bono law clinic on the 2nd Wednesday of every month. - Tel: 604-534-7921
- Website: https://www.lcss.ca/programs-and-services/povertylaw/
Advocacy
Battered Women's Support Services
- Education, advocacy, and support services to assist all women in its aim to work towards the elimination of violence and to work from a feminist perspective that promotes equality for all women
- Tel: 604-687-1867
- Website: https://www.bwss.org
BC211
- This phone line provides free, confidential information and referrals to community resources including advocacy and legal help, and housing search assistance. Multi-lingual telephone assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- 24-hour phone line: 211
- Tel: 604-875-6381, 604-875-0885, 604-836-6381 (text)
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.bc211.ca
Disability Alliance BC
- Our mission is to support people, with all disabilities, to live with dignity, independence and as equal and full participants in the community.
- Legal Advocates can help with Disability Law, Mental Health Law, Human Rights Law, and Welfare/EI
- Tel: 604-872-1278
- Website: http://disabilityalliancebc.org
Downtown Eastside Women's Centre
- Provides a safe space for women and children in the Downtown Eastside. The Centre offers practical support, basic necessities and hot nutritious meals to over 500 women and children every day, and helps connect individuals to a continuum of services including outreach, advocacy, wellness, recreation, housing and skills development.
- Tel: 604-681-8480
- Website: http://dewc.ca
DTES SRO Collaborative
- Working to improve habitability, safety and prevent renovictions in SRO hotels in Vancouver Coast Salish Territories
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://dtescollaborative.org
First United Church Advocacy
- First United Church provides housing and poverty law advocacy. Sign up for an appointment on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00-11:00 a.m., and Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
- You can drop in to their offices at 542 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
- Tel: 604-681-8365
- Website: https://firstunited.ca
Kettle Friendship Society
- Supporting people living with mental illness through housing, employment, advocacy and support services
- Tel: 604-253-0669, 604-251-2801
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.thekettle.ca
PACE Society
- Made up of dedicated, compassionate individuals who are committed to providing Sex Worker-led and driven programs and services to Sex Workers
- Tel: 604-872-7651
- Website: http://www.pace-society.org
Seniors First BC
- Seniors First BC works to prevent elder abuse across the entire province. We provide assistance and support to older adults who are, or may be, abused and those whose rights have been violated.
- Tel: 604-437-1940, 1-866-437-1940
- Website: http://seniorsfirstbc.ca
St. Paul's Advocacy
- Offers advice and advocacy on a number of legal issues. Their office at 1130 Jervis Street is open Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 am to 4:00 p.m., and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Tel: 604-683-4287
- Website: stpaulsanglican.bc.ca/site1/outreach-2/advocacy-outreach/
Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC)
- TRAC provides free legal information about residential tenancy law in BC.
- Tel: 604-255-0546, 1-800-665-1185
- Website: http://www.tenants.bc.ca
Vancouver Tenants Union
- The Vancouver Tenants Union seeks to build a base of tenants throughout the city to establish political power to create change.
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.vancouvertenantsunion.ca
Police Complaints
Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (Municipal Police)
- The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner promotes accountable policing within our communities and enhances public confidence in law enforcement through impartial, transparent civilian oversight.
- Tel: 250-356-7458, 1-877-999-8707
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.opcc.bc.ca
Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP
- The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP is an independent agency that reviews complaints made by the public about the on-duty conduct of RCMP members.
- Tel: 1-800-665-6878
- Website: https://www.crcc-ccetp.gc.ca
BC Civil Liberties Association
- The BC Civil Liberties Association was established in 1962 and is the oldest and most active civil liberties group in Canada. Its mandate is to preserve, defend, maintain, and extend civil liberties and human rights in Canada.
- Tel: 604-687-2919
- Website: https://bccla.org
If you need information about your rights when dealing with private security or want to make a complaint against a private security guard, visit BC’s Registrar of Security Services
Referrals by Area of Law
| Most Areas of Law | |
| Child Protection | |
| Criminal Law | |
| Disability Law | |
| Elder Law | |
| Employment Law | |
| Family Law | |
| Housing Justice | |
| Human Rights | |
| Immigration Issues | |
| Mental Health Law | |
| Personal Injury | |
| Policing Issues | |
| Welfare/EI | |
| Worksafe | |
| Services for Women |