What is a Community Outreach Initiative session?

Community Outreach Initiatives are free information sessions about the law.  Presented by a volunteer lawyer or other legal expert, they help ensure equal access to the legal system and are organized for community agencies across Nova Scotia.

The sessions are generally around an hour long,  and include a question and answer period.  They can be on any number of legal topics that the agency thinks will be useful for their clients or community.  Past topics have included the Canada Pension Plan, power of attorney, disability and employment, landlord-tenant issues, wills, and many others.

These Community Outreach sessions give the people served by Nova Scotia not-for-profit agencies the opportunity to learn more about their legal rights.  Without basic legal information, it’s impossible to act on your rights.  Since these sessions do provide access to legal information, they help level the playing field in society by giving people who face extra challenges like disability a better opportunity to advocate for themselves.

How do I attend a Community Outreach Initiative session?

Check the events section of our website for upcoming talks – they’re always free and open to the public.

Know about an agency that would benefit?

reachAbility partners with agencies across Nova Scotia to provide Community Outreach Initiative talks to Nova Scotians with disabilities.  reachAbility never charges our partner agencies anything for these sessions.  They are completely free.

The partner agency’s role is to identify a legal topic of interest to their clients or staff, secure a venue for the event (usually at the agency), and ensure a minimum turnout for the session.

reachAbility’s role is to find a legal expert who specializes in the topic requested by our partner agency and to provide support with publicizing the event.

If you’re involved with an agency whose clients or community would benefit from information about the law, please call reachAbility Legal Services at (902) 429-5878 or email us at legal@reachability.org to find out how to you can get a free legal information session at your organization.

Know a legal expert or lawyer who would like to present?

reachAbility often draws volunteer presenters from our roster of Legal Referral Service lawyers, but we also have many legal experts who volunteer exclusively to present at Community Outreach Initiative sessions.  If you know a legal expert who might be interested in presenting, please ask them to call reachAbility Legal Services at (902) 429-5878 or email us at legal@reachability.org.

Specific Accommodation(s) available upon request