Free legal clinic aims to help Calgary’s South Asian Community

Calgary law firm organizes free family & immigration law event for South Asian community.

A free legal clinic was held in Calgary Sunday to help members of the South Asian community facing family and immigration issues.

The clinic, at the Genesis Centre, was meant to be an accessible and supportive resource for those who don’t know where else to turn.

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The 40-plus people seeking help had the opportunity to speak with legal experts and receive preliminary advice pertaining to their situation.

A partner with the law firm that put on the event says the initiative fills a gap for a growing population.

“What we’re seeing is that this community is almost needing a tailored legal service like this, for vulnerable, low-income families that typically have nowhere else to go,” said Jatin Shory, a partner at Shory Law.

“There are language barriers or cultural barriers. There is just a lack of knowledge on where to access these types of services. And a clinic like this essentially fills a bit of a gap,” he said.

 The law firm is looking at providing more of these free clinics, while broadening the services beyond immigration and family law.

The event was a collaboration between the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) - Calgary chapter, Punjabi Community Health Services Calgary (PCHS) and Shory Law LLP.

With files from CTV’s Shaun Frenette