OUR STORY
Rise Women’s Legal Centre (Rise) is BC’s only non-profit dedicated to providing family law services to women and gender diverse people. We first opened our donors in 2016 after many years of research conducted by West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund (West Coast LEAF), which culminated in their 2014 report Putting Justice Back on the Map. The report found that massive cuts to legal aid had a devastating, disproportionate impact on women, and identified the need for more pro-bono and accessible legal services. Rise first opened under a student clinic model, with unbundled (limited) legal services provided by upper year law students from the University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law.
Since 2016, we have grown substantially. Today, we provide a wide range of family law services to clients through legal navigators, family law advocates, staff lawyers, volunteer lawyers, law and social work students, and our network of over 70 community partner organizations. We provide training, mentorship, and resources to support workers and advocates across the province so that they are better able to assist their clients as they navigate the family law system. We also advocate for systemic change to improve the experiences of survivors of family violence in the legal system through original research, written submissions, collaboration with legal system stakeholders, and strategic litigation.
Our Roots
In 2002, BC’s Provincial government began making drastic cuts to legal aid, with family law services severely restricted — the area of coverage most accessed by women. It quickly became clear that these cuts not only restricted the rights and freedoms of women and gender diverse people, but also threatened the safety of survivors of family violence.
When they cannot access legal services, women and gender diverse people may remain in violent relationships, lose parenting rights to their children, or abandon important economic entitlements like child support, spousal support, and property division.
Rise takes a flexible and collaborative approach to providing legal services. When clients come to Rise they find support, empowerment, and safety, for themselves, and their children.
As long as gender inequality exists, Rise will exist, and will work to improve the family law system, for all.
Rise Today
Thanks to our generous grantors, donors, and supporters, Rise has grown to include many programs that serve the needs of women and gender diverse people in all parts of the province. As the only service of our kind in BC, without our work, many women and gender diverse people would have nowhere to turn.
Rise assists over 2,000 women and gender diverse people a year, and we are a leading voice for family violence in family law. We provide compassionate, and trauma informed legal assistance to our clients, and train law students, social work students, lawyers, and support workers on how to assist clients who have experienced family violence navigate the family law system. We also conduct original research into how family violence is addressed through BC’s Family Law Act (FLA) and family law system, with the goal of improving outcomes for survivors.
Timeline
2016
Rise is founded in partnership with UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law and West Coast LEAF.
2021
Rise’s first original research report, Why Can’t Everyone Just Get Along? is released.
2018
Rise expands services to clients located outside the Lower Mainland, and establishes a community partner model.
2022
Rise’s team expands to include more lawyers and advocates thanks to funding from the Department of Justice and the Law Foundation of BC.
2019
Rise begins providing training and resources to support workers and family law advocates.
2026
Rise’s staff grows to over 35 dedicated professionals, committed to improving the legal system for all.
In this video: Ana Mihajlovic, now a family lawyer, and a Rise alumni (May- August 2016) taking about the opening of Rise and experience as a student clinician.
In this video: Kim Hawkins, founding Executive Director talking about the role of Rise followed by Kasari Govender, BC’s Human Rights Commissioner talking about the beginnings of Rise.
In this video: The Honorable Donna Martinson talking about Rise’s evolution followed by Kim Hawkins, Executive Director talking about our generous funders and donors.
How you can support us
Rise Women’s Legal Centre is a registered charity.
#76336 8099 RR0001
A tax receipt will be issued for every donation in any amount.
We accept donations online, or throughcheques to:
Rise Women’s Legal Centre
Suite #820, 510 Burrard St.
Vancouver, BC V6C 3A8
Questions about donating and giving? Contact development@womenslegalcentre.ca