December 7, 2021 marks the one-year anniversary of the sudden death of Joseph Arvay, OC, QC. Joe was one of Canada’s leading constitutional lawyers.
“Joe was widely recognized as one of the most brilliant and successful constitutional and civil liberties lawyers of his time, and his passion and commitment to social justice through the practice of public law is unparalleled. We still feel his loss deeply, and are now trying to honour him and his legacy the best way we know how - by continuing his important work and by looking for ways to support others in doing the same.” Robin Gage, Managing Partner of Arvay Finlay LLP.
The University of Victoria Faculty of Law has established the Joseph Arvay Legacy Fund, through which it has now established the Joseph Arvay Public Interest Internship. Through this program, law students will have the opportunity to work with not-for-profit and public interest organizations. Sponsoring organizations will be selected on an annual basis, based on their ability to provide meaningful work experience to students, with a preference given to organizations that align with Joe’s passions.
We are pleased to announce that the inaugural internship will take place in summer 2022 with the BC Civil Liberties Association. The BCCLA is one one of Canada’s oldest and most active civil liberties and human rights groups. For sixty years, the BCCLA has been working in the courts, legislatures, and communities to advance human rights and civil liberties. The BCCLA’s work spans a range of civil liberties issues, including police accountability, prisons and criminalization, Indigenous rights, national security and surveillance, privacy rights, patients’ rights, freedom of expression, and equality rights.
Joe fearlessly advanced the work of the BCCLA throughout his career. He represented the BCCLA on a pro bono basis for three decades in many ground-breaking cases that literally made Canadian legal history. Joe fought to achieve full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, established the constitutional right to physician-assisted dying for the seriously ill, and represented the BCCLA in its successful constitutional challenge to prolonged, indefinite solitary confinement in federal prisons.
Grace Pastine, Litigation Director of the BCCLA states: “Joe is remembered as a hero to the BCCLA. The BCCLA is honored to be chosen to host the inaugural fellowship for the Joseph Arvay Legacy Fund. We are proud to continue Joe’s incredible legacy by helping to develop the lawyers who will follow in Joe’s footsteps.”
For more information please contact:
Robin Gage, Managing Partner, Arvay Finlay LLP: rgage@arvayfinlay.ca or 778-557-2405. Grace Pastine, Litigation Director, BC Civil Liberties Association: grace@bccla.org or 778-918-0250. Liz Eby, University of Victoria Faculty of Law: lawdev@uvic.ca or 250-853-3518
To donate to the Joseph Arvay Legacy Fund at the University of Victoria, click on this link (https://extrweb.uvic.ca/donate-online/joseph-arvay-legacy-fund) or contact 250-472-4924