CLEO’s Fiona MacCool on accessible information
In November 2014, the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice launched a new series on the A2J blog titled “Access to Justice Advocates.” The series is a response to recent reports that have underscored the importance of innovation and imagination in the pursuit of access to justice. At CFCJ, we understand that such efforts come down to people—to the diverse advocates working in different and important ways across the access to justice landscape.
The CFCJ had the exciting opportunity to visit these advocates where they work in order to learn more about their unique perspectives on the issue. Our most recent interviewee, Fiona MacCool of Community Legal Education Network (CLEO), is a Project Manager of Your Legal Rights—an online resource produced by CLEO to provide free legal information for people in Ontario.
Funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario, Your Legal Rights provides practical, easy-to-find legal information produced by approximately three hundred organizations across the province. The website also provides answers to common questions regarding everyday legal problems, an interactive map of key legal and social services in Ontario, and public legal education webinars.
“We are trying to get this information to people in a variety of ways: where they live or based on whatever organizations they trust and work with,” says MacCool, “and it is also a way for us to highlight the amazing work being done by hundreds and hundreds of organizations in Ontario who do public legal education but might not be able to promote it or market it.”
During her interview with CFCJ, MacCool also discussed her history working with non-profit organizations just as the Internet was beginning to emerge. These organizations quickly began to recognize the Internet as a tool for getting information out into the world and into the hands of people who need it in a tradition of transparency and justice.
“The main thing that pulled all [these organizations] together was collaboration,” explains MacCool, “So [these were] not just information websites but places where people can share information and get information from people; let them tell their story and help build the capacity for organizations to work efficiently and collaboratively.”
MacCool’s work with the Your Legal Rights project demonstrates the power of the Internet in providing greater access to justice. The website has become the hub for legal information for everybody in Ontario, not just service providers. The traffic to the website has doubled since its launch in 2011, and there has been an explosion of interest in it in social media. The people of Ontario are seeking more knowledge regarding their legal rights, and CLEO demonstrates that the Internet has become one of the most important tools for responding to this demand.
MacCool was previously the Project Manager of CLEONet—a precursor to Your Legal Rights. For over ten years, she has worked as an IT project manager, software trainer, and web content developer. MacCool is passionate about helping non-profit organizations take advantage of the cost-efficient and time-saving power of the Internet to support community partnerships, share resources, and make a difference.
To watch the full interview with Fiona, check out the A2J Blog this April at www.cfcj-fcjc.org/a2jblog. Would you like to make a submission to the A2J Blog? Do you know an Access to Justice Advocate? Let us know at communications@cfcj-fcjc.org
Your Legal Rights website: www.yourlegalrights.on.ca