Court Volunteer Roles & Application Process
Please review our volunteer opportunities before commencing the application process. If you have questions, please email volunteer@elizabethfrycalgary.ca.
Court Volunteers
Our Court Volunteers support youth and adults appearing in court. This is a highly specialized opportunity and we seek individuals who are capable of committing once weekly for a minimum of one year. Anyone applying to be a Court Volunteer must be able to meet the minimum one-year commitment requirement.
Adult Criminal Court – Case Management Office: Support individuals at the Case Management Office with legal information, plea options, and resources on criminal matters.
Courthouse Lobby: Support those appearing in court on a variety of matters including criminal, traffic & bylaw, etc. Volunteers provide vital legal information to individuals (e.g. on court processes and their options), assist them with navigating the Calgary Courts Centre, and connect them with valuable resources.
Youth Criminal Court: Support youth on the youth criminal court floor with legal information on processes and protocol, and with access to legal counsel and other resources.
Domestic Violence Court: Triage the accused through the legal process by providing appropriate information on court procedures, and connecting them to appropriate resources and partners for legal support.
Calgary Indigenous Court: Support Indigenous clients attending the Calgary Indigenous Court (CIC) with legal information, guidance, and resources. CIC is focused on restorative justice and provides a unique opportunity for our volunteers.
Court Program Volunteer Application Process
- Complete the pre-screening application.
- Upon approval of the pre-screening application, our volunteer application will be sent out to the applicant.
- Applicant to return the completed application along with a recent resume, formal cover letter, and two professional references. References will be checked as part of the application process.
- Approved applicants will be invited to an interview.
- Successful applicants will be requested to provide a Vulnerable Sector Check from the local authorities. Supervisor will send applicant a voucher allowing them to obtain the check free of cost.
- Successful candidates will be given mandatory module training dates to attend should they continue to be interested and remain capable of the commitment requirement. Candidates must complete module training within the first three months of accepting a volunteer position otherwise they will be withdrawn as a volunteer until they complete this training. Candidates are expected to provide their employers advance notification of the module training dates and ensure that other plans, responsibilities, obligations, etc. are addressed prior to the dates in order to assure their attendance. It is recommended that a volunteer who is aware they have a preexisting conflict related to the module training period of their recruitment wait to commence their role in the following quarter to avoid being withdrawn from their position.
- Once module training has been completed, candidates will attend three observation and three shadow shifts before being contracted.
- Upon completion of training and a signed contract, the volunteer is expected to provide a minimum of one shift per week for one complete year. Reliability and punctuality are expected throughout. For those interested in less of a commitment please check with our Team Lead – Volunteer Programs for other opportunities.