Lawyer, teacher and social justice advocate Marion Overholt, a 1981 graduate of Windsor Law, will begin an appointment as executive director of the faculty’s Community Legal Aid, Legal Assistance of Windsor and poverty law clinics in January 2013.

In making the announcement, dean Camille Cameron emphasized the Faculty of Lawʼs commitment to supporting access to justice and to providing law students with rich opportunities for clinical and experiential learning.

“Access to justice is a cornerstone of our Windsor Law programs and these community legal aid clinics help us to achieve those access to justice aims,” she said.

Cameron said that UWindsor's poverty law clinics play a vital role in the Windsor-Essex community and in the law school curriculum. She also noted that in order to continue to provide effective, relevant legal services to the community and to ensure a high quality clinical experience for students, it is necessary to adapt and to be responsive to rapidly shifting community needs and regulatory demands.

“Ms. Overholt’s strong leadership and grassroots experience will ensure that this change is managed in a way that preserves the service and access to justice foundation on which the clinics are built,” Cameron said.

Overholt has been recognized for her dedication and commitment to the community, including extensive volunteer work with various local organizations, work with Legal Assistance of Windsor as both a manager and a practicing lawyer, and as a valued teacher and mentor to Windsor Law students.

Cameron says she is looking forward to working with Overholt and anticipates that she will be pivotal in building relationships between the law school and the clinics, leading to greater opportunities for students and enhanced community service.