I am excited to announce that the return of the popular Women’s Suit Drive later this month.
We are once again accepting women’s suits and professional attire to be donated to law students and newly-qualified lawyers.
All items will be used for The Allard Law Women’s Caucus Suit Up campaign. Students and recently-qualified legal professionals will be able to pick clothing for themselves from the warehouse adjacent to Acumen Law’s Richmond office on Saturday, January 30, and Sunday, January 31, from 10am to 5pm.
The event will be going ahead, rain or shine. The warehouse is located at 140-5800 Cedarbridge Way, Richmond, BC V6X 2A7.
The aim of the suit drive is to provide women starting legal careers with professional clothing. Give us your good condition suits and we’ll help them find grateful new owners. Suits are expensive, especially if you’re just starting out. You can help recently-qualified lawyers and articling students look professional and make a good impression in the office and the courtroom.
Lawyers are expected to wear proper courtroom attire but it’s simply not an option for many fledgling lawyers. At the same time, established legal professionals have closets full of suits they no longer wear that are just gathering dust. Why not give these students a helping hand by giving them courtroom clothing that would otherwise go unused?
So if you have a suit that’s too good to throw away but you don’t wear anymore, you can donate it to us before January 30. The Allard Law Women’s Caucus at UBC will make sure it goes to someone who needs it. Remember, a good suit can help a new lawyer get a job, look professional in court or just gain confidence.
Donations for the women’s suit drive of all new or gently used suits in any size, style or shape and colour are welcome. It doesn’t have to be a full suit. We will accept any articles of clothing that pair well or office attire as well. We can arrange Covid-safe pick-up of clothing. To donate, call 640-685-8889, or email kyla@kylalee.ca. Alternatively, you can drop off clothing at Acumen’s Vancouver office, 210-837 Beatty Street, V6B 2M6, or the Richmond office, 140-5800 Cedarbridge Way, Richmond, BC V6X 2A7 from January 25 to 29 between 9am and 5pm.
If you don’t have clothing to donate but you would still like to help, please share this blog or spread the word about Suit Up. You can also help by giving clothing store gift cards or cash donations which I will use to buy gift cards to give to new lawyers.
It is especially pleasing to be able to host the Suit Up women’s suit drive after Covid-19 forced us to cancel plans for a similar campaign last year.
As the virus spread across the Province in early 2020, we had no other option than to stop all collections and donations of suits. Fortunately, we have been able to find a way to safely resume the suit drive this year.
Holding the suit up campaign inside a warehouse on January 30 and 31 will enable us to maintain a safe distance between visitors. Attendees will be required to wear masks and use hand sanitizer upon entering. Depending on numbers, we will control the number of people in the warehouse at a time to ensure that social distancing is maintained. We ask that people do not try on clothes in order to manage risk.
Our suit drives were massively successful in previous years and we hope this year, despite the difficulties created by Covid-19, it will be just as successful this year.
To arrange Covid-safe pickup for the Suit Up campaign call 604-685-8889 or email kyla@vancouvercriminallaw.com.
The women’s suit drive in Richmond will take place on Saturday, January 30, and Sunday, January 31, from 10am to 5pm at the warehouse located at Unit 140 5800 Cedarbridge Way, BC V6X 2A7.
