ClickLaw: Public Legal Education
- Education
- Social Justice
Clicklaw provides plain-language legal information and referral services specifically designed to address the most common legal questions encountered by British Columbians. The content is carefully curated by the law librarians from Courthouse Libraries BC (CLBC) to enhance public access to justice.
The Challenge
Aging infrastructure
Since its launch in 2009, clicklaw.bc.ca has served as an online hub for public legal education in British Columbia. Over the years, however, the site’s aging infrastructure had become difficult to maintain. The content management was fragmented across external contributors, and the search experience was limited. Critically, the site’s architecture no longer reflected how people sought help, and needed a major accessibility overhaul.
The Solution
Empowering users
This project aimed to modernize the site from the ground up — not just visually, but structurally. Our role was to take the user experience and design direction provided by Spatial R&D and deliver a robust, extensible Drupal platform that would allow the CLBC team to create flexible landing pages and share curated resources and services. The ultimate goal was to strengthen user trust.
Planning and prototyping
We began with a comprehensive technical discovery process that included an audit of the platform specifications as well as migration planning to ensure content maintenance needs were well-considered. During this phase, we validated the proposed information architecture and identified opportunities to simplify backend complexity while enhancing the editorial and user experience.
We moved into iterative prototyping and development, focusing on refining search functionality, optimizing workflows, and building a platform that would be sustainable and scalable over time. Working closely with Clicklaw’s team, we solidified the plan for search interactions and content curation.
Search that users understand
We led a collaborative, iterative prototyping process to refine how search would function across the site, focusing on making it intuitive for users who may be searching under stress or with limited legal knowledge.
The result was a dynamic, responsive search experience powered by SOLR. Filters update progressively based on user selections, helping narrow results without overwhelming. High-value content is prioritized in results, and contextual content blocks adjust based on user behaviour. This solution helps users quickly connect with the information they need, even if they’re unsure where to begin.
Flexible content management
We replaced the legacy model with an in-house editorial system built for clarity and control. Using Drupal Layout Builder and a custom suite of blocks, editors can:
- Select and feature specific resources on landing pages
- Build accordion sections with embedded content
- Curate service listings for each topic or subtopic
- Add contextual search blocks that adapt based on what the user is viewing
This editorial toolkit balances control and flexibility, making it easy to keep content current and responsive to changing needs.
A hub for legal help
Each page acts as a curated hub — bringing together hand-picked resources, embedded common questions, and a directory of reliable resources including mostly free or low-cost legal services available throughout the province. To mirror how people actually seek legal help, we implemented structured topics and subtopics to create a searchable online library. This structure supports multiple entry points for users: they can browse by topic, follow guided pathways, or jump directly into search. It also gives the content management team the ability to evolve and adjust content as laws change or new user needs emerge.
The new site was designed to empower individuals to take informed steps in their legal journeys, regardless of their background or familiarity with the legal system. Instead of sorting through overwhelming search engine results, Clicklaw provides a user-friendly way for people to find trusted answers to important legal questions.
