or those of you who might not know much about Ontario's legal clinics, this article gives some background information. In the spirit of our times, I have also listed some good internet resources.
The legal aid system in Ontario is funded and administered by an agency called Legal Aid Ontario. Legal Aid Ontario has two major components. If a person needs a lawyer to help with either a criminal law or family law problem, and that person qualifies financially for legal aid, then Legal Aid Ontario will pay a private lawyer to represent him or her. Most of Legal Aid Ontario's funding is used every year in this way.
Legal Aid Ontario's other component is the system of community legal clinics. There are 71 legal clinics across the province (soon to be more). Most are "general service clinics" that serve a particular geographic community.
For example, South Ottawa Community Legal Services (where I work) serves southern and eastern Ottawa-Carleton. The other types of clinic are "specialty clinics". They offer legal services to particular social groups such as the elderly, aboriginal people and disabled people.
Legal clinics are run by an elected board of directors drawn from the community they serve. All clinics have staff lawyers and support staff. Most clinics also employ "community legal workers. South Ottawa Community Legal Services has a permanent staff of five.
Each clinic provides services in response to the needs of the low-income population in that clinic'sarea. There are, therefore, some differences in the services that each clinic provides. However, overall, the mandate of Ontario's legal clinics is to provide free legal advice and representation, and to do law reform work and public legal education.
At South Ottawa Community Legal Services, we provide services in the following areas:
You can reach my office at 733-0140. We are located at 1355 Bank Street, Suite 406, directly across from Billings Bridge Plaza. Sorry, no web site. However, those of you desperate for more information about legal aid in Ontario can go to www.legalaid.on.ca.
And while you've got your computer on, take a look at these: