What is a specialty legal clinic?
Specialty and ethnolinguistic legal clinics are funded by LAO and operate independently. With support from LAO, they provide a range of services to their local communities, from summary advice to full representation.
Specialty and clinics assist people across the province by providing services in a specific area of law or to a particular community. “Ethnolinguistic” means a community that shares the same ethnicity, race, or language. While general legal clinics provide assistance with a broad range of legal issues, these clinics offer expertise in particular legal matters or for certain groups of people who face unique challenges. Some specialty clinics also advocate on behalf of the particular community they serve.
Specialty legal clinics assist communities such as:
- The elderly
- Children and Youth
- Injured workers and those living with disabilities
- Individuals living with HIV or AIDS
Ethnolinguistic legal clinics assist:
- Black and other racialized communities
- Specific linguistic communities
How can I get help?
You can get help from a specialty legal clinic by contacting the clinic directly, or by getting a referral from your local legal clinic. Each specialty clinic has its own eligibility criteria based on income and the nature of the legal issue. See the list below, or visit our find a legal clinic page to find a clinic near you.
List of available specialty clinics
Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE)
Provides direct legal services to low-income seniors, public legal education, and law reform. Services and activities are in relation to areas of law of special importance to the seniors’ population of Ontario.
2 Carlton St., Suite 701, Toronto, M5B 1J3
416-598-2656 (please call your local clinic first)
Toll-free: 1-855-598-2656
acelaw.ca
Advocacy Centre for Tenants – Ontario (ACTO)
Works to improve human rights and justice in housing for low-income Ontarians through legal advice and representation, law reform, community organizing, training, and education. Does not give direct service in individual tenant cases. Delivers tenant duty counsel services at the Landlord and Tenant Board locations in Toronto and Mississauga, and offers these services through community legal clinics elsewhere.
55 University Ave., Suite 1500, Toronto, M5J 2H7
416-597-5855
Toll-free: 1-866-245-4182
www.acto.ca
ARCH Disability Law Centre
Offers information, summary advice and referrals, and representation in systemic cases for people with disabilities across Ontario in ARCH’s areas of practice. Provides public legal education and continuing legal education, undertakes law reform, and conducts test case litigation. Also helps lawyers and other legal professionals representing clients with disabilities.
55 University Ave., Suite 1500, Toronto, M5J 2H7
416-482-8255
Toll-free: 1-866-482-2724
TTY: 416-482-1254
Toll-free TTY: 1-866-482-2728
www.archdisabilitylaw.ca
Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC)
Delivers legal aid to low or no income Black Ontarians. Works to combat individual and systemic anti-Black racism. Also conducts public legal education, engages in test case litigation, law reform, and community development to improve the laws that affect Black communities throughout Ontario.
720 Spadina Ave., Suite 221, Toronto, M5S 2T9
416-597-5831
Toll-free: 1-877-736-9406
www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca
Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)
Provides legal services to individuals and groups with environmental legal problems, and seeks to improve environmental protection through legislation.
55 University Ave., Suite 1500, Toronto, M5J 2H7
416-960-2284
Toll-free: 1-844-755-1420
www.cela.ca
CLEO (Community Legal education Ontario/ Éducation juridique communautaire Ontario)
Produces free legal information in many formats and languages that help low-income and disadvantaged communities understand their legal rights. CLEO’s website, Steps to Justice, gives stepby-step information about common legal problems. Steps to Justice has practical tools like forms and checklists, and referral information for legal and social services.
180 Dundas St. W., Suite 506, Toronto, M5G 1Z8
416-408-4420
www.cleo.on.ca
www.stepstojustice.ca
HALCO – HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic (Ontario)
Provides free legal services to people living with HIV/AIDS in Ontario. Other services include public legal education activities across Ontario, law reform and community development activities. Produces a variety of publications and resources including pamphlets, newsletters, information sheets, and website.
55 University Ave., Suite 1400, Toronto, M5J 2H7
416-340-7790
Toll-free: 1-888-705-8889
www.halco.org
Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)
Works with low-income people, legal clinics, and anti-poverty groups to improve income security programs and workers’ rights in Ontario using litigation, policy development, advocacy, and community organizing (does not give individual service).
55 University Ave., Suite 1500, Toronto, M5J 2H7
416-597-5820
Toll-free: 1-866-245-4072
www.incomesecurity.org
Industrial Accident Victims’ Group of Ontario (IAVGO)
Provides legal advice and representation to injured workers in Ontario. Provides training and public legal education to advocates, workers and community groups, and produces publications for workers and advocates. Operates a satellite student legal clinic with University of Toronto law students. Advocates for injured workers.
55 University Ave., Suite 1500, Toronto, M5J 2H7
416-924-6477
Toll-free: 1-877-230-6311
www.iavgo.org
Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic (IWC)
Provides information and advice, and represents injured workers. Provides public legal education and works with injured worker and community organizations trying to improve the workers’ compensation system.
815 Danforth Ave., Suite 411, Toronto, M4J 1L2
416-461-2411 (call your local clinic first)
www.injuredworkersonline.org
Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY)
Is a child rights organization that offers information, summary advice, referrals, and representation to children and young people under 18 years of age, and to homeless and unstably housed young people under 25. Provides professional development and public legal education, and undertakes test case litigation and law reform on child and youth rights issues.
55 University Ave., Suite 1500, Toronto, M5J 2H7
416-920-1633
Toll-free: 1-866-999-5329
www.jfcy.org
Landlord’s Self-Help Centre (LSHC)
Provides information and summary advice to small-scale landlords in Ontario. Also develops educational materials and engages in law reform and community development activities.
55 University Ave., Suite 1500, Toronto, M5J 2H7
416-504-5190
Toll-free: 1-800-730-3218
www.landlordselfhelp.com
Workers’ Health & Safety Legal Clinic
Takes on health and safety cases, workers’ compensation cases, human rights cases, and employment standards reprisal cases, if they relate to our core mandate, for workers who do not have union representation. Also provides education on safety legislation and workplace hazards as well as public legal education to interested groups on health and safety law.
180 Dundas St. W., Suite 2000, Toronto, M5G 1Z8
416-971-8832
Toll-free: 1-877-832-6090
www.workers-safety.ca
Queen’s Prison Law
The Queen’s Prison Law Clinic (QPLC) provides legal services to clients in Kingston-area prisons, including Warkworth Institution.
303 Bagot Street, Suite 500, Kingston ON K7K 5W7
613-533-2102
www.queenslawclinics.ca/prison-law
Aboriginal Legal Services
Offers legal help, legal education, and community development to Aboriginal people living in Toronto in areas such as landlord and tenant, social assistance, victim rights and inquests. Youth, criminal, and family court workers also offer services in Toronto courthouses. Operates an alternative justice program and prepares “Gladue” reports throughout the province.
211 Yonge St., Suite 500, Toronto, M5B 1M4
416-408-3967 or 416-408-4041
Toll-free: 1-844-633-2886
www.aboriginallegal.ca
Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto
555 Richmond St. W., Suite 303, M5V 3B1
416-922-2672, ext. 300
Toll-free: 1-877-966-7345
Summary legal advice in French (toll-free): 1-877-966-7345
www.centrefranco.org/aide-juridique
Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic (CSALC)
Offers legal advice and representation to low-income, non-English speaking members of the Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian communities throughout Ontario. Provides public legal education and advocates on issues affecting these communities.
123 Edward Street, Suite 505, Toronto, M5G 1E2
416-971-9674 (walk-in 1pm–4pm every Wednesday)
Toll-free: 1-844-971-9674
www.csalc.ca
Centre for Spanish-Speaking Peoples (CSSP)
Provides summary advice and assistance, with particular emphasis on immigration matters, tenants’ and workers’ rights, to the Spanish-speaking community of Toronto.
2141 Jane St., 2nd Floor, Toronto, M3M 1A2
416-533-8545
416-533-0680 Legal Intake Line
www.spanishservices.org
South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO)
Provides advice and representation to low-income South Asians in the Greater Toronto Area. Also conducts public legal education, law reform, and community development activities in the South Asian communities throughout Ontario.
45 Sheppard Ave. E., Suite 106A, Toronto, M2N 5W9
416-487-6371
www.salc.on.ca
Centre des services communautaires de Vanier
290 Dupuis St, Vanier, ON K1L 1A2
613-744-2892
www.cscvanier.com
If you have difficulties in finding a legal clinic using this directory, please contact the Client Service Centre at 416-979-1446 or toll-free at 1-800-668-8258.