LAO LAW

Login to LAO LAW at research.legalaid.on.ca

LAO LAW provides high quality research services to lawyers acting for legally aided clients (duty counsel, staff lawyers or private bar lawyers acting on a legal aid certificate).

LAO LAW provides information on the following areas of law:

  • Aboriginal legal issues
  • Correctional law
  • Criminal law
  • Family law
  • Immigration and refugee law
  • Mental health law

Our services

Who can use LAO LAW?

  • Duty counsel and staff lawyers
  • Private bar lawyers acting on a legal aid certificate. They must be on the legal aid panel.

LAO LAW Website

Legal aid lawyers have access to the password protected LAO LAW website containing a library of legal resources.

  • Private bar lawyers can access the website using their Law Society number and LAO solicitor number.
  • Duty counsel and staff lawyers can access the website through the LAO LAW tab on The Source intranet page.

Case-specific research

LAO LAW also provides case‑specific research on certificate cases and for duty counsel and staff lawyer cases. A criminal and a civil (family and immigration) intake lawyer are on call every day to receive intakes and address research questions.

  • Research services are provided from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Monday to Friday).
  • Lawyers contact the department by telephone or email.

Legal resources available on the LAO LAW website

The LAO LAW website contains a large library of legal resources written specifically to assist lawyers in representing legal aid clients including:

  • memoranda on general legal topics
  • specific issue memoranda on discrete legal topics
  • practice manuals and memoranda
  • legal precedents
  • secondary materials and presentations
  • archive of The Bottom Line newsletters
  • video library of continuing professional development and training videos (including LAO lunch and learns)
  • the forensic science database
  • online mentoring (LAO LAW will connect the requesting lawyer with a practitioner for assistance with practice issues)

LAO LAW publishes weekly editions of The Bottom Line newsletters reporting on recent case law in family, criminal and refugee law as well as legislative changes that are significant to legal aid lawyers. These publications are available by email subscription for all legal aid lawyers (duty counsel, staff and private bar). Lawyers can subscribe through the LAO LAW website.

LAO LAW online services

Phone: 416‑979‑1321
Fax: 416‑979‑8946
Toll‑free: 1‑800‑265‑1392
Email: laolaw@lao.on.ca