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All visitors to legal aid offices must wear a mask until further notice.
We’ve temporarily changed some of our services.

Legal Aid Ontario offices closed for Victoria Day
Please note that all Legal Aid Ontario offices will be closed on Monday, May 23, 2022 for the Victoria Day holiday weekend. All offices and our call centre will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, May 24.

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  • Services
    • Temporary service changes due to COVID-19
    • COVID-19 and the courts: Answers to frequently asked questions
    • Criminal legal issues
    • Domestic Violence
    • Family legal issues
    • Mental health legal issues
    • Refugee and immigration legal issues
    • All services
    • Legal clinics
    • How to apply
    • Find a lawyer
      • Finding the right legal aid lawyer
    • What do you think about our services?
  • For legal professionals
    • COVID-19: Ongoing list of supports for lawyers
    • LASA, 2020 process updates for lawyers
    • Changes to policies and certificate coverage
    • Roster resources
      • Audit & Compliance
      • Billing
      • Case management
      • Forms library
      • Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 policies
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Mentoring opportunities at Legal Aid Ontario

Second Chair Program

Directed exclusively at private bar lawyers who are working on LAO‑funded cases, the Second Chair program allows new or mid‑career lawyers to benefit from the knowledge and experience of more experienced or senior lawyers. One lawyer serves as the “second chair” on a case, providing new or mid‑career lawyers with an opportunity to obtain hands‑on training from more experienced or senior counsel.

More information is available here.


LAO LAW case-by-case mentorship program

The Case-by-Case Mentorship Program is administered by LAO LAW.

LAO LAW has created an approved list of mentors who provide advice via email to certificate lawyers who have questions regarding practice and certificate matters. Questions submitted electronically are fielded through LAO LAW, who will contact lawyers on the approved list of mentors to ensure availability.

Questions will be forwarded to mentors on a rotating basis, to avoid excessive demand on individual mentor’s time.

Lawyers wishing to access this service must log in to LAO LAW’s website, where they will be provided with a response and advice within 48 hours.

Note that while LAO LAW’s services are provided free of charge, lawyers accessing the services must be registered with LAO and be representing a client using a legal aid certificate.

Mentorships for roster members

The following mentorships for LAO roster members are administered by the director general in the district where a lawyer practices.

One-on-one mentoring

One-on-one mentorship is relatively informal and LAO expects the scope of the mentor‑mentee relationship to be agreed upon and structured by the mentors and mentees.

More information is available here.

Shadowing opportunities for new duty counsel lawyers

Lawyers interested in doing duty counsel work may take advantage of opportunities to shadow experienced duty counsel to gain an understanding of the pace and nature of duty counsel work. These opportunities will be identified by and coordinated with the district director general or the local supervisory duty counsel.

Lawyers wishing to take on duty counsel work must apply to the manager of duty counsel services or the relevant supervisory duty counsel.

More information about the duty counsel is available here.

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Related Pages

Criteria: Mentor, mentee and case

Mentors In good standing with the LSO Member in good standing with the courts or administrative panels in front of whom they appear No history of discipline or substantiated complaints by LSUC or LAO Experience and expertise in the particular area of law at issue A history of…

Second chair program

March 2021 update: second chair expansion for equity-seeking groups Hands‑on training for junior lawyers, paid mentorship opportunities for senior lawyers The second chair program allows new or mid‑career lawyers to benefit from the knowledge and experience of senior…

One-on-One mentoring

One-on-one mentoring can be arranged through the district offices. Some maintain a local roster of mentors who have been approved, in advance, by the director general. In districts where a pre‑approved list of mentors does not exist, the mentee may identify a mentor and…

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