Conditional authorizations

To join any of LAO’s rosters, you must meet minimum experience requirements. If you do not meet the minimum experience requirements when applying, you may be granted conditional authorization to provide legal aid services in the area(s) of law to which you have applied. If you are granted a conditional authorization, your conditional status is not disclosed to clients or the public.

Additional conditions such as mentoring or training will be discussed when you apply, and includes three hours of accredited Continuing Professional Development in each area of law you are authorized to provide legal services in.

Within 24 months of being granted conditional authorization and if you are a certificate roster member, you must meet the minimum experience requirements or request a limited extension of your conditional enrolment. If you are on a duty counsel roster, you must notify LAO if you meet the minimum experience requirements either before or at the expiration of your conditional authorization. To continue as a member of a duty counsel roster, you must request membership every 24 months.

You can notify LAO through a simple, online process through your Legal Aid Online account. You will receive a notification on Legal Aid Online three months before your conditional membership expires. The notification will ask that you provide an update to LAO of what your next steps are. Please click on the notice to let LAO know if you either now meet the minimum experience requirements or are requesting a discretionary extension to your conditional membership or would like to resign.

If you do not respond to the notification on Legal Aid Online, this will result in your removal from any roster that you hold a conditional status on.

Roster members

If you have been granted conditional authorization to provide certificate services, at any time during and up to 24 months from time of membership, you may notify LAO through Legal Aid Online of one of the following:

You meet the minimum experience requirements for the area(s) of law you offer services in.
You have yet to meet the minimum experience requirements and are requesting a discretionary 12-month extension.
you do not want to maintain membership on the roster.

An instruction manual is available to walk you through this simple online process.

Duty counsel

All duty counsel authorizations are limited to 24 months and must be renewed at the end of that duration for however long you wish to remain a duty counsel roster member.

If you do not meet the minimum experience requirements upon enrolment, LAO may grant you authorization on a conditional basis for 24 months. To remain on the duty counsel roster, you must meet the minimum experience requirements at the end of your conditional period.

Through Legal Aid Online, you may notify LAO:

If you already meet the minimum experience requirements for your duty counsel authorization and want to remain on this roster by renewing your authorization for an additional 24 months.
If you are conditionally enrolled on a duty counsel roster and you now meet the minimum experience requirements, you may request to renew your authorization for an additional 24 months
You do not meet minimum experience requirements and understand that you will be removed from the duty counsel roster.
You do not want to maintain membership in the duty counsel roster.

Instruction manuals are available to walk you through this simple online process.

Contact information

For technical issues with the renewal tool on Legal Aid Online, please contact the Lawyer Service Centre at 416-979-9934 or 1-866-979-9934 from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For questions about the renewal process and minimum experience requirements, please contact roster@lao.on.ca.

Frequently asked questions

Are clients or the public advised of my conditional status?: No, conditional status is a status internal to LAO, and it is not disclosed to clients or the public. In rare cases, where conditions are placed on a roster member that would affect their ability to act on specific files, LAO may be required to disclose this status to clients.
If I am admitted conditionally, how do I notify LAO once I meet the minimum experience requirements?: Roster members can notify LAO that they meet the minimum experience requirements and wish to have the conditional designation removed by updating this information on Legal Aid Online. An instruction manual is available.
Why isn’t conditional authorization available for Extremely Serious Matters (Criminal) files?: The nature, complexity, and associated costs of Extremely Serious Matters files necessitate experienced counsel to ensure LAO’s clients receive high-quality legal aid services in accordance with the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020.
Once I meet the minimum experience requirements, do I still have to report annually to LAO?: Yes, the annual self-report is mandatory for all roster members who have been a member of the roster for at least 12 months.
Can I provide legal aid services under conditional authorization in more than one area of law?: Yes. Prospective roster members or existing roster members seeking to add a new area of law can request conditional authorization for each area of law. Conditional membership is attached to the area of law itself.
Are there any other requirements related to conditional roster membership?: Every roster member is required to complete three hours of accredited Continuing Professional Development in each area of law they are authorized to provide legal aid services in.
Are any other conditions applicable to roster membership?: Yes, notwithstanding that a roster member meets all minimum experience requirements, LAO may place additional conditions on any roster member as necessary. These may include things like mentorship and viewing or attending training. Decisions on these types of conditions are made in consideration of local conditions.