News

The new course is being taught by (L to R) Lisa Bernstein, Director, External Relations, and Fallon Melander, Associate Vice President, Indigenous Services Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) and Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law have launched an innovative new course that introduces law students to Ontario’s legal aid system and the important role it…

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is pleased to announce it has partnered with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Lincoln Alexander School of Law to help more self-represented individuals navigate the court system. As part of Lincoln Alexander Law’s applied learning approach, a new experiential learning initiative will provide 19 law students with the opportunity to work under the…

Wardha Khokhar Safeguarding peoples’ rights is crucial to the role of duty counsel, says Wardha Khokhar, criminal duty counsel with Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) in Hamilton. She believes these efforts help make the justice system more accessible to everyone. Wardha graduated from law school at the Université de Montréal in 2022, wrote the Quebec bar…

Amy Secord The best part of working as a duty counsel lawyer is helping someone navigate the justice system who might otherwise be overwhelmed and confused by their legal matter. That’s the view of Amy Secord, hybrid duty counsel at the London office of Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). Duty counsel are usually the first legal…

Ignace Louis Jean Fixing things comes naturally to Ignace Louis Jean. Before becoming a lawyer, Ignace worked as a mechanic on both cars and heavy equipment. Now a duty counsel providing bilingual criminal law services, he helps repair and improve the lives of clients in Sudbury and Manitoulin at Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). Ignace has…

Karamvir Singh Many of the people who end up in the criminal justice system are there after making a poor choice due to an addiction or mental health issue, says Karamvir Singh. He is a staff duty counsel with Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), based in Lindsay, where his role includes both criminal duty counsel work…

Dawn Trudel Clients of duty counsel lawyers are often going through one of the most difficult times in their lives, says Dawn Trudel, duty counsel for Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) in Sarnia. Duty counsel are usually the first legal support for low-income clients. When someone suddenly finds themselves in the justice system, it can feel…

As the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches, the Indigenous Services Department at Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is reporting significant progress in the first year since it implemented a bold action plan to strengthen its services. The Year One Report of LAO’s Indigenous Services Action Plan highlights the collective efforts of staff, leadership and…

As of April 1, 2026, two community legal clinics in northern Ontario’s Algoma District will be merging into one. The Algoma Community Legal Clinic in Sault Ste. Marie will merge with the Elliot Lake & North Shore Community Legal Clinic. These two general service legal clinics are funded by Legal Aid Ontario to serve eligible…