Legal Aid Ontario Email Format
Law PracticeOntario, Canada1001-5000 Employees
Legal Aid Ontario is a statutory public legal services body based in Toronto that serves the province of Ontario. It is tasked with promoting access to justice for low-income residents by delivering legal aid in a cost-effective, high-quality manner and by fostering flexibility and innovation in service delivery. The organization operates independently from the government but remains accountable for the expenditure of public funds, with a focus on diversity, access, equity, creativity, and quality. Legal Aid Ontario's service offerings are targeted to meet diverse client needs, including a toll-free line that provides summary legal advice in family and criminal matters, duty counsel for individuals arriving in criminal, family, or youth courts without representation, and poverty law services delivered through independent community-based clinics funded by LAO. The organization also runs a certificate program that allows eligible low-income clients to retain private lawyers for more serious and complex cases. In 2024, LAO created an Indigenous Services Department and appointed Fallon Melander as associate vice president, reflecting an expanding focus on Indigenous legal needs, and it entered into a service agreement with Aboriginal Legal Services.