The CLEO Centre for Research & Innovation conducts research and initiates projects to help build the capacity of the community sector to reach marginalized communities with effective legal information. The Centre is a pilot project established in 2010 with funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario.

The Centre supports the work of two of CLEO’s flagship projects:

and
 

The Centre also supports the work of CLEO's most recent project, the Public Legal Education (PLE) Learning Exchange.

Current research

Evolving Legal Services:

In a time of decreased funding, public legal education (PLE) resources, such as online legal information, self-help programs, and other limited assistance services, are looked to as less costly ways to help people address legal issues. This research project is looking at when PLE programs are effective and provide meaningful access to justice.

The Law Foundation of Ontario is funding Phase 1 from April to November 2012. During this time, work will be done to establish the research advisory group, clarify the research questions, conduct a review of current research, identify Phase 2 funding sources, and develop the research design framework.

Searchable database of public legal education (PLE) research:

CLEO has commissioned Ryerson University’s Law Research Centre to develop an annotated bibliography of research in the field of PLE, and to create an easy-to-use database that will house this bibliography. The database will be available to community and legal workers to inform their PLE work.

Get involved

CLEO invites community organizations to provide input into our ongoing projects and research and to suggest possible new initiatives.

For more information about the Centre’s work, contact Julie Mathews, CLEO’s Executive Director.