Getting legal help

A Directory of
Community Legal Clinics in Ontario

Table of Contents

Community legal clinics

Community legal clinics provide information, advice, and representation on various legal issues, including social assistance, housing, refugee and immigration law, employment law, human rights, workers’ compensation, and the Canada Pension Plan. Some legal clinics do not handle all of these issues, but staff may be able to refer you to someone who can help.

Community legal clinics are staffed by lawyers, community legal workers, and sometimes law students. Each legal clinic is run by a volunteer board of directors with members from the community. All help is private and confidential and provided free of charge.

To qualify for community legal clinic services:

To find out if you qualify, contact your local legal clinic. Most legal clinics provide brief advice, or “summary advice”, without asking about your financial situation. Some legal clinics also offer workshops, information sessions, and other community development activities.

Most legal clinics serve a large area around their location and many clinics offer satellite services in neighbouring towns.

Specialty legal clinics

Ontario also has a number of specialty legal clinics. Specialty legal clinics serve a particular community or focus on a specific area of law. Most specialty legal clinics are not limited to serving a particular geographic area.

How to find a community or specialty legal clinic

In this directory you will find contact information for community and specialty legal clinics in Ontario. To find the legal clinic in your area, go to the Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) website at www.legalaid.on.ca. Click on "Contact LAO" then "Community legal clinics". Or you can phone LAO at one of the numbers listed below.

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO)

LAO provides legal assistance for low-income people. Services include:

If LAO cannot help, they will refer you somewhere that can.

To get legal aid services, your legal issue must be one that LAO covers, and you must be financially eligible.

For more information visit www.legalaid.on.ca or call:

Lawyer Referral Service

The Lawyer Referral Service provides names of lawyers who can help you or who accept legal aid certificates. They can refer you to a lawyer in your area for a free half-hour consultation. Call toll-free 1-800-268-8326 or 416-947-3330 in the Toronto area.

Top

If you speak French, in many cases you have the right to government services and legal proceedings in French, including hearings before French-speaking decision-makers. If you have a legal problem, you can ask a lawyer or a community legal clinic about your French language rights.

Si vous parlez français, il existe de nombreuses situations où vous avez droit à des services gouvernementaux et à des procédures juridiques en français. Ainsi, vous pouvez avoir droit à ce qu'une audience à laquelle vous êtes partie soit tenue devant un décideur qui parle français. Si vous avez un problèm juridique, vous pouvez demander à un avocat ou à un intervenant d'une clinique juridique communautaire de vous informer des droits linguistiques liés au fait de parler français.

Toronto and Area

Most community legal clinics serve a large area around their location. To find out which one serves your area, call a clinic close to you or contact Legal Aid Ontario.

Central:

Downtown Legal Services

Services provided by law students supervised by lawyers.

University of Toronto, 655 Spadina Ave., M5S 2H9
416-978-6447
http://dls.sa.utoronto.ca

Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services

489 College St., Suite 205, M6G 1A5
416-924-4244
http://www.kbcls.org

Neighbourhood Legal Services

333 Queen St. E., M5A 1S9
416-861-0677

Services d’aide juridique du CFT

22 College St., Suite 401, M5G 1K2
416-922-2672, ext. 300
Toll-free: 1-800-268-1697
http://www.centrefranco.org/pages/juridique

East:

East Toronto Community Legal Services

1320 Gerrard St. E., M4L 3X1
416-461-8102
http://www.etcls.ca

Flemingdon Community Legal Services

49 The Donway W., Suite 205, M3C 3M9
416-441-1764
Intake: 416-441-0969
TTY: 416-441-9156
http://www.flemingdonlegal.org

Scarborough Community Legal Services

695 Markham Rd., Unit 9, M1H 2A5
416-438-7182
http://www.scarboroughcommunitylegal.ca

West Scarborough Community Legal Services

2425 Eglinton Ave. E., Suite 201, M1K 5G8
416-285-4460
http://www.westscarboroughlegal.ca

North:

Community and Legal Aid Services Programme (CLASP)

Services provided by law students supervised by lawyers.

York University, Osgoode Hall Law School,
4700 Keele St., M3J 1P3
416-736-5029
http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/clasp

Community Legal Clinic of York Region

21 Dunlop St., Suite 200, Richmond Hill, L4C 2M6
905-508-5018
Toll-free: 1-888-365-5226
http://www.clcyr.on.ca

Downsview Community Legal Services

893 Sheppard Ave. W., M3H 2T4
416-635-8388

Jane Finch Community Legal Services

1315 Finch Ave. W., Suite 409, M3J 2G6
416-398-0677
http://www.janefinchcommunitylegalservices.ca

Rexdale Community Legal Clinic

The Woodbine Centre,
500 Rexdale Blvd., M9W 6K5
416-741-5201
http://www.rexdalecommunitylegalclinic.ca

Willowdale Community Legal Services

245 Fairview Mall Dr., Suite 106, M2J 4T1
416-492-2437
http://www.willowdalelegal.com

West:

Parkdale Community Legal Services

1266 Queen St. W., M6K 1L3
416-531-2411
http://www.parkdalelegal.org

South Etobicoke Community Legal Services

5353 Dundas St. W., Suite 210, M9B 6H8
416-252-7218
http://www.southetobicokelegal.ca

Unison Health and Community Services

Keele-Rogers Site
1651 Keele St., M6M 3W2
416-653-5400
http://www.unisonhcs.org

West Toronto Community Legal Services

2333 Dundas St. W., Suite 404, M6R 3A6
416-531-7376

Central Ontario

Most community legal clinics serve a large area around the city or town in which they are located. To find out which one serves your area, call a clinic close to you or contact Legal Aid Ontario.

Orillia:

Community Legal Clinic — Simcoe, Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes

71 Colborne St. E., Box 275, L3V 6J6
705-326-6444
Toll-free: 1-800-461-8953
http://www.communitylegalclinic.ca

Satellite Offices:

Top

Eastern Ontario

Most community legal clinics serve a large area around the city or town in which they are located. To find out which one serves your area, call a clinic close to you or contact Legal Aid Ontario.

Belleville:

Community Advocacy & Legal Centre

158 George St., Level 1, K8N 3H2
613-966-8686
Toll-free: 1-877-966-8686
TTY: 613-966-8714
Toll-free TTY: 1-877-966-8714
http://www.communitylegalcentre.ca

Satellite Offices:

Cobourg:

Northumberland Community Legal Centre

1005 Elgin St. W., Suite 301, K9A 5J4
905-373-4464
Toll-free: 1-800-850-7882
http://www.thehelpcentre.ca

Satellite Offices:

Cornwall:

Clinique juridique Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Legal Clinic

1 McConnell Ave., K6H 4K8
613-932-2703
Toll-free: 1-800-267-2434
http://www.sdglegal.com

Satellite Offices:

Hawkesbury:

Clinique juridique populaire de Prescott et Russell Inc.

352 Main St. W., Suite 201, K6A 2H8
613-632-1136
Toll-free: 1-800-250-9220
http://www.cjppr.on.ca

Kingston:

Kingston Community Legal Clinic

345 Bagot St., K7K 6T8
613-541-0777
http://www.kclc.ca

Queen’s Legal Aid

Services provided by law students supervised by lawyers.

Queen’s University, Faculty of Law,
Room 406, Macdonald Hall,
128 Union St., K7L 3N6
613-533-2102
http://law.queensu.ca/students/legalAid.html

Satellite Office:

Oshawa:

Durham Community Legal Clinic

Oshawa Centre,
419 King St. W., Unit 3512, L1J 2K5
905-728-7321
Toll-free: 1-888-297-2202
http://www.durhamcommunitylegalclinic.ca

Ottawa:

Clinique juridique francophone de l’Est d’Ottawa

290, rue Dupuis, K1L 1A2
613-744-2892, ext. 1111
http://www.cscvanier.com/fr/juridique

Community Legal Services Ottawa Centre

1 Nicholas St., Suite 422, K1N 7B7
613-241-7008
http://www.aidejuridiqueottawalegalaid.ca

South Ottawa Community Legal Services

1355 Bank St., Suite 406, K1H 8K7
613-733-0140
TTY: 613-733-4113
http://www.socls.org/

West End Legal Services of Ottawa

1301 Richmond Rd., K2B 7Y4
613-596-1641
http://www.westendlegal.ca

University of Ottawa Legal Clinic

Services provided by law students supervised by lawyers.

17 Copernicus St., K1N 6N5
613-562-5600
http://www.uottawa.ca/associations/clinic

Perth:

Lanark, Leeds & Grenville Legal Clinic

10 Sunset Blvd., K7H 2Y2
613-264-8888
Toll-free in 613 area code: 1-800-597-4529
http://www.legalclinic.ca

Satellite Offices: by appointment only)

Peterborough:

Peterborough Community Legal Centre

150 King St., 4th Floor, K9J 2R9
705-749-9355
http://www.peterboroughcommunitylegalcentre.org

Renfrew:

Renfrew County Legal Clinic

236 Stewart St., Suite 101, K7V 1X7
613-432-8146
Toll-free: 1-800-267-5871
http://www.renfrewlegalclinic.org

Sharbot Lake:

Rural Legal Services

14064 Road 38, Box 359, K0H 2P0
613-279-3252
Toll-free in 613 area code: 1-888-777-8916
http://www.rurallegalservices.org

Satellite Office: (by appointment only)
Top

Northern Ontario

Most community legal clinics serve a large area around the city or town in which they are located. To find out which one serves your area, call a clinic close to you or contact Legal Aid Ontario.

Atikokan: See Fort Frances and Kenora

 

Bracebridge:

Lake Country Community Legal Clinic

8–B Ontario St., P1L 2A7
705-645-6607
Toll-free: 1-800-263-4819

Satellite Offices: (by appointment only)

Elliot Lake:

Elliot Lake and North Shore Community Legal Clinic

31 Nova Scotia Walk, Suite 300, P5A 1Y9
705-461-3935
Toll-free: 1-800-465-2479
http://www.northshorelegal.ca

Satellite Offices:

Fort Frances and Kenora:

Northwest Community Legal Clinic

http://www.northwestcommunitylegalclinic.ca

Fort Frances Office

206 Scott St., P9A 1G7
807-274-5327
Toll-free: 1-800-799-2485

Atikokan Office

305 Main St. W., P.O. Box 1676, P0T 1C0
807-597-2811

Kenora Office

308 Second St. S., Suite 6, P9N 1G4
807-468-8888
Toll-free: 1-800-403-4757

Satellite Offices:

Kapuskasing:

Clinique juridique Grand-Nord/Grand‑Nord Legal Clinic

2 Ash St., P5N 3H4
705-337-6200
Toll-free in 705 and 807 area codes: 1-800-461-9606
http://www.grandnordlegalclinic.info

Satellite Offices: (by appointment only)

Kenora: See Fort Frances and Kenora

 

Little Current:

Manitoulin Legal Clinic

Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation,
12A Hillside Road (Hwy. 540)
R.R. #1, Comp. 30, P0P 1K0
705-368-3333

Moosonee:

Keewaytinok Native Legal Services

40 Revillon Rd., Box 218, P0L 1Y0
705-336-2981
Toll-free: 1-866-336-2981
http://www.keew.org

Satellite Office:

North Bay:

Nipissing Community Legal Clinic

107 Shirreff Ave., Suite 214, P1B 7K8
705-476-6603
TTY: 705-476-5370

Satellite Office:

Sault Ste. Marie:

Algoma Community Legal Clinic

473-477 Queen St. E., Suite 301, P6A 1Z5
705-942-4900
Toll-free: 1-800-616-1109
http://www.algoma-legal-clinic.org

Satellite Office: (as needed basis)

Sudbury:

Sudbury Community Legal Clinic

Rainbow Centre, 40 Elm St., Unit 272, 2nd Floor, P3C 1S8
705-674-3200
Toll-free: 1-800-697-8719

Satellite Offices:

Thunder Bay:

Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic

86 South Cumberland St., P7B 2V3
807-344-2478
Toll-free: 1-888-373-3309
http://www.kalc.ca

Satellite Offices:

Timmins:

Timmins-Temiskaming Community Legal Clinic/Clinique juridique communautaire Timmins-Témiskamingue

119 Pine St. S., Suite 202, P4N 2K3
705-267-0300
Toll-free: 1-866-382-0300
http://www.ttclegalclinic.com

Satellite Office:

Top

Southwestern Ontario

Most community legal clinics serve a large area around the city or town in which they are located. To find out which one serves your area, call a clinic close to you or contact Legal Aid Ontario.

Brampton:

North Peel & Dufferin Community Legal Services

24 Queen St. E., Suite 601, L6V 1A3
905-455-0160
Toll-free: 1-866-455-0160
http://www.legalclinicsinpeel.ca

Brantford:

Community Legal Clinic — Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk

1100 Clarence St. S., Suite 203, N3S 7N8
519-752-8669
Toll-free from 905 and 519 area codes: 1-888-341-5021

Satellite Offices:

Chatham:

Chatham-Kent Legal Clinic

6 Harvey St., P.O. Box 97, N7M 5K1
519-351-6771
http://www.cklc.ca

Satellite Offices:

Georgetown:

Halton Community Legal Services

72 Mill St., L7G 2C9
905-877-5256
Toll-free from Oakville and Burlington: 905-875-2069
http://www.haltonlegal.ca

Guelph:

Legal Clinic of Guelph and Wellington County

11 Wyndham St. N., P.O. Box 1683, Station Main, N1H 6Z9
519-821-2100
Toll-free from Wellington county: 1-800-628-9205
http://www.gwlegalclinic.ca

Hamilton:

Hamilton Community Legal Clinic/Clinique juridique communautaire de Hamilton

Landmark Place
100 Main St. E., 2nd Floor, Suite 203, L8N 3W4
905-527-4572
http://www.hamiltonjustice.ca

Satellite Office:

Kitchener:

Waterloo Region Community Legal Services

450 Frederick St., Suite 101, N2H 2P5
519-743-0254
http://www.wrcls.ca

Satellite Office:

London:

Community Legal Services

Services provided by law students supervised by lawyers.

University of Western Ontario,
Faculty of Law, Room 120,
1151 Richmond St., N6A 3K7
519-661-3352
http://www.law.uwo.ca/cls

Neighbourhood Legal Services (London & Middlesex) Inc.

Market Tower,
151 Dundas St., Suite 507, N6A 5R7
519-438-2890

Mississauga:

Mississauga Community Legal Services

130 Dundas St. E., Suite 504, L5A 3V8
905-896-2050
http://www.legalclinicsinpeel.ca

Owen Sound:

Grey-Bruce Community Legal Clinic

945-3rd Ave. E., Suite 2, N4K 2K8
519-370-2200
Toll-free from Grey and Bruce counties: 1-877-832-1435
http://www.gblegalclinic.com

Satellite Offices:

St. Catharines:

Niagara North Community Legal Assistance (NNCLA)

8 Church St., Box 1266, L2R 7A7
905-682-6635
http://www.niagaranorthlegal.com

Satellite Offices:

St. Thomas:

Elgin-Oxford Legal Clinic

P.O. Box 517, 98 Centre Street, N5P 3V6
519-633-2638
Toll-free: 1-866-611-2311
http://www.eolc.ca

Satellite Offices:

Sarnia:

Community Legal Assistance Sarnia

201 North Front St., Suite 407, N7T 7T9
519-332-8055
Toll-free: 1-888-916-2527
http://www.sarnialegalclinic.com

Stratford:

Huron/Perth Community Legal Clinic

59 Lorne Ave. E., N5A 6S4
519-271-4556
Toll-free: 1-866-867-1027
http://www.huronperthlegalclinic.ca

Satellite Offices: (please call for an appointment)

Welland:

Community Legal Services of Niagara South

3 Cross St., 2nd Floor, L3B 5X6
905-735-1559
Toll-free: 1-877-801-5956

Satellite Offices:

Windsor:

Community Legal Aid

Services provided by law students supervised by lawyers.

University of Windsor, Faculty of Law,
2475 University Ave. W., N9B 3P4
519-253-7150
http://web4.uwindsor.ca/cla

Legal Assistance of Windsor

85 Pitt St. E., N9A 2V3
519-256-7831
TTY: 519-256-5287

Windsor-Essex Bilingual Legal Clinic/Clinique Juridique Bilingue (WINE)

595 Tecumseh Rd. E., Suite 3, N8X 2S1
519-253-3526
http://www.bilinguallegalclinic.com

Specialty legal clinics

Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto (ALST)

Offers legal assistance to Aboriginal people living in Toronto. Youth, criminal, and family court workers also provide services. ALST operates an alternative justice program and prepares “Gladue” reports.

415 Yonge St., Suite 803, Toronto, M5B 2E7
416-408-3967 or 416-408-4041 (accepts collect calls)
http://www.aboriginallegal.ca

Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE)

Provides direct legal services to low income seniors, public legal education, and law reform. Services and activities are in relation to areas of law of special importance to the seniors’ population of Ontario.

2 Carlton St., Suite 701, Toronto, M5B 1J3
416-598-2656 (call your local clinic first)
http://www.acelaw.ca

Advocacy Centre for Tenants — Ontario (ACTO)

Represents the interests of lower-income tenants across Ontario in legal proceedings, law reform, and policy development in housing law (does not provide direct individual service).

425 Adelaide St. W., 5th Floor, Toronto, M5V 3C1
416-597-5855
Toll-free: 1-866-245-4182
http://www.acto.ca

African Canadian Legal Clinic

Uses test case litigation to address anti-Black racism and other forms of systemic and institutional discrimination. Also provides public education about human rights and racial discrimination in Canada.

18 King St. E., Suite 901, Toronto, M5C 1C4
416-214-4747
Toll-free: 1-888-377-0033
www.aclc.net

ARCH Disability Law Centre

Provides information, summary advice, brief services, and some representation to people with disabilities and to lawyers representing them. Also provides public legal education, continuing legal education, undertakes law reform, and conducts test case litigation.

425 Bloor St. E., Suite 110, Toronto, M4W 3R4
416-482-8255
Toll-free: 1-866-482-2724
TTY: 416-482-1254
Toll-free TTY: 1-866-482-2728
http://www.archdisabilitylaw.ca

Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)

Provides legal services to individuals and groups with environmental legal problems, and seeks to improve environmental protection through legislation.

 

130 Spadina Ave., Suite 301, Toronto, M5V 2L4
416-960-2284
http://www.cela.ca

Centre for Spanish-Speaking Peoples (CSSP)

Provides summary advice and assistance, with particular emphasis on immigration matters and workers’ rights, to the Spanish-speaking community of Toronto.

 

2141 Jane St., 2nd Floor, Toronto, M3M 1A2
416-533-8545
http://www.spanishservices.org

CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario/Éducation juridique communautaire Ontario)

CLEO produces free legal information in many formats and languages that help low-income and disadvantaged communities understand their legal rights. Your Legal Rights is a website with legal information, news, and events from agencies across Ontario.

 

119 Spadina Ave., Suite 600, Toronto, M5V 2L1
416-408-4420
http://www.cleo.on.ca
http://www.yourlegalrights.on.ca

HALCO — HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic (Ontario)

Provides legal information, advice, and representation for people in Ontario who are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Also produces materials, conducts public education, and engages in community development, test cases, and law reform.

 

65 Wellesley St. E., Suite 400, Toronto, M4Y 1G7
416-340-7790
Toll-free: 1-888-705-8889
http://www.halco.org

Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)

Works with clinics and anti-poverty groups using litigation, policy development, advocacy, and organizing to address income security programs and root causes of poverty (does not give individual service).

 

425 Adelaide St. W., 5th Floor, Toronto, M5V 3C1
416-597-5820
Toll-free: 1-866-245-4072
http://www.incomesecurity.org

Industrial Accident Victims’ Group of Ontario (IAVGO)

Provides information, advice, and representation to injured workers. Provides public legal education to workers and community groups, and produces publications for workers and advocates. Operates a satellite student legal clinic.

 

489 College St., Suite 203, Toronto, M6G 1A5
416-924-6477
Toll-free: 1-877-230-6311
http://www.iavgo.org

Injured Workers’ Consultants (IWC)

Provides information, advice, and representation to injured workers. Works with injured worker and community organizations seeking improvements to the workers’ compensation system.

 

815 Danforth Ave., Suite 411, Toronto, M4J 1L2
416-461-2411 (call your local clinic first)
http://www.injuredworkersonline.org

Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY)

Provides summary advice, referrals, and legal education. Offers case service and test case litigation for children and young people under 18 years of age.

 

415 Yonge St., Suite 1203, Toronto, M5B 2E7
416-920-1633
Toll-free: 1-866-999-5329
http://www.jfcy.org

Landlord’s Self-Help Centre (LSHC)

Provides information and summary advice to small-scale landlords in Ontario. Also develops educational materials and engages in law reform and community development.

 

425 Adelaide St. W., 4th Floor, Toronto, M5V 3C1
416-504-5190
http://www.landlordselfhelp.com

Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic (MCSA)

Provides advice and representation to low-income Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area. Conducts public education and advocacy activities on issues affecting these communities.

 

180 Dundas St. W., Suite 1701, Toronto, M5G 1Z8
416-971-9674 (walk-in 1pm–4 pm every Wednesday)

South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO)

Provides advice and representation to low-income South Asians in the Greater Toronto Area. Also conducts public education, reform, and community development activities in the South Asian communities throughout Ontario.

 

45 Sheppard Ave. E., Suite 106A, Toronto, M2N 5W9
416-487-6371
http://www.salc.on.ca

Toronto Workers’ Health & Safety Legal Clinic

Takes on health and safety cases and workers’ compensation cases for workers who do not have union representation. Also provides education on safety legislation and workplace hazards as well as public legal education to interested groups on health and safety law.

 

180 Dundas St. W., Suite 2000, Toronto, M5G 1Z8
416-971-8832
http://www.workers-safety.ca

Produced by:

CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario/Éducation juridique communautaire Ontario)

With funding from:

Legal Aid Ontario
Department of Justice Canada

CLEO has free publications on other legal topics as well. We revise our publications regularly to reflect changes in the law. Our Discard List tells you which publications are out of date and should be thrown away. For a copy of our current Order Form or Discard List, or to view our publications online, please visit http://www.cleo.on.ca or call 416-408-4420.

http://www.cleo.on.ca