Ontario's 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. All help is private and confidential and provided free of charge.
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.
Specialty clinics:
- represent specific individuals (e.g., seniors, people living with HIV/AIDS)
- deal with specific area of law
- service clients throughout Ontario.
Some clinics also specialize in areas of law for low-income clients who are marginalized for other reasons. These clinics are resources for other clinics, private bar lawyers, MPPs, and community agencies.
To find out more about general service community legal clinics and student legal aid societies, see:
- Service by type - Legal Clinics - General Service
- Services by type - Student Legal Aid Services Society
Community legal clinics are funded by Legal Aid Ontario. To find out more about Legal Aid Ontario's other services see: Services by type - Legal Aid Ontario Services.
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211 Ontario is an information and referral hotline that gives help in many languages. Dial 211 for free from any phone in Ontario. They take calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For general information on finding legal help visit: I need legal help, but have limited income and can't afford a lawyer. What can I do?
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Featured services for this type
HALCO - HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario
HALCO - HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario provides free legal information, advice, and representation for people in Ontario who are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. HALCO also produces...Regions served:
Serves all of Ontario
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Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
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. The...Regions served:
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Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto (ALST)
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 ...Regions served:
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Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)
The Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) works to better the housing situation of Ontario residents who have low incomes including tenants, co-op members and people who are homeless. ACTO...Regions served:
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Advocacy Centre for The Elderly (ACE)
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The African Canadian Legal Clinic uses test case litigation to address anti-Black racism and other forms of systemic and institutional discrimination. The ACLC also provides education about...Regions served:
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Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) provides legal services to individuals and groups with environmental legal problems, and seeks to improve environmental protection through...Regions served:
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Centre for Spanish-Speaking Peoples (CSSP)
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...Regions served:
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CLEO - Community Legal Education Ontario/Éducation juridique communautaire Ontario
CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario/Éducation juridique communautaire Ontario) develops materials and projects to help low-income and disadvantaged communities understand their legal rights. A...Regions served:
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HALCO - HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario
HALCO - HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario provides free legal information, advice, and representation for people in Ontario who are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. HALCO also produces...Regions served:
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Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)
The Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) works with clinics and anti-poverty groups using litigation, policy development, advocacy and lobbying, and community development and organizing to address...Regions served:
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Industrial Accident Victims' Group of Ontario
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...Regions served:
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Injured Workers' Consultants (IWC)
Injured Workers' Consultants (IWC) provides information, advice, and representation to injured workers. Works with injured worker and community organizations seeking improvements to the workers'...Regions served:
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Justice for Children and Youth
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Landlord's Self-Help Centre
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Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
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South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario
The South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) provides advice and representation to low-income South Asians in the Greater Toronto Area. The clinic also conducts public education, law reform, and...Regions served:
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Toronto Workers' Health & Safety Legal Clinic
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...Regions served:
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