Eyes on LAO

Want to know more about Legal Aid Ontario, its operations, ongoing projects and future plans? Then check out our Eyes on LAO articles listed below. If you need further information on a topic than what we have posted here then please feel free to contact us.

2009:

• Spotlight on the Toronto Workers' Health & Safety Legal Clinic
  » December 21
  Funded by Legal Aid Ontario, the Toronto Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic provides workers with information about their workplace health and safety rights and legal representation where required.
• ARCH Disability Law Centre provides access to justice
  » October 9
  Child protection matters are difficult for everyone involved, no matter what the circumstances. But what happens when a child or parent has a disability that isn’t accommodated during the process?
• New brochure addressses access to justice issues
  » May 12
  Why it is important for Aboriginal people to self-identify to their lawyers
• ISAC focuses on big picture to help more individuals
  » April 13
  With over three million Ontarians living below the poverty line, ISAC has its hands full working to raise the standard of living for low-income communities across the province.
• Legal Aid Ontaio provides access to justice in many languages
  » January 14
  Language barriers make it difficult for many people in Ontario to access the right services or information. Legal Aid Ontario helps by providing services in many languages for Francophones, Aboriginals, non-English/non-French speakers and the hearing impaired.

2008:

• Connecting the Pieces: A Year End Progress Review
  » December 30
  These are exciting times at LAO. Our strategic management plan to modernize our organization, meet efficiency targets and improve client service continues to gain momentum. From boosting poverty and family law services to saving taxpayers millions of dollars by co-locating offices, the spirit of change, efficiency, improved client service and innovation is everywhere you turn at LAO.
• Investigations Department makes sure of appropriate use of public funds
  » December 23
  The role of Legal Aid Ontario's (LAO) Investigations Department is to ensure the proper use of public funds by investigating any breaches of the Legal Aid Services Act and any allegations of the misuse of legal aid funds by clients, lawyers, employees or other service providers.
• Sorting out the regulations with the Landlord's Self-help Centre (LSHC)
  » December 16
  Landlord's Self-Help Centre is the only non-profit legal clinic geared exclusively towards Ontario's small-scale landlord community. LSHC's range of services is aimed at aiding property owners, many of whom have become landlords solely to generate enough income to maintain proprietorship, and lack the necessary knowledge surrounding renting regulations.
• The Long Arm of Justice for Children and Youth
  » December 9
  This is the second in a series of articles about the valuable work being done by the Specialty Clinics funded by Legal Aid Ontario. Specialty Clinics provide services for specific groups of disadvantaged clients or particular areas of law that affect large numbers of low-income people, including youths -- the focus of the work done by Justice for Children and Youth.
• New threats make CELA even more valuable to disadvantaged
  » November 14
  This is the first in a series of articles about the valuable work being done by the Specialty Clinics funded by Legal Aid Ontario under the Legal Aid Services Act's mandate to provide access to high quality legal services to low income individuals and disadvantaged communities
• September 18, 2008 - Barbara Jackman awarded Sidney B. Linden Award
  » September 18
  Legal Aid Ontario's Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Barbara Jackman has been selected as the 2008 recipient of the Sidney B. Linden Award
• Families find the legal help they need with Legal Aid Ontario
  » September 12
  From child protection and custody rights to spousal support payments and domestic violence, thousands of people turn to Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) each year for help with a broad range of fundamental and often volatile family law issues.
• Reducing Court Appearance Across the Province
  » July 17
  Legal Aid Ontario is playing a major role in helping reduce court appearances, through innovative new services in courthouses around the province.
• LSP Focuses on Minimal Disruption to Lawyer Account Payments
  » June 3
  Plans are in place to keep the move to Atrium on Bay as smooth as possible.
• "3 Month Rule" changes to "Six Month Rule"
  » May 16
  Legal Aid Ontario has expanded the "three month rule" for amending criminal certificates to six months.
• LSP Process Mapping - A Paperless Journey
  » May 7
  Lawyer Services and Payments (LSP) has discovered several ways to improve their department in line with the IMPAC Management Strategy and the Value Agenda
• Legal Aid Ontario developing Aboriginal Justice Strategy
  » April 17
  LAO will introduce a multi-year strategy to improve services for Aboriginal people in Ontario
• LAO Always Vigilant To Ensure Proper use of Public Funds
  » April 4
  LAO has clearly defined and well-understood policies in place to carry out its legislative authority and public responsibility for the appropriate use of public funds.
• Legal Aid Ontario on the move
  » March 25
  Part and parcel of Legal Aid Ontario's commitment to achieving cost efficiencies for Ontario taxpayers through its Value Agenda over the next five years, LAO will be relocating its Provincial Office, Toronto Area Office, Refugee Law Office and Family Law Office in downtown Toronto in July 2008.
• Making an "IMPAC" on the Future of Legal Aid
  » March 12
  By 2012, the internally generated improvements will create an additional $19 million of legal aid value
• Project Takes The Measure of Success at Legal Aid Ontario
  » March 12
  In order to manage, you must measure -- the best decisions are based on accurate information. That's the philosophy behind Legal Aid Ontario's three-year Performance Measurement project to chart progress within the organization as it rolls out its innovative management strategy.
• LAO Pilots New Online Services
  » February 26
  New Internet based service may eventually allow community service providers to submit online legal aid applications for clients

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), an independent but publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit corporation. None of this material may be commercially reproduced, but copying for other purposes, with credit, is encouraged.