LAO’s TRAJECTORY OF DECREASED ACCESS TO JUSTICE
LAO’s “MODERNIZATION”
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) has moved towards a model of shorter/quicker legal services, through a centralized phone line, online information & duty counsel. To save on admin & rent LAO has closed 59 area offices, in exchange for brief emergency-type frontline services. This affects the type of lawyering being offered. [1]
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LAO'S CLINIC "MODERNIZATION"
LAO envisions the same for legal clinics. Cutting rent and admin costs is pushing independent clinics into a few mega-clinics with numerous "access points". [3] This 'service model' moves us away from qualitative community-based legal action. 'Quality assurance' measures tied to funding will further shrink qualitative services. [4] Clinics are for systemic issues, not quick one-off advice
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SOURCES/FOOTNOTES:
[1] LAO 2010 Paper (closure of 59 area offices & cuts of 170 positions) - LINK Also: Lenny Abramowicz "The Role of Technology in the Provision of Poverty Law" - LINK [2] Nicholas Keung, ”Legal Aid Ontario cutbacks..." Tor Star (April 4, 2013) - LINK Also: LAO Quarterly 2012/13 (certificates are down in various legal areas) at 3 - LINK |
[3] LAO 2010 Paper "Amalgamation is one way clinics are increasing capacity" -LINK
[4] services model/quality assurance - LINK Also: E. Capulong, "Client Activism in Progressive Lawyering Theory" at 836- LINK [5] Michael Blazer, “The Community Legal Clinic Movement in Ontario" (1991) at 55 - LINK this website also drew from unpublished research by law student Oriel Varga. |