Legal Aid in Northumberland

By Deborah O’Connor

Legal clinics, the seemingly silent side of Legal Aid Ontario, may be home to many idealistic, justice seeking lawyers, but they are still part of the government funded, and very official, legal system, subject to the same been counting instincts of administrators everywhere. Like so many other public services, they have grown bit-by-bit, region-by-region, until every geographic corner of Ontario has been covered, each clinic a unique entity. Perhaps grown complacent after years of steady funding, the clinics seem somewhat shocked that bean counters at head office are less impressed with their noble attributes than in the past and looking for radical change in how they conduct their business now. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Community Voices, Social Justice

By Deborah O’Connor

In the first article of our series we looked at Ontario’s system of legal clinics and how Legal Aid Ontario, their funder, sees their operations. In their discussion paper of May 2012 LAO calls upon clinics to examine their most fundamental views of the system and find more responsive, and more cost effective ways to deliver their services. Predictably, the clinics are feeling threatened by this latest challenge since they have already had several years of belt tightening and increased pressure to do more with less. Contained in LAO’s report are many criticisms of how clinics do business. There are complaints small clinics in rural areas are inefficient, despite the fact that the clinics provide what is usually the only life-line for low income residents caught up in legal problems threatening their income, housing, and well being. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Community Voices, Social Justice

By Deborah O’Connor

Since 2008 there have been three major discussion papers examining the state of the Province’s legal clinics, the latest released in May 2012 with the intimidating title of “Ideas for the Future Development of Clinic Law Delivery Services in Ontario”. This one is the most critical of the system yet, and announces its purpose is to challenge clinics to “address fundamental questions about long term structure and sustainability of clinic law services in Ontario”. With a background that includes taking part in the formation of the Northumberland Community Legal Clinic based in Cobourg, and many years of employment there as a community legal worker, this writer admits upfront that legal clinics are dear to my heart. While criminal and family law matters eat up the lion’s share of legal aid funding and use private bar lawyers to assist clients, the clinics, that part of Legal Aid Ontario that deals with poverty law specifically, are unique in how they practice the fine art of securing social and economic justice for clients. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Community Voices, Social Justice