Downsview Community Legal Services
4 lawyers · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 87 handling Landlord & Tenant.
Accepts Legal Aid
Free consultation
Accepts Legal AidFree consultationAbout Downsview Community Legal Services
Downsview Community Legal Services is a community legal clinic, not a private law firm. It's funded by Legal Aid Ontario and governed by a community Board of Directors, and its stated mission is to promote access to justice for the low income community of Downsview in Toronto. The clinic is staffed by lawyers, paralegals, community legal workers, and administrative staff, and it helps residents who live within its catchment area and meet Legal Aid Ontario's income guidelines. People whose income is too high to qualify are referred to Justice Net for reduced cost legal help.
The clinic represents clients in landlord and tenant disputes and in appeals involving Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, the Canada Pension Plan, and Employment Insurance, and it gives advice on family law, immigration, and employment standards. It also provides emergency advice and referrals for people dealing with domestic violence, along with affidavit and notarization services. Beyond individual casework, it runs community legal education workshops and takes part in law reform advocacy. It operates two offices: a main location inside the Bathurst Finch Hub at Bathurst Street and Finch Avenue West, and a satellite office at Unison Health and Community Services' Lawrence Heights site.
Practice areas
In the community
- The clinic runs community legal education workshops, including sessions on Employment and Employment Insurance, and it offers Zoom training sessions to community agencies and partner organizations on request.
- It's governed by a community Board of Directors. Membership applications are reviewed before membership is granted. Members receive the clinic's newsletter and can vote at its Annual General Meeting.
- Its main office is one of about ten community agencies operating out of the Bathurst Finch Hub, alongside organizations like North York Community House, Toronto Public Health, JVS Toronto, and Family Service Toronto, so residents can reach legal, settlement, employment, and health services in one building.
- The clinic's resources page also points clients toward crisis and referral supports, including the Assaulted Women's Helpline, the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
Parking availableFees & payment
Free consultation
Legal aidLawyers 4
Who handles what
Offices 2
The neighbourhood
The clinic's main office sits inside the Bathurst Finch Hub, at the corner of Bathurst Street and Finch Avenue West in North York. The hub brings together roughly ten community agencies under one roof, including North York Community House, Toronto Public Health, JVS Toronto, and Family Service Toronto, so a resident can get legal advice, settlement support, and employment help without travelling between separate offices. That layout fits a clinic whose caseload leans heavily on housing, income support, and family and immigration matters.
The clinic's satellite office operates out of Unison Health and Community Services' site on Flemington Road, in Lawrence Heights. That neighbourhood sits just south of Yorkdale Shopping Centre and is home to one of Toronto Community Housing's largest revitalization projects, a hundred acre site of rent-geared-to-income housing being rebuilt into a mixed income community. Running a satellite office there, alongside Unison's health and social programs, lets the clinic reach tenants and benefits recipients close to home instead of requiring a trip downtown.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Downsview Community Legal Services a private law firm?
- No. It's a community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario and governed by a community Board of Directors. Its services are free to eligible residents rather than billed by the hour.
- Who is eligible for help from the clinic?
- You generally need to live within the clinic's Downsview area catchment and meet Legal Aid Ontario's income guidelines. If your income is too high to qualify, the clinic refers people to Justice Net for reduced cost legal services.
- I'm facing an eviction or a dispute with my landlord. Can the clinic help?
- Yes. Landlord and tenant law is one of the clinic's core practice areas, and its lawyers and paralegals represent eligible clients in these matters.
- My ODSP or Ontario Works payments were cut off. Does the clinic handle that?
- Yes. The clinic represents clients in appeals involving Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, the Canada Pension Plan, and Employment Insurance.
- Does the clinic offer help in languages other than English?
- Yes. Its Legal Aid Ontario clinic listing shows services in English and French, with interpretation available in other languages.
- Where are the clinic's offices, and how do I book an appointment?
- The main office is inside the Bathurst Finch Hub at 540 Finch Avenue West, and a satellite office operates out of Unison Health and Community Services on Flemington Road in Lawrence Heights. Call the clinic at 416-635-8388 to book.
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