IAVGO Community Legal Clinic
1 lawyer · Established 1975 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 478 handling Employment & Labour Law.
Accepts Legal Aid
Accepts Legal AidAbout IAVGO Community Legal Clinic
IAVGO Community Legal Clinic is a Toronto based, not-for-profit community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario. It has provided free legal services to injured workers in Ontario since 1975, and its full name, the Industrial Accident Victims' Group of Ontario, still shows up in some directories under that longer title. The clinic represents low-income and precarious workers, including migrant workers, in claims and appeals before the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT), and it also takes on law reform work aimed at changing how the system treats injured workers.
Since 1997, IAVGO has run Advocates for Injured Workers (AIW), a student legal clinic that is now a year-long clinical externship at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Students carry their own client files under the supervision of IAVGO's staff lawyers, representing workers in WSIB and WSIAT appeals while also taking part in injured worker organizing. IAVGO is a member of the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario, and it also advises other lawyers and advocates who work on workers' compensation files. Its office is at 55 University Avenue in downtown Toronto.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- IAVGO's full name is the Industrial Accident Victims' Group of Ontario, and it has operated as a charitable, not-for-profit community legal clinic serving injured workers in Ontario since 1975.
- IAVGO is a member of the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario, the umbrella body for Ontario's community legal clinic system.
- IAVGO established Advocates for Injured Workers (AIW) in 1997. AIW has since grown into a year-long clinical externship course at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where students represent injured workers in WSIB and WSIAT appeals under IAVGO's supervision.
In the community
- IAVGO says it has trained hundreds of law students to become advocates who understand the barriers facing low-income, precarious workers, and has shared legal rights information with thousands of injured workers across Ontario.
- The clinic has fought for and won new compensation rights for migrant injured workers in Ontario.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleFees & payment
Legal aidWho handles what
The neighbourhood
IAVGO's office is on the 15th floor of 55 University Avenue, an 18-storey building put up in 1977 at the northeast corner of University Avenue and Wellington Street, in the heart of Toronto's Financial District. The building connects into the PATH pedestrian network and sits next to St. Andrew subway station, so clients travelling from elsewhere in Ontario for a WSIB or WSIAT matter can reach the clinic on foot from the subway without needing a car.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal, where IAVGO and its student clinic argue appeals, is further north on the same street at 505 University Avenue. Having the clinic and the tribunal on the same downtown avenue is a practical fit for a practice built almost entirely around WSIB and WSIAT casework.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of help can IAVGO provide with a workplace injury claim?
- IAVGO represents low-income and precarious workers in claims to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and in appeals before the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT). It also gives advice on protecting your rights and meeting appeal deadlines, and refers clients elsewhere when a matter falls outside its mandate.
- Does IAVGO charge for its services?
- No. IAVGO's services are free and confidential for clients who qualify, since the clinic is funded by Legal Aid Ontario.
- Does IAVGO help migrant workers, not just workers with permanent status?
- Yes. The clinic has fought for and won new compensation rights for migrant injured workers in Ontario, and precarious and migrant workers are a core part of its client base.
- What is Advocates for Injured Workers (AIW)?
- AIW is IAVGO's student legal clinic, running since 1997 and now a year-long externship at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Law students carry their own WSIB and WSIAT files under the supervision of IAVGO's staff lawyers.
- How do I contact IAVGO or get an appointment?
- Call (416) 924-6477 or, toll-free, 1-877-230-6311 during office hours, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (the office closes Wednesday afternoons after 1 p.m.). IAVGO does not take new inquiries by email.
- Do I need to speak English to get help, and can I meet virtually?
- IAVGO says it provides language interpretation as needed and can meet clients by telephone, Zoom, or in person at its Toronto office.
Where to find them
55 University Avenue, Suite 1500, Toronto, ON M5J 2H7 · 416-924-6477
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