Justice for Children and Youth
11 lawyers · Established 1978 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 455 handling Criminal Defence.
Accepts Legal Aid
Accepts Legal AidAbout Justice for Children and Youth
Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY) is a non-profit legal aid clinic based in downtown Toronto that represents children and youth across Ontario. It's the operating name of the Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth and the Law, a charity incorporated in 1978. The organization started out under the name Justice for Children and became Justice for Children and Youth in 1990, and it marked its 35th anniversary in 2013.
JFCY's staff lawyers give free summary legal advice, brief services, and representation to people under 18 anywhere in Ontario, and to homeless or unstably housed young people up to age 25. The clinic's work covers youth criminal justice, education (including suspensions, expulsions, and special education), child welfare, human rights, health and mental health, provincial offences, and immigration and refugee matters. It doesn't take on civil lawsuits and generally doesn't handle family law, which the Office of the Children's Lawyer covers instead. JFCY is part of Legal Aid Ontario's network of specialty legal clinics and also does public legal education, test case litigation, and law reform advocacy on issues that affect young people.
Beyond its University Avenue office, JFCY runs Street Youth Legal Services, sending a lawyer out to shelters and youth drop-ins around Toronto each week, and it partners with the Toronto Justice Centre to provide education law support to young people involved in the youth justice system.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Incorporated in 1978 as the Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth and the Law, the organization operated as Justice for Children until it took the name Justice for Children and Youth in 1990.
- JFCY marked its 35th anniversary in 2013 with a retrospective document covering the foundation's history.
- In January 2022, JFCY and eight sister legal clinics were approved for a Department of Justice Canada program, Your Way Forward, that brought a total investment of 6.6 million dollars to expand legal services for survivors of sexual violence and intimate partner violence across Ontario.
- JFCY's Education Advocate Lawyer and Education Navigator are embedded within the Toronto Justice Centre, a Ministry of the Attorney General pilot project that brings community services and supports together for young people facing charges under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
- JFCY built and released a free online Name Change Tool to help young people navigate the legal process for changing their name.
In the community
- Through Street Youth Legal Services, a JFCY lawyer holds regular hours at youth shelters and drop-ins across Toronto, including the YMCA Drop-in on Vanauley Street, the Evergreen Centre for Street Youth on Spadina Avenue, the Native Youth Resource Centre on Bloor Street West, and Covenant House Community Support Services on Gerrard Street East.
- JFCY lawyers deliver public legal education workshops on young people's legal rights to youth, professionals, and community groups across Ontario, alongside the summary advice and representation they provide directly to clients.
- JFCY lawyers have served on the board of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children and taken part in the Landon Pearson Centre for Childhood and Children's Rights' Children's Rights Academic Network.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleFees & payment
Legal aidLawyers 11
Allie McMillan
Lawyer
Allison P. Williams
Lawyer (on leave)
Candice Suter
Lawyer
Criminal Defence
Claire Millgate
Lawyer, Street Youth Legal Services
Emily Chan
Lawyer, Litigation and Community Development
Criminal DefenceImmigration Law
Jane Stewart
Lawyer
Indigenous LawFamily Law
Jin Chien
Lawyer
Immigration Law
Kaffie Abdirashid
Education Advocate Lawyer, Toronto Justice Centre
Katherine Long
Lawyer
Family Law
Mary Birdsell
Executive Director and Lawyer
Criminal DefenceFamily Law
Samira Ahmed
Lawyer
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1996–2021 · median 15 years in practice 9 of 11 lawyers
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School (2), University of Toronto, Faculty of Law (2), Queen's Law School 5 of 11 lawyers
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
JFCY's office sits on the 15th floor of 55 University Avenue, an office tower at University and Wellington in Toronto's financial district, a few blocks south of Osgoode Hall and the court buildings further up University Avenue, one of the city's main institutional corridors. The clinic generally doesn't offer walk-in service there; people reach it by phone through its intake line, since its lawyers serve clients across the whole province rather than a single neighbourhood.
JFCY's day-to-day contact with young people happens more often out in the community than at its desk. Its Street Youth Legal Services lawyer keeps a standing weekly schedule at shelters and drop-ins spread across downtown Toronto, meeting street-involved youth where they already go for support rather than asking them to come to a law office.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is eligible for help from JFCY?
- JFCY provides free legal advice, brief services, and representation to people under 18 anywhere in Ontario, and to homeless or unstably housed young people up to age 25.
- Does JFCY handle family law cases or civil lawsuits?
- No. JFCY does not take on civil lawsuits and generally does not handle family law matters. The Office of the Children's Lawyer provides family law services for young people instead.
- How do I contact JFCY for legal advice?
- Call the intake line at 416-920-1633 in the GTA or 1-866-999-JFCY (5329) toll free elsewhere in Ontario, during intake hours. JFCY does not generally offer walk-in service at its University Avenue office.
- What kinds of legal problems does JFCY deal with?
- Common topics include charges in youth criminal court, school suspensions and expulsions, special education, privacy rights, healthcare decisions, leaving home, discrimination, provincial offences tickets, and immigration and refugee matters.
- Is there a cost for JFCY's services?
- JFCY is a Legal Aid Ontario funded clinic. Lawyers provide up to 30 minutes of free summary legal advice by phone, with additional brief services and representation available to callers who meet the clinic's eligibility guidelines.
- I'm a young person experiencing homelessness in Toronto. Can JFCY help?
- Yes. Through its Street Youth Legal Services program, a JFCY lawyer holds set weekly hours at shelters and drop-ins across Toronto to give advice, referrals, and representation to street-involved youth aged 16 to 24.
Where to find them
55 University Ave, 15th Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 2H7 · 416-920-1633
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