West Scarborough Community Legal Services
3 lawyers · Established 1988 · City of Toronto
One of 121 law firms listed in Scarborough, and one of 15 handling Employment & Labour Law.
Accepts Legal Aid
Free consultation
Accepts Legal AidFree consultationAbout West Scarborough Community Legal Services
West Scarborough Community Legal Services is a non-profit legal aid clinic that has been funded by Legal Aid Ontario since 1988 and is one of two legal aid clinics covering Scarborough. It helps low income residents who live east of Victoria Park Avenue, west of Midland Avenue, and south of Steeles Avenue East, and who qualify financially, mainly people whose main income is Ontario Works, ODSP, Old Age Security with the Guaranteed Income Supplement, a War Veterans' Allowance, CPP, or a temporary WSIB claim. Its casework covers employment insurance and workers' rights, human rights, social housing and TCHC issues, ODSP and Ontario Works appeals, CPP disability, Old Age Security, immigration law, and residential tenant matters. It doesn't take on criminal, family, real estate, refugee, or personal injury cases, referring those instead to private lawyers or other Legal Aid Ontario services. Staff can assist clients in Bengali, Arabic, Farsi, Tagalog, Mandarin, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu, and French, as well as English.
The clinic is a non-profit corporation run day to day by lawyers, community legal workers, paralegals, students, and volunteers, under a volunteer Board of Directors elected annually by its membership. Any Scarborough resident 18 or older can join as a member or stand for the board. Beyond individual casework, the clinic has helped organize neighbourhood coalitions, including Voices of Scarborough and Power in Community, working on issues like affordable housing, rooming houses, and social assistance reform in the community it serves.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Funded by Legal Aid Ontario since 1988, and one of two legal aid clinics serving Scarborough.
- Co-founded Power in Community, a coalition of Scarborough tenants and housing advocates, in 2018 together with Voices of Scarborough.
- Its Voices of Scarborough community leadership project has trained 63 community leaders on legal and political processes affecting low income residents.
In the community
- Helped organize the Social Assistance Coalition of Scarborough (SACS), a group of Ontario Works and ODSP recipients that pushes for reforms to the province's social assistance programs.
- Co-founded Power in Community in 2018 with Voices of Scarborough, a coalition of Scarborough tenants and housing advocates that has met with residents, newcomers, and seniors to raise affordable housing concerns with the city.
- Took part in the Fix EI campaign as part of the Good Jobs for All EI Working Group, advocating for changes to Employment Insurance access and benefit levels.
- Worked with Voices of Scarborough and other housing advocates on a campaign to legalize and regulate rooming houses in Scarborough, including consultation meetings with the city in 2015.
- Co-organized a Tamil Community Town Hall in July 2019 with the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario to discuss the impact of Legal Aid Ontario funding cuts.
- Joined other Toronto legal clinics at the "Toronto United for Justice: Save Legal Aid" event in July 2019.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleFees & payment
Free consultation
Legal aidThis firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Law schools
- University of Delhi, University of Ottawa 2 of 3 lawyers
The neighbourhood
West Scarborough Community Legal Services works out of a second floor suite at the southeast corner of Eglinton Avenue East and Kennedy Road, one of central Scarborough's main crossroads. Its service area is defined by three boundary streets rather than a neighbourhood name: east of Victoria Park Avenue, west of Midland Avenue, and south of Steeles Avenue East, a mostly residential stretch of the city.
That catchment includes a large newcomer population, which is part of why the clinic offers help in Bengali, Arabic, Farsi, Tagalog, Mandarin, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu, and French in addition to English. Rather than operating as a single storefront practice, the clinic works alongside community groups it helped organize, such as Voices of Scarborough and Power in Community, on local issues like rooming houses and affordable housing that affect the tenants it serves.
Frequently asked questions
- Who qualifies for help from West Scarborough Community Legal Services?
- The clinic serves low income residents living east of Victoria Park Avenue, west of Midland Avenue, and south of Steeles Avenue East. Financial eligibility is generally based on family size and income, and it's automatic if your main income is Ontario Works, ODSP, Old Age Security with the Guaranteed Income Supplement, a War Veterans' Allowance, CPP, or a temporary WSIB claim.
- I was denied ODSP or Ontario Works, can this clinic help with my appeal?
- Yes. ODSP and Ontario Works matters are among the areas of law the clinic handles for clients who meet its financial and geographic eligibility rules.
- Does the clinic handle family law, criminal law, or real estate matters?
- No. The clinic doesn't take on criminal, family, real estate, refugee, or personal injury cases. It refers those matters to private lawyers or to other services within Legal Aid Ontario.
- Can the clinic help with an eviction or a problem with my landlord?
- The clinic handles residential tenant rights matters as part of its housing law work. It doesn't handle commercial tenancy issues.
- What languages can I get help in?
- Staff can assist clients in Bengali, Arabic, Farsi, Tagalog, Mandarin, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu, and French, in addition to English.
- Is there a cost to use the clinic's services?
- Services are free for clients who qualify. Clients may be asked to reimburse specific expenses, such as filing fees, medical reports, or interpretation costs, and that is discussed with the client when the retainer is signed.
Where to find them
2425 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 201, Scarborough, ON M1K 5G8 · 416-285-4460
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