South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO)
2 lawyers · Established 1999 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 425 handling Immigration Law.
Accepts Legal Aid
Accepts Legal AidAbout South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO)
South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) is a Legal Aid Ontario funded community legal clinic based in Toronto, on Sheppard Avenue near Yonge Street. It began as a volunteer legal clinic in 1999, picked up project funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario in 2001, and became a permanently funded Legal Aid Ontario clinic in 2007. SALCO's mandate is to improve access to justice for low income South Asian communities in Ontario through direct legal services, public legal education, and law reform work.
The clinic's lawyers handle immigration matters such as sponsorship, humanitarian applications, and removal proceedings, along with employment law, income support programs, and gender based violence cases, and they give advice on family law, tenancy, and consumer issues. Representation is decided case by case based on a client's financial and ethno racial eligibility. Staff serve clients in English and several South Asian languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, and Bengali, and the clinic publishes family and immigration law guides in those languages. Beyond its Sheppard Avenue office, SALCO reaches clients through eight satellite locations at partner community agencies across the Greater Toronto Area.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- SALCO began as a volunteer legal clinic in 1999, received project funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario in 2001, and became a permanently funded Legal Aid Ontario clinic in 2007.
- In 2022, SALCO received ECOSOC status as an accredited NGO with the United Nations.
- SALCO intervened at the Supreme Court of Canada in Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia (2026 SCC 16), as part of a coalition with the South Asian Legal Clinic of British Columbia and the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto.
- The clinic's executive director was elected Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario.
- The clinic's executive director received Ontario's Victim Services Award of Distinction for 2021.
In the community
- SALCO reaches clients outside its Toronto office through eight satellite locations at partner agencies across the Greater Toronto Area, including Indus Community Services in Brampton and Mississauga, Malton Neighbourhood Services, CASSA, Achev, Punjabi Community Health Services, the South Asian Women's Rights Organization, and the Brampton Public Library.
- The clinic produces family and immigration law guides in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, and Bengali, and delivers public legal education sessions at community events, places of worship, and community agencies on request.
- SALCO's law reform work includes a February 2026 submission to the UN Human Rights Committee made with the Colour of Poverty, Colour of Change coalition, along with a separate Ontario pre budget submission.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleFees & payment
Legal aidLawyers 2
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
SALCO's office sits on Sheppard Avenue East just east of Yonge Street in Toronto, on the first floor at the back of the building, a short walk from Sheppard subway station on both the Yonge and Sheppard lines. Because the clinic serves South Asian communities across the whole Greater Toronto Area, it also holds outreach hours at partner agencies in Brampton, Mississauga, and Malton, so clients don't all have to travel to the Sheppard Avenue office.
Legal support staff 3
Law clerks, paralegals and articling students at this firm. They are not licensed lawyers.
Frequently asked questions
- What areas of law does SALCO handle?
- SALCO's lawyers represent clients on immigration matters, employment issues such as employment insurance and workplace discrimination, and income support programs like CPP, Old Age Security, and ODSP. They also handle gender based violence cases, including intimate partner violence and forced marriage, and give legal advice, though not full representation, on family law, tenancy, and consumer issues.
- Can SALCO represent me in a divorce or custody case?
- SALCO's family law service is advice only. It covers separation, divorce, parenting arrangements, and child or spousal support, rather than full representation in court.
- What languages can I get help in at SALCO?
- Staff serve clients in English and South Asian languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, and Bengali, and SALCO's family and immigration law guides are published in those languages too.
- I live in Brampton or Mississauga, do I have to travel to SALCO's Toronto office?
- Not necessarily. SALCO holds outreach appointments at partner agencies including Indus Community Services in Brampton and Mississauga, Malton Neighbourhood Services, and the Brampton Public Library, in addition to its Sheppard Avenue office in Toronto.
- Who is eligible for help from SALCO?
- SALCO decides representation case by case, based on the type of legal problem and a client's financial and ethno racial eligibility, and gives priority to clients who aren't fluent in English or French.
- How do I book a public legal education session for my community group?
- Organizations can request a session through SALCO's Request for Legal Education form. The clinic can deliver sessions virtually or in person at community events, places of worship, or community agencies.
Where to find them
45 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 106A, Toronto, ON M2N 5W9 · 416-487-6371
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Employment & Labour LawImmigration LawLegal AidListing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗