We provide FREE legal services and assistance to low income individuals who live within our catchment area. To receive any services from us, you must first qualify for our services (for details see Who We Help on our Home page). For persons who qualify, we provide free legal advice and select representation for legal problems that fall within our areas of practice.
Areas of Practice
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Housing - Landlord/Tenant
We provide a range of services to tenants and co-op members dealing with evictions, harassment, discrimination, lack of repair or maintenance, illegal rent increases etc. |
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Social Assistance & Income Security
We assist in matters involving Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security. |
Immigration
We assist with matters involving citizenship, humanitarian and compassionate applications, sponsorship and family reunification.
Employment
We provide advice to workers with issues arising under the Employment Standards Act, and in establishing eligibility for Employment Insurance Benefits.
Human Rights
While we do not generally provide assistance in matters before the Human Rights Tribunal Of Ontario, we can provide advice and assistance with respect to human rights issues that may arise in the course of proceedings in relation to housing, social assistance and income security, immigration and employment standards/insurance.
Notarizing and Commissioning Documents
We also Notarize and Commission documents for clients who qualify for our services. Such documents can include income verification affidavits for housing or daycare subsidies, immigration documents or identity documents. An appointment is required for these services.
Public Legal Education, Law Reform & Community Development
In addition to providing discrete legal services on individual cases, we are mandated to - and we enjoy - providing services that are designed to have a wider impact on our entire community.
Public Legal Education
We offer, organize and participate in Public Legal Education seminars and training sessions to community groups and agencies to enhance their understanding of how the law works. NLS staff also frequently participate in seminars and conferences related to related to topics of interest to our community. We consider and try to accommodate all requests for presentations and other public legal education, so please feel to contact us if you are interested in having us.
Law Reform
Part of our mandate includes challenging laws that are unjust or adverse to the interests of our community. We undertake this law reform work through test case litigation and through other advocacy work. Test case litigation involves taking a case to the superior courts to obtain a positive and unprecedented decision. Other advocacy work includes making submissions to and lobbying all levels of government on behalf of our community.
Community Development
We are also mandated to engage in community development work. This work includes organizing tenants and other members of our community in a manner that enables the community members to assert their rights. Our work also includes working in close partnership with several other community organizations that are working to improve the over all welfare of our community.
Public Legal Education
We offer, organize and participate in Public Legal Education seminars and training sessions to community groups and agencies to enhance their understanding of how the law works. NLS staff also frequently participate in seminars and conferences related to related to topics of interest to our community. We consider and try to accommodate all requests for presentations and other public legal education, so please feel to contact us if you are interested in having us.
Law Reform
Part of our mandate includes challenging laws that are unjust or adverse to the interests of our community. We undertake this law reform work through test case litigation and through other advocacy work. Test case litigation involves taking a case to the superior courts to obtain a positive and unprecedented decision. Other advocacy work includes making submissions to and lobbying all levels of government on behalf of our community.
Community Development
We are also mandated to engage in community development work. This work includes organizing tenants and other members of our community in a manner that enables the community members to assert their rights. Our work also includes working in close partnership with several other community organizations that are working to improve the over all welfare of our community.
Outreach & Special Projects
In addition the services we provide for our community every day, NLS is also engaged in outreach activity, and has also undertaken and completed a number of special projects, highlighted here.
Health Justice Program (HJP)
The Health Justice Program is a partnership between St. Michael's Hospital Academic Family Health Team, St. Michael's Hospital and legal clinics ARCH Disability Law Centre, Aboriginal Legal Services Toronto, HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario and Neighbourhood Legal Services. The partnership is funded through Legal Aid Ontario with in-kind contributions from all partners.
Health Justice Program (HJP)
The Health Justice Program is a partnership between St. Michael's Hospital Academic Family Health Team, St. Michael's Hospital and legal clinics ARCH Disability Law Centre, Aboriginal Legal Services Toronto, HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario and Neighbourhood Legal Services. The partnership is funded through Legal Aid Ontario with in-kind contributions from all partners.
Family Reunification
With financial support from the Law Foundation, NLS began the Family Reunification Project in 2010. The Project initially focused on training front-line workers at refugee serving agencies and developing easy-to-use resources in the area of immigration law in the context of family reunification. The training component of the Project was completed with numerous community agencies having benefited from specialized training that helps them assist their clients in forwarding their family reunification claims.
The final phase of the Family Reunification Project has involved setting up a website to serve as a Knowledge Hub for the Immigration Processing of Family Members to assist family members the community agencies that may be assisting them in their applications for permanent residence in Canada. The website was launched in November 2013, and it aims to help you understand Canada's immigration system and family reunification programs and related laws.
The site will be updated periodically with new information and user-friendly material so be sure to check back regularly. We encourage you to look at the Resources section for downloadable material, including a Power Point presentation with notes, as well as a PDF document with easy-to-understand information about the processing of family members under the Canadian immigration rules and regulations.
You can access the Family Reunification Knowledge Hub by clicking here.
With financial support from the Law Foundation, NLS began the Family Reunification Project in 2010. The Project initially focused on training front-line workers at refugee serving agencies and developing easy-to-use resources in the area of immigration law in the context of family reunification. The training component of the Project was completed with numerous community agencies having benefited from specialized training that helps them assist their clients in forwarding their family reunification claims.
The final phase of the Family Reunification Project has involved setting up a website to serve as a Knowledge Hub for the Immigration Processing of Family Members to assist family members the community agencies that may be assisting them in their applications for permanent residence in Canada. The website was launched in November 2013, and it aims to help you understand Canada's immigration system and family reunification programs and related laws.
The site will be updated periodically with new information and user-friendly material so be sure to check back regularly. We encourage you to look at the Resources section for downloadable material, including a Power Point presentation with notes, as well as a PDF document with easy-to-understand information about the processing of family members under the Canadian immigration rules and regulations.
You can access the Family Reunification Knowledge Hub by clicking here.
