As senior counsel leading the charge on clinic transformation, I am thrilled that we now have an online presence. With this new page, we are able to provide comprehensive and timely information about this exciting initiative.

My clinic experience is long and varied: I was a clinic staff lawyer at various clinics over the past 13 years, a former Clinic and Programs Advisor at Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), and was also a Director of Legal Services at a Toronto-based clinic.

All of these experiences have taught me that communication is the key to success in any role. It is probably even more so in my current role as LAO’s senior counsel for clinic transformation, overseeing a province-wide initiative that consists of multiple projects that are led by clinics on the ground and rooted in their communities.

I welcome the challenge and the opportunity to ensure clinic staff, boards, students and volunteers have access to informative resources that support them in their journeys. One of the aims of this page is to showcase the exciting initiatives in all the regions and to keep communities, clients, partner agencies, and other stakeholders up-to-speed on where our journey is leading us.

This is a moment in time where we can all coalesce around our shared vision of enhancing access to justice for Ontarians living in poverty. We can thank the Ministry of the Attorney General’s office for recognizing the need to invest in clinics in order to ensure they are sustainable for the future and responsive to our clients for generations to come.

Change is difficult but if we keep our focus firmly on the needs of our clients and our communities, we will ensure that this change positively impacts the way in which clients experience our services. Together, we can ensure that their path to justice is one of equal and enhanced access, delivered in such a way that continues to position Ontario as a world leader in the delivery of poverty law services.