Reliable Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) delivers English- and French-language legal help to fee-qualified low-income persons in Ontario. LAO was founded under the Legal Aid Services Act (LASA) of 1999 (S.C. 1998), and it has been a critical component of robust public justice systems. Effective as of October 18, 2021, the new Legal Aid Services Act 2020 (LASA 2020) governs legal assistance in Ontario. LAO will continue to serve its mandate of providing high-quality legal help services for low-income persons as a result of LASA 2020. It will also allow LAO to do more, increase its efficiency, and sustain its work over the long term. One of the law's key aspects is the transition from a regulatory to a rules-based management model. Without changing the legislation, the law will allow updates to the rules so that LAO continues to meet the demands of Ontarians and also allows for technological advancements that we take for granted. This applies to the 72 funding-independent clinics and seven students in clinic law.
