Mission

Pro Bono Ontario was created in 2001 to bridge the gap between low-income Ontarians who can't afford a lawyer (or qualify for legal aid) and lawyers who want to donate their services. PBO develops and manages programs that enable volunteer lawyers to provide high-quality legal services, free of charge, to people with everyday legal needs. 

Impact

Since 2001, PBO has helped more than 160,000 clients who had nowhere else to turn. 

Core programs:

• Free Legal Advice Hotline provides free legal advice and drafting services to 1,000+ callers each month who have civil litigation problems (non-family), consumer debt and protection issues, corporate law questions (for small biz & nonprofits), problems at work, housing issues and need Powers of Attorney; 
• Medical-Legal Partnerships in all five children's hospitals that help families address their health-harming legal problems.
• Children's Programs protecting the rights of vulnerable children such as unaccompanied minors seeking refugee protection and children facing discrimination at school.
• Court-Based Law Help Centres in three civil court-houses for unrepresented litigants
• A Continuum of Services ranging from procedural information to full representation before the Small Claims Court, Superior Court, Court of Appeal, Federal Court and Supreme Court of Canada.