Parkdale Community Legal Services

General information

Parkdale Community Legal Services is a community legal clinic located on Queen Street in the west end of Toronto, Canada. We provide free legal advice, assistance and representation to low income residents living in the Parkdale and Swansea area. We are funded by Legal Aid Ontario and Osgoode Hall Law School of York University.

Serving our Community...
Since 1971, Parkdale Community Legal Services has delivered poverty law services to low-income residents of Parkdale. Recently, we have expanded our catchment area to include the west end neighbourhood of Swansea. We cover a wide variety of subject areas, including social assistance, workers' rights, tenants' rights, immigration and refugee claims, mental health law, and domestic violence issues.

In addition to casework and summary advice, PCLS provides public legal education to Parkdale and Swansea residents and the broader community. We are actively engaged in grassroots organizing, lobbying and other law reform activities, frequently in cooperation with other Parkdale agencies and community organizations as well as social justice groups beyond our catchment area.

Parkdale is both a teaching clinic and a community clinic. We provide legal services and at the same time deliver Osgoode Hall Law School's Intensive Programme in Poverty Law. Our law students are the primary caseworkers, conducting client interviews, negotiating, and preparing and arguing before courts and tribunals. They also take part in public legal education, law reform and community development projects.