Law firm bridges gap for those who don't qualify for Legal Aid
The high-needs community of Kingston-Galloway has just lawyered up.

That was the word from the 29th-floor office of the Bay Street law firm Heenan-Blaikie, as it put the resources of its 170 Toronto lawyers toward helping residents of the east Scarborough neighbourhood get affordable legal representation.

The firm has joined up with the East Scarborough Storefront to provide pro bono legal representations to residents of the community who make too much money to qualify for provincial Legal Aid, but can't afford to hire a lawyer.

"Many people who knock on the doors of the justice system find the doors never open," said Ryan Teshner, one of two young lawyers with the firm who has taken the lead on the project.

"They can't assert the rights to defend themselves, to protect their businesses and to live their lives...And we have heard time and time again, that without access there can be no justice. Today with this initiative we can change that."

The firm picked Kingston-Galloway with the advice of city staff, because the community is known to have the highest concentration of need in Toronto - unemployment there is about two per cent higher than the rest of the city and it has the highest concentration of social housing in the city.

Lawyers from the firm will set up an intake office at the East Toronto Storefront.

Ann Gloger, the manager of the storefront, said that many residents in the community aren't able to afford even basic legal advice, but they may not be in such dire straits to qualify for Legal Aid.

"What this partnership is doing is breaking down the barriers to the justice system - even more than that, they're demonstrating to us what the role of big business can be in breaking down barriers to justice."

According to Yonit Fuhrmann of Pro Bono Law Ontario, anyone making more than $18,000 doesn't qualify for Legal Aid. The pro bono model will provide free legal service to anyone who makes less than $36,000.

The partners in the law firm acknowledged that it's impossible to say how many of those people will try to avail themselves of the free legal services.

"We haven't entered into this with a view to a ceiling, we've entered it with a view to help real people with real problems," said Teshner.

"Once we encounter a situation, if we do, where the demand is more than we can supply, we look forward to working with other partners. We're cognizant of the fact that we have to pay the bills, but also cognizant that there are many people here who can work with these cases."