Legal Aid Ontario – Organizational Announcement

Legal Aid Ontario provides legal assistance for low-income people living in Ontario. The organization’s scope reaches the most vulnerable people in the province with services that provide critical assistance and intersects with every area of the justice system. In order to streamline processes, clarify accountabilities, improve client experience and ensure outside delivery of services, Legal Aid Ontario has undertaken internal planning initiatives and some VP and divisional accountabilities are changing effective January 1, 2019.

  • Randall Ellsworth, VP, Regional Services will assume responsibility for districts across the province. In this role Randall will provide critical district oversight and leadership of the duty counsel program and the delivery of staff legal services, and will continue to build relationships with our justice partners.
  • Janet Budgell VP, General Counsel & Compliance will retain her current oversight of General Counsel and will assume responsibility for the audit and compliance functions for Legal Aid Ontario.
  • Rod Strain, VP, Central Operations will assume responsibility for central programming and be accountable for developing a more consistent client experience by providing oversight of certificate decisions and provincial coordination of panel management.
  • Jayne Mallin, VP, Clinic Law Services will be responsible for developing centralized clinic operations with a single point of accountability for policy, planning, programming and research for the clinics and Student Legal Aid Services Societies, which are critical to the delivery of access to justice services.
  • David McKillop, VP, Strategy and Public Affairs, will assume responsibility for initiatives identified within Legal Aid Ontario’s strategic plan and ensure coordination, implementation and monitoring through a single point with input from across the organization.
  • Louis Dimitracopoulos, VP & CAO, Corporate Services will be responsible for corporate oversight of financial planning, human resources, diversity and inclusion, IT, procurement and facilities and will assume responsibility for the Big Case Management Office.

For more information on Legal Aid Ontario, please click here.