Board responsibilities

The Board of Directors governs the clinic, and is the employer for all staff, including the Executive Director/Lawyer. While the Board does not manage the clinic’s day-to-day operations, Board members:

• oversee the administrative, personnel and financial management through monthly Board and committee meetings
• set strategic directions and ensures clinic staff are accountable for the legal services provided through multi-year strategic and annual action plans
• are responsible for complying with funding agreements entered into with Legal Aid Ontario and other funding agencies
• are responsible for overall policy development
• maintain clinic’s independence from government
• ensure positive relations with staff, including negotiating with the union that represents the non-lawyer staff
• sends a representative to all meetings of the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario (ACLCO)
• review how complaints are handled by the Executive Director, and hear appeals from decisions denying legal services to individuals in certain circumstances

Through the Board’s proactive work, the Board ensures that conditions attached to our funding do not compromise our independence as social justice advocates or restrict the scope of our advocacy work.

Board members can also participate in a number of committees that provide ensure closer scrutiny of aspects of the clinic’s operation:

• Personnel Committee
• Finance Committee
• Nominations Committee
• Executive Committee
• Client Services Review Committee

Board members must sign and comply with a Statement of Confidentiality and respect strict Conflict of Interest guidelines.