Human Rights Legal Support Centre

What Human Rights Legal Support Centre does

The Human Rights Legal Support Centre (HRLSC) is an independent, publicly funded legal services organization established in 2008 under Ontario's Human Rights Code, headquartered in Toronto with six regional offices across the province. It provides free legal services to individuals in Ontario who have experienced discrimination, with a 2023-2024 caseload in which employment matters represented 58%, disability 39.3%, and race 27% of issues addressed. The organization is staffed by 51-100 employees, maintains a bilingual (English/French) interface, and provides interpretation across 140+ languages. Its core activities include direct legal advice, representation at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (374 appearances in 2023-2024), and serving over 20,000 clients annually.

In December 2024 HRLSC introduced a Guided Pathway Tool, a Mediation Services Pilot, and a new Legal Services Representative position, signaling an effort to broaden both self-service intake and pre-hearing resolution capacity. The technology stack is undocumented beyond a multilingual public-facing web presence; no proprietary AI or automation capabilities are disclosed. The business model is non-commercial: services are provided free of charge to end users, with operations funded principally by the Government of Ontario and supplemented by grants such as the $250,000 award from the Law Foundation of Ontario in December 2024. The customer base is highly distributed across Ontario's population, with no payor-side beyond the provincial funder.

Name

Human Rights Legal Support Centre

Legal name

Human Rights Legal Support Centre

Website

https://hrlsc.on.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Human Rights Legal Support Centre is a publicly funded, Toronto-based Ontario legal organization that provides free legal services to individuals facing discrimination, operating six regional offices and serving over 20,000 clients annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Human rights legal services
• Discrimination legal aid
• HRTO application support
• Mediation legal representation
• Free legal advice

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government of Ontario Funding: HRLSC is an independent, board-governed agency funded by the Government of Ontario. All legal services are provided free of charge to clients; income is not an eligibility criterion.
2. Law Foundation of Ontario Grant: HRLSC secured a Law Foundation of Ontario responsive grant valued at $250,000, supplemented by contributions from community partners CLEO and York University Osgoode Hall Law School.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HRLSC provides free legal advice, support, and representation to individuals in Ontario who have experienced discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Core services include telephone intake and eligibility determination, assistance filing applications at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), legal representation at mediations and hearings, and early resolution services including demand letters. The organization also offers a self-administered online Guided Pathway tool, how-to guides, and specialized services for Indigenous clients, all delivered free of charge with no income eligibility requirements.

Product overview

The Human Rights Legal Support Centre (HRLSC) is Ontario's leading publicly funded human rights organization established under the Human Rights Code in 2008. It provides a unified suite of free legal services to people experiencing discrimination, centered around direct legal representation and advice, an online self-service Guided Pathway tool, how-to guides, and early resolution/mediation services. The organization operates as a single integrated service rather than a platform-with-modules architecture, offering phone-based intake, online tools, in-person support through regional offices, and specialized services for Indigenous peoples.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Human Rights Legal Support Centre Core Services Free legal advice and support services for people in Ontario experiencing discrimination under Ontario's Human Rights Code, including assistance filing applications at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) and legal representation at mediations and hearings.
• Human Rights Guided Pathway Free step-by-step online tool developed in partnership with CLEO that guides users through completing HRTO Form 1 for filing human rights applications at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
• How-to Guides Detailed guides providing information on filing HRTO applications, understanding discrimination and harassment, duty to accommodate, preparing for mediation and hearings, available in English and French.
• Early Resolution and Mediation Services Legal support services for early intervention and mediation resolution before formal tribunal proceedings, including drafting demand letters to assert Code rights and representation at mediations.
• Services for Indigenous People Specialized legal services and protocols for Aboriginal and Indigenous clients in Ontario experiencing discrimination, including anti-Indigenous racism cases, with culturally appropriate service delivery.
• Client Portal Online portal for clients to access services, submit inquiries, and manage their human rights legal matters with HRLSC.
• Eligibility and Intake Services Phone-based intake services providing legal advice and determining eligibility for HRLSC representation, with priority given to disadvantaged applicants.
• Asserting Your Human Rights Guide Guide helping individuals address discrimination directly through early intervention before taking legal action, including template letters and OHRC policy references.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 people provided legal advice and support services in 2023-2024 fiscal year (9% increase from previous year)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2024Partnership to develop and launch a new self-administered online Guided Pathway tool that helps Ontarians complete and file applications at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. CLEO brings expertise in online legal education tools. Funded through Law Foundation of Ontario grant.
• York University - Osgoode Hall Law SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2024Partnership for new Mediation Services Pilot Project supporting placement of 12 new students in the Anti-Discrimination Intensive Program (ADIP) over two years, focused on mediation and early resolution services. ADIP Director Bruce Ryder and Dean Trevor Farrow are key collaborators.
• Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC)coreOthersHRLSC is one of three pillars of Ontario's human rights system alongside OHRC and HRTO. OHRC promotes, protects and advances human rights through research, education, targeted legal action and policy development. HRLSC should collaborate with OHRC to increase public awareness and visibility of services.
• Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO)coreOthersHRLSC is one of three pillars of Ontario's human rights system. HRTO is where human rights applications are filed and decided. HRLSC provides legal assistance to people filing applications at HRTO and represents clients at mediations and hearings.
• Ontario's Community Legal ClinicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive network of community legal clinics across Ontario providing referrals and collaborative service delivery. Partners include Barbra Schlifer Clinic, Elizabeth Fry Society, HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario, Don Valley Community Legal Services, Parkdale Community Legal Clinic, and others.
• Legal Aid OntariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey funder and partner organization providing legal aid services in Ontario. Collaboration identified as important for expanding access to justice.
• Ministry of the Attorney GeneralcoreOthersGovernment ministry providing core operational funding and policy oversight for the organization.
• Indigenous Organizations and CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial service protocols for Indigenous clients including 2 Spirited People of the First Nations, Chiefs of Ontario, Nation métisse de l'Ontario, and Indigenous service providers. Consultation process involved Indigenous stakeholders for strategic planning.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ARCH Disability Law Centre: Ontario specialty legal aid clinic focused on disability rights, a key referral partner for HRLSC's disability discrimination caseload. Comparable as a publicly funded legal clinic providing free representation in disability-related matters.
• Parkdale Community Legal Services: Toronto community legal clinic and HRLSC referral partner. Comparable as a community-based legal clinic offering free services to low-income residents, including on human rights matters.
• Legal Aid Ontario: Provincial legal aid funder and partner providing publicly funded legal services across Ontario. Closely comparable as a publicly funded legal services organization serving low-income Ontarians, with overlapping client referral pathways.
• Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO): The third pillar of Ontario's human rights system where HRLSC-referred applications are filed and adjudicated. Operates under the same statutory framework and is the destination forum for HRLSC's representation work.
• Justice for Children and Youth: Ontario specialty legal clinic providing free legal services to children and youth. Comparable as a publicly funded legal aid clinic operating under Ontario's clinic system with similar funding and intake structures.
• HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO): Ontario specialty legal clinic providing free legal services to people living with HIV/AIDS, listed as an HRLSC referral partner. Comparable as a specialty legal clinic serving a protected-grounds population under the Human Rights Code.
• Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO): Ontario's publicly funded community legal education organization and HRLSC's partner on the Guided Pathway tool. Comparable as a non-profit legal education/public legal information provider serving Ontario's diverse communities.
• Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic: Toronto-based legal clinic serving women experiencing violence, a listed HRLSC referral partner. Comparable as a community legal clinic providing free legal services to vulnerable populations in Ontario.
• Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC): One of the other two statutory pillars of Ontario's human rights system alongside HRLSC and HRTO. Directly comparable as a government-mandated human rights body operating under the same Human Rights Code.
• Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO): Ontario specialty legal clinic providing free legal services on housing and tenancy issues, directly overlapping with HRLSC's housing-discrimination mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HRLSCOntario
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-rights-legal-support-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Human Rights Legal Support Centre