Ontario Artists' Legal Access & Support Network

Our Support Network consists of:

•  One-on-one meetings with volunteer lawyers, to discuss issues such as copyright, contracts, or other legal issues related to an artist’s career. Lawyers provide a free, 30 minute session of summary legal advice and information to help artists better understand specific legal issues and challenges. Legal advice is available to CARFAC Ontario members through Visual Arts Legal Clinic of Ontario (in partnership with Torys LLP). Non-members may access legal advice through ALAS.

• One-on-one support from an Ontario-based practicing artist to help and encourage artists by discussing and pointing you towards various resources and services available, and to further assist you in navigating any access barriers to information and support. 

• Roundtable discussions and webinars on specific legal topics that affect a large population of our sector. If you would like to suggest legal topics or concerns impacting artists in your community, please get in touch!
  
  
• Resource building to provide continuous support that helps artists inform and advocate for themselves and their peers, aimed towards building a sustainable, safe, and thriving sector.

• Experimenting with new models to bring together artists and lawyers for meaningful exchanges and valuable knowledge-sharing so that artists are empowered to voice and act upon their rights.

Our intention is to support artists through a holistic lens of care. Programs are developed in response to issues artists have identified. We are here to connect with you individually so as to better understand the challenges you are facing, and how we may be able to provide support.

Frequently Asked Questions

ALAS Volunteer Lawyers:

DO:

• Meet with you and discuss your legal matter on a confidential basis
• Provide summary legal advice to you as a creator in the context of the  discipline in which you work
• Provide legal information or recommend appropriate resources appropriate 

DO NOT:

• Provide you with legal services after your meeting
• Represent you—you will not form an ongoing lawyer-client relationship with the lawyer
• Help artists with upcoming court dates

• Provide legal information and/or advice in regards to family law, criminal law, tax law, real-estate law or most employment law (ie. unrelated to your artistic practice).

One-On-One Artist Support:

We will:

• Listen to your issues and concerns
• Discuss and suggest strategies to navigate difficult situations
• Point you towards services and resources
• Discuss strategies so that you can effectively advocate for yourself
• Connect you to the broader arts community
• Assist you with filling in the ALAS Legal Clinic intake form

We won't: 

• Provide legal advice or legal information (see above, re. ALAS volunteer lawyers)
• Summarize or help you interpret legal advice or information given to you by ALAS volunteer lawyers

CARFAC Ontario members, please note that you can continue to access pro-bono legal advice through our Visual Artists' Legal Clinic of Ontario (VALCO) program.