At this time, there are some courthouse libraries who do permit access for paralegals (see list below).
Access to courthouse libraries
LSO By-Law 13 stipulates access to courthouse libraries as the following:
Access to law library services and programs
- A county law library funded by the Corporation shall give access to its law library services and programs to,(a) every person licensed to practise law in Ontario as a barrister and solicitor, regardless of whether the person is also a member of an Association;
(b) judges of Ontario courts;
(c) Ontario justices of the peace; and
(d) members of boards, commissions or other tribunals established or provided for under Acts of Parliament or the Legislature in Ontario.
Access for Paralegals (as of May 2026)
| Carleton (Courty of) Law Association | Yes |
| Dufferin County Law Association | Yes |
| Elgin Law Association | Yes |
| Essex Law Association | Yes |
| Hamilton Law Association | Yes |
| Kenora District Law Association | Yes |
| Lambton Law Association | Yes, with fee |
| Lanark (County of) Law Association | Yes |
| Lennox & Addington Law Association | Yes |
| Lincoln County Law Association | Yes |
| Middlesex Law Association | Yes |
| Nipissing Law Association | Yes |
| Northumberland County Law Association | Yes |
| Perth (County of) Law Association | Yes, with fee |
| Prescott & Russell Law Association | Yes |
| Simcoe County Law Association | Yes |
| Sudbury District Law Association | Yes |
| Temiskaming Law Association | Yes |
| Thunder Bay Law Association | Yes |
| Toronto Lawyers Association | Yes |
| Waterloo Region Law Association | Yes |
| Welland County Law Association | Yes |
| York Region Law Association | Yes, with fee |
Funding for courthouse libraries provided by a Fee paid for by Lawyers
LiRN is funded by a special levy that all lawyers across Ontario have to pay, approximately $ 200./year. There is not a levy applied to Ontario’s paralegals so they do not contribute towards the funding of the libraries. Please see the most recent report from the LSO Audit & Finance Committee to see this illustrated. Lawyers pay a County Libraries Fund (LiRN Inc.) of $ 200. in 2023 and $ 207. next year.
Extracted from the LSO Audit & Finance Committee Report to Convocation 2023
Chart of LiRN levy paid by Ontario Lawyers as passed by Convocation in 2023.
Paralegals do pay a fee to the LSO but that fee does not including funding for LiRN. See chart for the details.
Background articles re funding of courthouse libraries by the LiRN Levy on lawyers
This article may help give you some background into LiRN’s funding.
Betty Dykstra has also written an excellent article for Law360 in 2023 that is also helpful for context.