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Until 1967, legal aid services were furnished by lawyers from private firms on a voluntary basis. In 1967, the Law Society of Saskatchewan and the Attorney General established a legal aid plan for criminal offences, under which a nominal fee was paid to lawyers who handled criminal cases.

In the early 1970s, the Saskatoon Legal Assistance Clinic had a strong impact on legal aid developments in the province. Its successful use of the staff system to deliver services led the 1972 Attorney General's Committee on Legal Aid (the Carter Committee) to recommend a staff system that emphasized community involvement. According to this recommendation, the Community Legal Services Act, passed in 1973, created the Saskatchewan Community Legal Services Commission.

In September of 1983, the Legal Aid Act came into force. This legislation streamlined the administration of services by replacing area boards, which functioned under contractual agreements, with area offices operated and staffed by the newly-named Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission. The Act was amended in 1989 to clarify the assessment and collection of contributions. New Regulations came into effect in February, 1995. The primary changes concerned  contributions.

In 2000, The Legal Aid Act was amended to remove choice of counsel for persons charged with murder and treason; and to separate the roles of Chair and Chief Executive Officer.  In 2004 and 2006, it was further amended to reflect a name change for the Department of Social Services to the Department of Community Resources and Employment and then to the Department of Community Resources.

Click here for an historical timeline.