[PLEASE NOTE – I AM NOT WORKING UNTIL ROUGHLY SEPTEMBER 2026 DUE TO ILLNESS (I am writing this blog to bring me joy and help with my healing).
As I cross the 15 year milestone of being a lawyer, I am honoured by the people who have helped shape me as a lawyer, including the Law Society, Legal Aid Ontario, and the many lawyers and mentors I have had the privilege of working alongside.
One of the greatest privileges of my career has been advocating for those whose voices are too often overlooked. As a racialized woman, I understand what it means to be misunderstood or judged based on characteristics beyond my control. Those experiences have reinforced an important lesson: life will sometimes meet us with unfairness, but resilience is found in how we choose to respond.
The barriers are real, but they do not define you.
There is an old saying: don’t judge a book by its cover.
In refugee law, that principle carries profound meaning. Every claimant has a story, shaped by hardship, courage, loss, and hope. My role is to ensure that your story is heard in its entirety, not reduced to assumptions, appearances, or first impressions.
Like a book, you are far more than your cover.
— You are every chapter, every page, and every word in between —
Not everyone will take the time to read your story. Some may form opinions too quickly, often influenced by their own experiences or misconceptions. But your response should never be to lower your standards. Hold yourself to the highest level of integrity, in your actions, your words, and the way you treat others. Character has a way of revealing itself over time, and respect is often earned through quiet consistency.