Keeping-Tabs-Summer-2023

Q. What was it like transitioning into your current practice, not only in the sense of going
from corporate law to criminal law, but also from a huge firm to a smaller boutique?
A. There was a learning curve in switching practice areas but the foundational skills that I learned in law
school and in the early stages of my legal career helped me to get up to speed quickly. My boss was also
very supportive and patient, which made the transition easier.
I feel like I dove right into the deep end though – I second chaired my first jury trial in my first month
practising criminal law; I made submissions on racial bias in jury selection within my first week. It was
difficult, but it was an invaluable experience. I also started practising criminal law during the pandemic,
so I was able to watch proceedings over Zoom, which helped me learn a lot.
The most noticeable difference in the transition was the discrepancy in resources. At big corporate firms,
there are dozens of different departments that help you with whatever you need – printing services, IT
services, assistants, kitchen staff, human resources, client services, the list goes on. Most small criminal
law firms don’t have any of that. I think a large part of the reason for this is because most criminal law
firms take on a lot of clients supported by Legal Aid Ontario, which is tremendously underfunded.
By virtue of that, criminal defence lawyers typically make a lot less money than corporate or civil lawyers.
But at the end of the day, it’s not about the money for me, and I’m sure most of my colleagues
would say the same. We do the work we do because we’re passionate about it. And thankfully, the
criminal defence bar is extremely collegial – we help each other out as much as possible, even if we’re
not part of the same firm.
Q. What spurred the transition from corporate
law to criminal law?
A. I didn’t plan on practising corporate law forever,
but I started to feel compelled to make the transition
around 2020. Not only were we facing an unprecedented
global pandemic, but we were also
witnessing a major socio-political uprising with the
Black Lives Matter movement.
To be clear, police brutality against Black folks and
anti-Black racism existed long before 2020 but that
year there was an incredible amount of public attention
towards it. And seeing people who looked
like me being murdered on the news and on social
media every day was devastating.. George Floyd,
Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are just a few
of the names on the ever-growing list of Black individuals
who needlessly lost their lives. And they
are more than just names. They are human beings
who had families, friends, and bright futures
ahead of them. This wasn’t just happening in the
United States. In 2022, the Toronto police released
a report entitled “Race & Identity Based Data Collection Strategy Understanding Use of Force & Strip
Searches in 2020” which showed that Toronto police officers used proportionately more force against
Black people, more often. 1 It is clear that racism and bias play a significant role in these use of force
outcomes that must be addressed.
At some point I decided that I couldn’t stand on the sidelines anymore without taking action. Being
a lawyer is a privilege that equips you with tools and resources that so many other people don’t
have. I wanted to use my tools and resources to more directly help people that looked like me and
came from communities similar to my own.
1. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/06/15/officers-use-more-force-against-black-people-with-no-good-explanation-why-toronto-police-data.html;
See also: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/toronto-police-chief-apologizes-to-black-community-as-race-based-data-released/article_43071ae0-8c28-5a67-a27d-be4ed3b9e37d.html?
Q. Your practice is unique because of your focus on racial justice. How does racial justice
inform your practice? Why is racial justice important to the practice of criminal law more
generally?
A. Racial justice is a core part of my practice because racism is a core part of the criminal justice
system. Courts have recognized that systemic racism, and in particular anti-Black racism, continues
to be a reality in our society and justice system, and that it must be acknowledged, confronted,
and erased.
As a Black woman, I’ve experienced the profound impact of racism in my own life, and I have seen
the insidious impact of racism in our communities, institutions, and justice system. Most of my clients
are racialized. The undeniable fact is that Black and Indigenous people are grossly overrepresented
in our criminal justice system and are over-policed, over-punished, and over-incarcerated.
This is what drives me to educate, advocate, and litigate against oppressive systems, practices,
and laws. I have advocated for lower sentences to account for systemic anti-Black racism, the
need to account for disproportionately harsh jail conditions faced by racialized prisoners, and
the importance of cultural competence when representing Black defendants. Ultimately, I have
a deeply-rooted interest in not only achieving just results for my clients, but also in transforming
justice so that no future clients face these same issues.
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