Success Story

Rajan believes that access to justice and basic human rights must reach everyone – not just the privileged ones. He hopes his imprint will create an even playing field for people of different traditions, cultures and religions.

Rajan is familiar with a host of human rights struggles. His family is originally from Punjab, India and faced the impact of India’s partition in 1947. He recalls hearing about his family’s experience with racism, hate crimes and discrimination in the UK in the 1960s and in Canada in the 1970s.His early years were marked by the power of education and social justice. He looked up to his great uncle who was a lawyer and practiced in India, but immigrated to Canada and worked in a factory. He fondly remembers his childhood and the strong influence his grandparents had on him. His dinner conversations often revolved around topics of civil liberties, human rights and individual freedoms. So, it’s no surprise, Rajan, along with his younger sister who is a corporate lawyer (as well as an LPP alumnus), found themselves working in the legal realm. His international experiences taught him about self-discovery and strengthened his global awareness.

“Those experiences defined me. I learned about different cultures, acceptance and it inspired my desire to travel. I traveled to about 35 countries in my 20s. I got comfortable being uncomfortable,” says Sandhu.He has visited every continent other than Antarctica. “I was able to learn about different types of legal systems and government systems and the different interpretations of legal rights. It taught me about the importance of civil liberties and human rights versus the lack of basic human rights,” he says.

Rajan did his LPP work placement at Sheridan College, where he worked directly with the general counsel. It was an unparalleled experience that would propel his career into leading the in-house legal team.“I enjoyed working in the post-secondary sector and have grown my career here. I serve as Sheridan College’s General Counsel, Corporate Secretary & Special Advisor to the President and recently obtained my Certified In-House Counsel designation through the Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto) and the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association. We serve all areas of the institution and advise on corporate/commercial matters, governance, human rights, student matters, policies/procedures, privacy, information management, strategic matters,” he says.