Posted April 22, 2021 in
News
Come join our 2021 Conference where we will help set you up for success in the legal field. Open to prospective licensing candidates, current licensing candidates, and lawyers within 1-5 years of call. Register Now
Speakers:
Gina Alexandris
For over 20 years, Gina has been inspiring and supporting individuals and organizations to strategically define their hopes and achieve their goals. As the Senior Program Director of Ryerson’s Law Practice Program (LPP), Gina is responsible for the development, implementation and general management of the innovative transition year training program for Ontario licensing Candidates. In this role, she ensures academic excellence and quality of service and program delivery for participants, and outreach to hundreds of contributing members of the legal profession. Gina was also involved with the development and launch of Ryerson’s new innovative law school. With a passion for adult education, leadership and diversity, she completed her Masters of Education in 2012 and received her Coaching Certification in 2017. Gina developed and directed the award-winning Internationally Trained Lawyers Program at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and spent 12 years with Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, as Director of Career Services and then nine years as the Assistant Dean of Student Services. Between 2013 and 2014, Gina was the Director, Strategic Planning and Knowledge Management for the Legal Services Division of the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario. Following her graduation from Osgoode Hall Law School, Gina began her legal career practicing family law and civil litigation in Toronto, Canada.
Fariya Walji
As the Assistant Director of Professional Development and Work Placements at the Law Practice Program (LPP), Fariya is responsible for working with the Legal Profession to identify work placements throughout Ontario, as well as developing and implementing the candidate preparation and support structures to ensure placements benefit both employers and candidates.
In her role, Fariya develops and delivers Professional Development sessions to assist candidates with application preparation, networking and outreach, in-placement success strategies, and post-placement next steps. Fariya frequently serves as a panelist and speaker where she discusses topics including diversity in the legal profession, building equity in hiring, the Law Practice Program and the licensing process, career planning, application materials/interview skills, litigation and oral advocacy, alternate career paths, and more.Before joining the LPP, Fariya was Crown Counsel for the Ministry of the Attorney General (Ontario). In addition to conducting civil and criminal litigation, Fariya was involved in appellate files, a legislative amendment, and training of police officers and other justice stakeholders on topics including civil forfeiture and expert witnesses testimony.Throughout her career as an advocate, Fariya has been involved in several initiatives relating to diversity and inclusion and has led the recruitment, mentorship, and professional development of students and young lawyers.
Stephanie C. Mitchell
Stephanie C. Mitchell has both a law degree and a first-class honours degree in journalism. She works with lawyers, judges, and engineers — and anyone else who wants to sound professional and compelling. Stephanie believes that everyone has their own unique voice — and that is also their greatest strength. She is based in Montréal, Québec, and regularly beams herself across North America.
Stephanie has years of experience choosing the best words as a news reporter and senior producer for CBC Radio in Vancouver, Victoria, and Edmonton. She has also worked in government communications and law school administration.
Stephanie’s workshops are interactive — even through a screen — and never lead to the dreaded death by PowerPoint. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys running along the St. Lawrence River and baking cakes in her small condo kitchen, which seem to balance each other out.
Jennifer Gold
Jennifer Gold is a partner of Wood Gold LLP, a boutique Family Law firm. By entering into partnership, Jennifer Gold and her partner, Frances Wood, sought to create an alternative to the traditional law firm and thereby achieve work-life balance and a diverse workplace. These efforts were noted by Carol Goar in her article for the Toronto Star entitled, “Women Create Family-Friendly Law Practice”. Jennifer is President of the Women’s Law Association of Ontario and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Legal Aid Ontario. She is Chair of Legal Aid Ontario’s Audit and Finance Committee. She has a keen interest in the art of Family Law, de-escalating conflict, and seeing clients achieve a positive resolution.
Jennifer is the 2021 recipient of the Ontario Bar Association Women Lawyers Forum’s Award of Excellence in the Promotion of Women’s Equality and a 2017 recipient of the Lexpert Zenith Award celebrating the advancement of women in the legal profession. When Jennifer is not busy with law related activities and advocacy work, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking and singing with a barbershop quartet.
Rajan Sandhu
Rajan Sandhu serves as General Counsel at Sheridan College where he leads the Office of General Counsel and oversees its portfolio areas: Secretariat (Governance), Legal Services, Privacy and Access to Information, Records and Information Management, and Policies and Procedures. Rajan previously served as Legal Counsel at Sheridan. He earned his B.Com (Hons) in Finance and Economics from the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management, and his LLB from City, University of London. He was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 2016 after completing Ryerson University’s Law Practice Program. Rajan is currently pursuing his Certified In-House Counsel (CIC.C) designation through the Rotman School of Management and the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association. Rajan is active in his community and serves on the Board of various community organizations and engages in pro bono legal work. He is a keen traveller and has visited over 35 countries on 6 continents.
Liam Scott
Liam Scott is counsel with the Legal Services Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-Term Care. He was called to the Bar in 2000. Liam provides advice to the Chief Medical Officer of Health and staff in the Ministry of Health. Liam practices in the areas of public health, mental health, consent, medical assistance in dying and indigenous health. Liam has worked on legislation, including the Healthy Menu Choices Act (requiring calories to be posted on menus) and the Skin Cancer Prevention Act (banning youth from using tanning beds). He was Chair of his office’s Student Committee from 2000-2002, and again from 2007-2017. He mentors students at the undergraduate, law school and in the Ministry of the Attorney General.
Norman Bacal
Norman Bacal is a legal community personality. He built and ran a national law firm for over 25 years, was one of Canada’s best known film and television finance lawyers, and sat on the board of a major Hollywood studio. In 2017 he left the practice to begin a second career as an author, speaker and consultant. Norm speaks at university campuses across the country. His recently published book, Take Charge: The Skills That Drive Professional Success is a manual designed for students and developing professionals. He has also published two murder mysteries that follow his memoir, Breakdown, a book that chronicles his legal career from student to leader and the principles that drive organizational success.
Rachel Sachs
Rachel Sachs is an elder, wills and estates and real estate lawyer and trained mediator serving the GTA and Southern Ontario’s aging population. Rachel works for herself through her firm, Sachs Law Professional Corporation, and as a contract lawyer on the Goodlawyer platform. She is an alumna of the Law Practice Program’s 3rd year, current Chair of the OBA Women Lawyers Forum, a regular volunteer with Pro Bono Ontario and the Filipino Canadian Lawyers Network, and a mentor with Global Lawyers of Canada, EmpowHer-Peel and the Women’s Law Association of Ontario.
Eva Chan
Eva Chan is a lawyer turned social media strategist, consultant and trainer for lawyers. She helps lawyers save time in learning how to use social media, and leverage it to meet professional and personal goals.
Eva graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1999. For over a decade, she practised advertising, marketing and information technology law at a national law firm. She gained in-house counsel experience during secondments.
After leaving the practice of law, Eva obtained a Professional Graduate Certificate in Marketing Management from Harvard Extension School. Her blog (evachanweb.ca/blog ) won a Clawbies (Canadian Law Blog Awards) for Best New Blog in 2016, and was a finalist for Best Business of Law Blog in 2018.
