Victoria Boucovalas
Victoria Boucovalas is a seasoned professional with an understanding of both civil and common law systems. Ms. Boucovalas has extensive experience in civil litigation, administrative and family law cases. She obtained her Master of Laws in Canadian Common Law (LLM) at Osgoode Hall Law School and is an Associate Lawyer with Kapelos & Carlisi Law Office. As an executive member of the Women Lawyers Forum she regularly participates in various programs promoting women’s equality in the legal profession. Ms. Boucovalas is an active member of the Greek community and the Hellenic Canadian Lawyers Association and she is volunteering her services to The Hellenic Initiative which provides direct crisis relief to Greek people in need and the Toronto Refugee SSP Program.
Rebecca Bromwich
Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich is Program Director for the Graduate Diploma in Conflict Resolution program at Carleton University. Dr. Bromwich is also an Assistant Crown Attorney with the Ministry of the Attorney General in Ottawa. She is a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario (ADRIO) and has a Certificate from the Program on Negotiation Master Class at Harvard University (2017).
Rebecca received her Ph.D. in 2015 from the Carleton University Department of Law and Legal Studies, and was the first ever graduate of that program. She was awarded a Carleton Senate Medal as well as the 2015 CLSA Graduate Student Essay Prize for her graduate work. Rebecca also has an LL.M. and LL.B., received from Queen’s University in 2002 and 2001 respectively, and holds a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies from the University of Cincinnati.
In addition to her several years teaching at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, Rebecca has taught at the University of Western Ontario’s Faculty of Law, and at the University of Cincinnati. She has also been a columnist for the Lawyers Weekly and has authored and co-authored several legal textbooks for students and legal system practitioners, including lawyers, paralegals and police.
Rebecca has been an Ontario lawyer for over fourteen years. She worked in private practice from 2003 – 2009, starting at a large firm, doing a wide range of litigation work. She also worked for six years as Staff Lawyer, Law Reform and Equality, to the Canadian Bar Association, then as a Policy Counsel with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.
Marlene Costa
Marlene Costa is Legal Counsel on the Registrant Conduct Team in the Compliance and Registrant Regulation Branch of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). She obtained her law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, where she earned the Dean’s Gold Key Award and remained involved as a teaching team member of the Lawyer as a Negotiator Course. As legal counsel to the tribunal of the OSC, Marlene gained expertise in complex securities litigation matters, administrative law and regulatory compliance. She has developed recommendations for procedural and administrative law policies, including access to justice initiatives such as the tribunal’s Guideline for French Hearings and the OSC Litigation Assistance Program. Prior to joining the OSC, Marlene worked at the then Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade on matters arising under the North American Free Trade Agreement. She also previously interned with the United Nations Development Program’s Governance Cluster conducting comparative legal research. Marlene is an active member of the Ontario Bar Association, currently serving as Vice Chair of the Public Sector Lawyers Section, Program Coordinator of the Women Lawyers Forum and a member of OBA Council.
Erin C. Cowling
Erin was called to the bar in 2005 and was a corporate litigator at a large national firm before becoming a freelance lawyer in 2013. In 2015 Erin founded Flex Legal a network of experienced freelance lawyers who provide quality outsourced legal services to sole practitioners, law firms, and in-house legal departments on a short-term contract or project basis. Erin speaks regularly at legal events, mentors other lawyers, and writes frequently for her blog and for other legal publications. Erin can be found on Twitter at @Cowlingerin and @FlexLegalNet. Erin is the Technology Liaison for the OBA Women Lawyers Forum Executive.
Nandi Ayodele Olivia Deterville
Nandi Deterville is originally from the island nation of Saint Lucia. Upon completing her undergraduate degree in International Relations in Miami, Florida, Ms. Deterville attended law school in England, U.K. On completion she was called to the bar in Saint Lucia and she practiced in a small general practice firm for four years before moving to Toronto. Ms. Deterville then pursued licensing in Ontario and was called to the Ontario Bar in January 2017. Her interests in practice lie in general litigation, immigration and family law.
Bailey Duller
Bailey is the Public Affairs Liaison for the Womens Lawyers Forum (WLF). In this capacity she directs the advocacy work of the WLF and its membership. She has been involved in drafting submissions on the human trafficking legislation and has represented the WLF in conversations about legislation related to parentage, protection for abortion clinics and service providers and domestic violence leave.
Bailey is a family law lawyer, practicing in Toronto at Birenbaum, Steinberg, Landau, Savin and Colraine (BSLSC). Prior to joining BSLSC, Bailey worked with one of Canada’s top family law litigators where she gained trial and appellate experience on high-conflict cases. Her practice employs a strong feminist legal analysis, which is the product of years of study and working in the women’s rights movement.
Bailey obtained her Juris Doctor from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. Bailey was a Dean’s List Scholar and received the course prizes in Legal Research and Writing and Professional Responsibility, as well as awards for law reform and raising consciousness of women’s issues.
Bailey articled at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic (BSCC) where she provided advice and representation to women survivors of violence. While at BSCC she drafted a Motion for Leave to Intervene and co-drafted an Intervenor Factum for the Supreme Court of Canada in R v. Quesnelle, as case related to the disclosure of complainants private records in sexual assault proceedings. She is proud to serve clients with a trauma-informed approach and to handle matters involving domestic violence with the care and attention they deserve.
Elana Finestone
Elana Finestone was called to the bar in 2016. She works as an associate at Quinn Family Law. Elana takes pride in her compassionate ear and ability to advocate for her clients. She accepts family law referrals from the Barbra Schlifer Clinic.
Before law school, she defended her Sociology Master’s thesis at Carleton University about campus sexual assault prevention. Her thesis was granted the rare award of distinction. Elana then collaborated with NGOs and university administrations to effectively engage youth in preventing sexual assault.
Elana graduated from the University of Ottawa with the Shore Davis Johnston Award for top marks in the Feminist Legal Issues course. She clerked with the Superior Court of Justice in Brampton and Milton, Ontario. Elana published an article with Justice Conlan about the criminal legal test for voyeurism and its application to female youth. She also assisted judges in preparation for jury and judge-alone sexual assault trials. In doing so, she gained insights about sexual assault trials from judges' perspectives.
Rachel Migicovsky
Rachel Migicovsky is a litigation lawyer at Shibley Righton LLP. Rachel has a diverse litigation practice which includes commercial litigation, professional negligence, estate litigation and construction law. She has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal. Rachel is originally from Ottawa, and attended Osgoode Hall from 2009 – 2012. She was called to the bar in 2013. Rachel sits on the executive committees of the Ontario Bar Association's Women Lawyers' Forum and the Civil Litigation Sections. She has chaired and moderated programs for other lawyers on feminism in the legal profession and legal ethics. Rachel has a Master’s degree in anthropology from University College London.
Jana Pauk
Jana Pauk is an associate with the land development law group at Dentons Canada LLP. She assists landowners with the approvals process for development projects and resolving land use issues. Jana is an active member of the legal community, and enthusiastic about connecting law, business and people.
Rachel Sachs
Rachel Sachs was called to the Ontario bar in June 2017. Prior to fulfilling her qualifications in Ontario, Rachel completed a Master of Science in Carbon Management from the University of Edinburgh Business School and worked with sustainability and waste reduction charities in Scotland. Her practice interests lie in land, planning, infrastructure, related litigation, and technology.
In addition to her activity as part of the WLF executive, Rachel participates in the OBA’s Environmental and Real Estate section executives, the CBA Construction & Infrastructure Law section’s young lawyers subcommittee, the Community Outreach Committee of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, and volunteers with the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program. Currently, she works at Deloitte Canada.
Saarah Shivji
Saarah Shivji is a lawyer based in downtown Toronto, practicing in the areas of civil litigation, employment law, real estate law, and wills & estates. In her law practice, Saarah combines her passions for human rights, business, and good governance to help both companies and individuals understand and assert their legal rights and obligations. She has over six years of legal and business experience, and uses contingency and flat fees whenever possible. She has practiced law and been called to the bar in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.
Kate Swanson
Kate Swanson is an entrepreneur and securities lawyer. Kate is co-founder and CEO at Ensembl, a start-up focused on making innovative, space-efficient products for our homes. She is also an adjunct professor at Osgoode as part of the Investor Protection Clinic, a pro-bono clinic she helped establish. Kate previously worked as legal counsel and policy analyst at FAIR Canada and as an associate at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP. Kate serves on the Executive for the OBA’s Women Lawyers Forum and sits on the board for Save Our Scruff, an international dog rescue organization.