Amanda Michelle Ross
Biography
Ms. Ross was called to the Bar of Ontario in June of 2013. Ms. Ross's primary areas of practice are criminal law and administrative law. She has appeared at every level of court, including at the Ontario Court of Appeal and at the Supreme Court of Canada. Ms. Ross represents clients on all charges under the Criminal Code, including drug offences, aggravated assault, sexual assault, and white collar crime. Ms. Ross also assists clients charged under provincial and regulatory statutes such as the Highway Traffic Act and under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Ms. Ross is also appellate counsel, and since 2014 has acted as appellate counsel for the Summary Conviction Appeal Court Pro Bono Program at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. She is also listed as Special Duty Counsel to assist individuals dealing with serious mental health issues at a downtown Toronto courthouse. Ms. Ross also acts as counsel for various professional regulatory bodies as prosecuting and appellate counsel.
Daniel G. Goldbloom
Biography
Daniel Goldbloom defends criminal, regulatory and professional liability cases in Toronto and across Ontario. He has represented clients at all levels of court in Ontario, including the Ontario Court of Appeal, as well as before numerous tribunals, including the Law Society Tribunal at the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board, the Discipline Committee of the the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the University of Toronto’s University Tribunal, and the Ontario Review Board. He has also acted as intervenor on behalf of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association of Ontario. Before founding Goldbloom Law, Mr. Goldbloom practiced criminal, civil, and regulatory litigation at a pre-eminent national law firm, and with the President of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association of Ontario. He currently serves on the Ontario Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Executive. While studying law at the University of Toronto, Mr. Goldbloom received national and international recognition for advocacy and client counselling. Before law school, he served on the editorial board of the National Post.
Megan Stephens
Biography
Megan has built her career as an advocate for the rights of women in the justice system. As an experienced litigator, she has appeared at every level of court and has developed a particular expertise in complex criminal appeals and constitutional litigation concerning various Charter rights. She is a skilled and seasoned advocate who brings an empathetic but pragmatic approach to her work and clients.
Jody Berkes
Biography
Jody Berkes received his B.A. from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California and his B.C.L. and LL.B. degrees from McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he was selected valedictorian by his graduating class. After articling and practicing in Vancouver, British Columbia, he moved to Toronto in 1999. In 2012, he formed a partnership with Apple Newton-Smith. Since her appointment to the bench, Mr. Berkes founded Berkes Law. Mr. Berkes practice includes the defence of individuals, as well as corporations, charged under the Criminal Code of Canada, as well as other Federal and Provincial criminal and quasi-criminal statues, and professionals charged before discipline and competency panels. He appears in all levels of courts in Ontario. Jody Berkes is the Past Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Criminal Law Executive Committee, the Legislation and Law Reform Liaison of the National Criminal Section of the Canadian Bar Association, as well as a member of the Criminal Lawyers Association. His cases have been reported in both Ontario and British Columbia. Mr. Berkes is certified as a specialist in Criminal Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Maija Martin
Biography
Maija Martin practises solely in the area of criminal defence at both the trial and appellate levels. She is a Toronto Director of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. She is the Litigation Director for Women in Canadian Criminal Defence. She has spoken on panels regarding drug policy, the interaction between criminal and immigration law, and other criminal law issues. Prior to starting her practice, Ms. Martin completed a clerkship at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice where she learned about the inner workings of the justice system. She appears regularly before the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Nunavut Court of Appeal. She has appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada for both individuals and interveners.
Marianne Salih
Biography
Marianne Salih is a trial and appellate lawyer who has successfully litigated cases at every level of court in Ontario, and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada. She is the head of the appeals litigation department and the composer of an online criminal case law digest – a continuously expanding digest of new appellate jurisprudence. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Ontario Bar Association, Criminal Law Branch, and serves on the junior litigation committee for the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. She is also a contributing author to the CanLii criminal law e-book. Ms. Salih obtained her Honours Bachelor of Arts with “High Distinction” from the University of Toronto, and her law degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where she graduated with Honours standing in her final year. Prior to joining Edward H. Royle & Partners LLP, Ms. Salih worked in the field of criminal and human rights law in Kenya, Amsterdam, and Geneva. She clerked for judges at the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto, and the Superior Court of Justice in Brampton. She also taught classes in criminal law to internationally trained lawyers, and completed two research placements in criminal law and procedure for highly regarded professors at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Ms. Salih has over 100 reported decisions. She has successfully represented accused persons on a wide variety of cases, including on charges of sexual assault, firearms, and homicide. In 2018, she was the recipient of the Precedent Setter Award, which recognizes Toronto lawyers who have shown excellence and leadership in their early years of practice.
Cathy Nguyen
Biography
3L law student at Osgoode Hall Areas of interest include health law, disability law, and criminal law
