Safia Lakhani

Biography

I’m part of the litigation team at Iler Campbell, which means I get to work on a range of matters, from construction law and employment law to corporate governance matters. I also advise on co-ownership agreements for folks interested in co-buying property in Ontario.

I came to law after completing a Masters in Middle-Eastern Studies at McGill. My degree took me to Morocco and Yemen where I studied the different forms feminist movements take in religious and secular contexts. I had been contemplating a career in academia but these experiences made me realize that I wanted a profession that would allow me to be more directly involved in social justice issues. Law struck me as one such path towards this goal and so I applied to law school at McGill.

While in law school, I volunteered at a legal clinic and helped run sessions on tenant rights at a women’s shelter. I became interested in the issue of Canada’s national security policy, and spent a summer at a civil rights’ organization doing research on the Afghan detainee issue. I also helped co-ordinate a symposium on counter-terrorism and civil liberties, engaging academics, journalists, and lawyers in a conversation about Canada’s counter-terrorism policy.

I’m happy to have landed at Iler Campbell, where I take satisfaction in supporting the work of charities, NGOs, and progressive organizations.

I sit on the board of CERA, the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation, an organization dedicated to promoting human rights in housing and ending housing discrimination. I sit on the organizing committee for Toronto Artscape’s annual fundraising event, Creative TO.