CRIMES, COURTS, AND COMMENTARY
Interviews, current events, recommendations, and more --
all geared to the criminal law student community.
all geared to the criminal law student community.
2/16/2021 Event Recap: Women in Criminal Law PanelBy Simon Kim
Many of the panelists saw criminal law as their calling. Daisy Bygrave, a graduate of Harvard Law School now practicing in Toronto, finds that her favourite part about being a criminal defence lawyer is that people reach out to her for help. Being able to make a living out of helping people is an experience Ms. Bygrave finds surreal, and she derives an incredible sense of fulfillment from the fact that her clients rely on her expertise.
Sayeh Hassan, a Tehran-born criminal defence lawyer who lived in Turkey at a young age as a refugee, echoed Daisy’s message about self-fulfillment. As a law student, Ms. Hassan immediately realized that she wanted to work on cases involving the Charter, and criminal law gave her an opportunity to address important constitutional issues while at the same time defending those charged with crimes. For Ms. Hassan, practicing criminal law is synonymous with helping people, which gives her an unparalleled sense of fulfillment. Holly Loubert and Dayna Arron, Crown Counsel at the Ministry of the Attorney General, Crown Law Office – Criminal, find it meaningful to be able to work with victims and to use criminal law not just as a means of punishment, but as an opportunity for people to learn from their mistakes. The central theme in Ms. Loubert and Ms. Arron’s remarks was the human connection the practice of criminal law provides for. Plus, they enjoy that their work is intellectually engaging and leaves room for important policy considerations. In advancing the interests of justice, Crowns are often required to go beyond the mechanical exercise of merely applying the existing law to facts, and instead to contemplate more broadly what the law ought to be. Interview by Anna Zhang
Q: Was your corporate training helpful?
Interview by Anna Zhang
Q: What was your mindset going into law school? Did you have a practice area you were interested in?
Interview by Anna Zhang
Q: Did you find that your experience/training in the corporate field was beneficial to your criminal law practice? If yes, how so?
Interview by Anna Zhang
Q: What was it about criminal law that intrigued you and why did you leave Bay Street?
Interviewed by Anna Zhang
Q: What was it about criminal law that intrigued you?
By Anna Zhang There is a well-known joke amongst students at the U of T Faculty of Law that everyone goes into law school wanting to become the next Amal Clooney, but everyone comes out of law school headed for Bay Street. All over the country, young law students fantasize over what a career on Bay Street promises: prestige, cutting-edge files, and of course, high pay. As a student facing substantial tuition debt and sky-rocketing rent, it’s difficult to imagine a better option. Why would anyone ever leave those benefits behind?
I spoke with five lawyers who excelled in law school, earned a position on Bay Street, and later abandoned the heart of the Financial District to practice criminal law. Each had their own reason for making the change. Some were always interested in criminal law; others wanted more opportunities to get on their feet. One lawyer made the switch after a Crown Attorney called him and said, “you have to try this, it’s the most fun you’ll ever have at a job!” Nevertheless, every lawyer’s reasons to enter criminal law seemed to center around two factors: greater litigation experience and a desire to help people. |
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