A Shot of Life Canada

Deborah Wolfe, is the Executive Director, National Committee on Accreditation and Law Schools Programs with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. The NCA assesses the qualifications of individuals with legal education and professional experience obtained outside of Canada, or in a Canadian civil law program, who wish to be admitted to a common law bar in Canada. Ms. Wolfe also leads the process to approve Canadian common law, law school programs.

Harry Brar is the founder lawyer at Harry Brar Law. Immigration, Real Estate and Family Law are his areas of specialization

Harry was called to the bar in November 2020.

He feels happy helping people who reach out to him for guidance regarding the NCA, lawyer licensing and moving to Canada. He always tells people that in the beginning everything might seem overwhelming, but the end is worth it.

Harry’s advice for everyone is: Getting licensed in Canada is a long and expensive process so it is important to save and spend money wisely.

Deborah Wolfe, is the Executive Director, National Committee on Accreditation and Law Schools Programs with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. The NCA assesses the qualifications of individuals with legal education and professional experience obtained outside of Canada, or in a Canadian civil law program, who wish to be admitted to a common law bar in Canada. Ms. Wolfe also leads the process to approve Canadian common law, law school programs.

Alicia is an Associate Lawyer with Hummingbird Lawyers Civil Litigation practice.

A native of Ocala, Florida, known as the Horse Capital of the World, Alicia has been an avid equestrian since the age of 8. She has owned, ridden and shown hunter/jumper horses for much of her life. Currently, she rides hunters in the Milton area and has a soft spot for off the track Thoroughbreds.

After completing her Juris Doctorate in California, Alicia was called to the bar in Florida in 2007. Shortly thereafter, Alicia enrolled in St. Thomas University School of Law to obtain her LL.M. in Intercultural Human Rights. During her time at St. Thomas, Alicia worked as the research assistant to the director of the LL.M. program and received multiple top student awards for her coursework. Alicia also served as editor-in-chief of the Intercultural Human Rights Law Review. After graduating magna cum laude with her LL.M., Alicia clerked for the chief judge of the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami, Florida.

Alicia’s law practice has focused on litigation and appellate work. As a litigator, Alicia has represented clients in multi-million dollar lawsuits, as well as represented defendants charged with crimes including drug trafficking and first-degree premeditated murder. Alicia has also represented both civil and criminal clients at all levels of the appellate process.

Alicia relocated to Canada and is called to the bar in Ontario. She now focuses her practice exclusively on civil litigation, appeals and equine law.

Juda manages and promotes practicePRO, LAWPRO’s innovative claims and risk management initiative, including identifying emerging claims and risk, resource creation, and outreach to the profession.

Prior to joining LAWPRO, he served as a Policy Counsel at the Law Society of Ontario, where he provided strategic counsel with respect to key issues facing the legal profession, including access to justice, professional regulation, governance and legislative issues. Prior to that, Juda practised litigation, and served as a Fellow at Physicians for Human Rights in Cambridge, MA, as President of Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR) from 2013 to 2018, and as a Director of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.

Juda has a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University in Humanistic Studies and International Development Studies, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto.

Victoria Crewe-Nelson was appointed Vice President, Underwriting & Customer Service and Secretary for the board in 2018. She is responsible for the preparation, placement, and maintenance of reinsurance and corporate insurance. She provides leadership in the analysis of program changes and improvements and ensures adherence to regulatory, program and underwriting requirements.

Victoria was called to the Ontario bar in 2003 after completing a B.A. and LL.B. at the universities of Toronto, Ottawa and Edinburgh.

Afsana is a designated Qualified Mediator (Q.Med) and founder of Gibson Chowdhury. Originally from Britain, Afsana was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2007 and entered the Roll of Solicitors in 2010. She worked predominantly in the personal injury, medical malpractice and insurance defense sector. Following her move to Canada in 2012, Afsana established her mediation practice in 2019 and now mediates in Canada and Britain.

Afsana’s approach to a successful mediation is to ensure that the needs and interests of each party is adequately met. She is methodical during her mediations, which helps her to understand and acknowledge the reason for the conflict. She is committed to ensuring each party has an opportunity to convey their issues without criticism or intimidation, which leads to more open and productive conversations.

Funke is a lawyer, mom and wife. She is a Nigerian-Canadian writer. She writes to entertain, inform and inspire.

Funke was born to Yoruba parents in Nigeria. She lived in different cities in Nigeria but later immigrated to Canada. Her writing reflects her interpretation of her experiences from infancy up to date. She ghostwrites for people too. She feels the younger generation need to hear real stories that are not covered up in bling. She encourages people to write their memoirs in relatable ways. With easy language and style. When she is not writing, she serves as a volunteer with organizations that support self-represented litigants.

Andrew Mattu holds a Bachelor of Law Degree B.A. LLB. (Hons.) from the University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh. He successfully completed his equivalency exams (NCA exams) conducted by the Federation of Law Society of Canada and was called to the bar of the Law Society of Ontario in January 2018.

Andrew Mattu started working as a Student at Law with one of the best immigration lawyers in the Greater Toronto Area. He received excellent practical and theoretical training where he honed his skills to better serve clients from all over the world. Subsequent to being called to the bar, Andrew Mattu founded his own firm, Godwit Law Office.

Jennifer is a practicing Attorney at Law, with licenses to practice in the jurisdictions of Ontario, Canada (2019) and Trinidad and Tobago (2007). Along with an L.L.M. in Corporate and Commercial Law from the University of the West Indies, Jennifer has more than twelve (12) years of experience as both in-house Legal Counsel within a State Integrated Oil and Gas Company and within the field of Corporate/Commercial Litigation/Dispute Resolution at Trinidadian law firms.

In conjunction with her practice, Jennifer is also currently serving as a Volunteer Legal Consultant with the National Canadian Lawyers' Initiative (NCLI), being a major access to justice initiative launched in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and whose objective is to provide legal aid to those affected by it.