Team

Co-President: Caitlyn Graves, 2L

Hometown: St. Catherines, ON

Fun Fact: If I could keep any animal as a pet, I would choose a cow. 

What makes me a strong woman in law: I am passionate about both motivating women and being motivated by women. I have been a volunteer and a member of various women-led organizations since my undergrad and I have always enjoyed it. As a strong woman in law, I plan on bringing my knowledge and passion for women’s rights into both my legal education and my professional career.

Co-VP Events: Kelsey Prevost, 2L

Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Fun Fact: I moved up to Ottawa without ever visiting before

What makes me a strong woman in law: What makes me a strong woman in law is that I am not afraid to approach the law from a feminist perspective, recognizing intersectional issues that tend to be ignored by our traditional legal institutions.

Co-VP Events: Renée Manderville, 3L

Coming soon

VP Finance and Sponorship: Crystal Shum, 2L

Hometown: Hong Kong

Fun fact: I have to stop and take a photo whenever I see a pretty sunset.

What makes me a strong woman in law: As a first generation female law student, I am proud to be able to do law and be an ally to everyone who is seeking allyship.

Web Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Geist, 2L

Hometown: Ottawa, ON

Fun Fact: I have been to 30 countries!

What makes me a strong woman in law: I am passionate about women’s rights and the empowerment of women in leadership.

VP Operations: Aliyyah Jafri, 3L

Hometown: Vancouver, BC

Fun Fact: You can find Aliyyah going for jog down the canal, reading and seeking out the best donuts Ottawa has to offer.

What makes you a strong woman in law? Aliyyah aims to amplify marginalized voices and promote intersectionality on the uOttawa campus and beyond.

Co-VP Communications: Bionca Chu, 1L

Hometown: Richmond, BC

Fun fact: I’ve been a lifeguard and swim instructor for the last seven years! 

What makes me a strong woman law: What makes me a strong woman in law is my resilience. No matter what challenges come my way, I have found the strength to overcome those obstacles and move forward. 

Co-VP Communications: Salina Samem

Hometown: Toronto, ON

Fun Fact: I have visited over 15 countries so far!

What makes me a strong woman in law: Having been selected to represent the interests and needs of my community in Parliament through the Daughters of the Vote program, my passion and strengths remain deeply rooted in amplifying the voices of marginalized & BIPOC communities.

1L Rep: Ellena Azadian 

Hometown: Toronto, ON

Fun Fact: Last year I went skydiving for my birthday & I liked it so much I’m planning on getting my solo skydiving license.

What makes me a strong woman in law: I don’t suppress my feminine traits. No doubt, the legal field requires some degree of characteristics that society deems more masculine in nature, such as competitiveness, independence, logic, dominance, etc. My approach blends together these more masculine traits I possess with ones that appear more feminine, such as empathy, vulnerability, cooperativeness, etc. I have a clear vision of what I want and am not afraid of going after it while remaining true to all the feminine qualities that make me a strong woman.

1L Rep: Ellie Mullins

Hometown: Peterborough, ON

Fun fact: My two best friends and I went travelling in Europe together this summer!

What makes me a strong woman in the law: I am a strong woman in the law because I am confident in my sense of self, while using my position to advocate for other women. The legal profession is filled with strong women, each with a personal perspective and an abundance of knowledge to share. Taking part in this community is what makes being a woman in the law so special and fulfilling. As a woman I feel my strongest when I’m surrounded by empowered women and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow within this space!

1L Rep: Abbey Pierman

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario 

Fun fact: I’m an avid downhill skier! 

What makes me a strong woman in law: Like all women in law, it has taken a lot of hard work and overcoming barriers to get into this field. I aim to inspire and help those looking to accomplish the same thing, and use the law to make life better for all women. 

1L Rep: Melissa Mapa

Hometown: Vaughan, ON

Fun fact: My guilty pleasure is watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette.

What makes ME Astrong woman law: My ability to listen without judgment and my desire to be a life long learner.

1L Rep: Alexis Silverstein

Hometown: Toronto, ON

Fun Fact: My grandmother was part of Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women and helped to write section 15 (equality rights) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms 

What makes you a strong woman in law: How I advocate for vulnerable populations and help address inequity issues in our legal system and beyond. It is also how I break outside of the traditional norms and challenge what it really means to be a strong woman. Sometimes what makes me strong is being a fierce advocate and raising my voice, while other times silence can be even more powerful. 

1L Rep: Ailie Sullivan 

Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Fun Fact: I’m a huge Formula 1 fan and would love to go to a Grand Prix one day!

What makes me a strong woman in law: I’m a big advocate of breaking the many systemic barriers that women face in professional careers, including law. We are proud to amplify our voices! Being a strong woman in law also means recognizing that our lived experiences are not all the same. It is important to incorporate everyone’s stories into broader efforts to break barriers!