Social Justice Personal Statement

As a queer disabled woman, I have always felt underrepresented in society, especially in the field of law. This underrepresentation drives me to want to practice law, as I want to be able to use law as an instrument of change in society. I have never been interested in the field of law for the prestige or money that many often associate with it. I want to go into law because I want to be an advocate for the oppressed and an agent of change in my community. A legal education allows me to protect the rights of the most vulnerable and I would want to use my education to improve the lives of others around me. For me, a law degree is more than just a piece of paper, it a tool that I can use in my future work. I have been fortunate enough to access

I am an active executive member of a number of clubs and associations on campus including Amnesty International Laurier chapter, Students for Palestine, Human Rights Student Association, Divest Laurier, Mock Trial, Laurier Campus Anti-Fascist Network and 15 and Fairness Laurier. On top of all of these extracurricular activities, I was able to complete community-based research in Brantford, partnering with SAFE Brantford, BRAVE (Brant’s Response Against Violence Everywhere) and Laurier. I was able to look at how to better improve outreach to survivors of domestic violence in faith communities by looking at how we improve clergy referrals and access to resources. My research ultimately helped to secure more funding for improved resources at the Brant Sexual Assault Center. I also actively volunteer with St. Vincent De Paul meal programs and Black and Pink’s LGBTQ2+ prison pen pal program. I am especially active in the environmental sector as the Anti-Fracking movement has been something I’ve been passionate about and involved in since high school. Fighting environmental degradation and harmful extraction practices are very important to me and a law degree would aid in my efforts to do this. Through interaction with indigenous activists and water protectors, I have a completely different perspective on current environmental issues not only as environmental degradation but also as environmental racism. I feel the best way to combat this is through legal means, fighting for land rights of indigenous people and seeking justice for those affected by multinational corporation's extractive