THUNDER BAY – People of colour continue to face racism in Canada’s legal profession, says Joanne St. Lewis. All it takes to see that ongoing reality is a quick look at a few key metrics, the University of Ottawa law professor says.
“Reflect on the legal profession,” she asked a group of Lakehead University law students Wednesday evening. “The partnerships at large law firms, the composition of the judiciary, the composition of the professoriate, the composition of the majority of law school classes: at the end of the day, what you see is very few racialized people.”
St. Lewis was in Thunder Bay to speak at a black history symposium organized by the newly formed Lakehead Black Law Students Assocation (BLSA). Her talk focused on her own experiences in the legal profession – often as the only black person within a law class or organization – and shared some advice for those embarking on their own careers in law.
St. Lewis’s distinguished career has included serving as the first black bencher elected to the Law Society of Ontario, the governing body for Ontario lawyers and paralegals, sitting on Ontario’s Expert Roundtable on Carding/Police Checks, and serving as co-counsel for the Assembly of First Nations on a ground-breaking case regarding discriminatory funding for child welfare services on-reserve.
Her message resonated with BLSA president and Lakehead law student Tochi Nwaokocha.
“I’m the only black law student in my school year, and we don’t have a lot of black students here on campus,” he says.
With the establishment of the BLSA, Nwaokocha says he wants to show aspiring legal scholars of colour they have a place at Lakehead’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, as well as providing support for students already studying there – with the ultimate goal of increasing representation.
“The idea is for future black law students to want to be here,” he says. “Letting them know there’s a space for them when they come here should help us increase the number of black students at the law school here.”
Wednesday’s symposium was the organization’s first public event, attended by around 70 Lakehead law students and community members. Attendees enjoyed Jamaican food from Island Spice Jerk House, while spoken word artist Shadiya Aidid warmed up the crowd with spoken-word poetry that addressed issues of race and social justice.
In her remarks, St. Lewis told young people of colour they would face many instances of racism, large and small – even from people they might respect – in their careers. She advised them to pick their battles and find mentors who could guide them in navigating those difficult experiences.
She also touched on current controversy at the Law Society of Ontario, where debate over a statement of principles on equity in the legal profession has caused upheavals and public disputes. St. Lewis said the recent repeal of that initiative, which would have required practicing lawyers to adopt a statement advocating equality and diversity, had set the profession back.
While acknowledging the ongoing struggle for equity in the legal profession, Nwaokocha says he’s encouraged by the support he and his BLSA colleagues have received from Lakehead’s law school, his classmates, and the local legal community. Several local law firms supported the symposium, while faculty of law Dean Jula Hughes attended, along with several faculty members and staff.
“We know we have the community backing us, and this allows us to show the community there’s space for black legal scholars here in Thunder Bay,” Nwaokocha says.
