Standing Up for Equality

“I faced a lot of bullying when I was younger because I came from a different cultural background than most of my classmates,” says just-graduated law student Aria Kamal.

For Aria, a Muslim Canadian whose parents emigrated from Afghanistan, these childhood struggles instilled in her the need to stand up for the vulnerable.

"It made me a big believer in equality," she explains. "In grade 8, I decided that law might be the best platform to achieve equality on a grander scale."

Aria went on to earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Law and Society at York University before applying to Lakehead's Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.

"To me, the most compelling thing about Lakehead's program is its integrated practice curriculum. We are able to participate in mock trials and receive feedback from professors. I liked learning practical skills such as arguing a motion and conducting cross examinations."

Aria took on many volunteer roles while a law student—including a placement with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, a volunteer speaker with PLAN Canada's Because I am a Girl campaign, a general editor with the Lakehead Law Journal, and an advisory member of Lakehead's Racism and Racial Discrimination committee.

Throughout her postsecondary studies, Aria was also an enthusiastic volunteer, beginning with the Barrie, Ontario, chapter of Dress for Success. 

"Dress for Success assists women trying to get back in the workforce by offering them clothing for interviews, job preparation skills, and other developmental tools. For me it's about advancing women's rights."

During this period, one of Aria's close family members fell into economic hardship after going through a divorce. This sparked Aria's interest in family law and in understanding why women are disproportionately affected by poverty. It led her to complete a placement with the Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre in Thunder Bay providing free legal support to women seeking to separate from abusive common-law spouses.

"The strength of these women was inspirational—it motivates me still," Aria says.

She delved further into this area by becoming a case worker with the Family Justice Centre run by Pro Bono Students Canada. In addition, she worked with the Law Commission of Ontario investigating how artificial intelligence used in policing technology can perpetuate problems like racial profiling.

"My parents are very supportive and proud of me, and they've done so much to get me to where I am today—I will be the first lawyer in my family," Aria says. "I've also got to thank Lakehead for providing me with unique opportunities to get involved with social justice work."

In April 2022, her advocacy work earned Aria an inaugural Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Prize from the Royal Society of Canada. The prize celebrates Justice Abella's landmark work building equality and equity across Canadian society. Justice Abella was also the first Jewish woman and the first refugee appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

"The Abella Prize signifies one of the first times that the legal profession has recognized the importance of social justice work," Aria says. "As a lawyer, you're often busy juggling all of your files and it's hard to fit in this type of pro bono work. We need to bridge this gap and emphasize its importance at an earlier stage of law students' careers."

"Social justice is about fairness," she adds. "We must take every individual's differences into account in order to achieve the equality guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. An intersectional analysis can help us determine that apart from gender, various other forms of social identity can work together to produce an individual's outcomes in life. A queer racialized woman, for instance, is confronted with different societal barriers to equality than a non-racialized woman."

Since graduating from Lakehead in June 2022, Aria has been articling with a civil litigation firm in Toronto.

In terms of her career, she says her next step is to gain some government experience, possibly with the Ministry of the Attorney General. Whatever this trailblazing advocate does next, her focus will remain on fighting for social justice for Canadians.

"My ultimate dream job," Aria says, "would be to serve as the Minister for Women and Gender Equality."