Lenczner Slaght Welcomes Summer Student Class of 2021

Canada’s leading litigation firm is proud to add 13 exceptional, creative, and diverse perspectives to our team, further strengthening our ability to solve complex legal problems for our clients.

Lenczner Slaght is delighted to welcome Madeleine Andrew-Gee, Militza Boljevic, Adam Davis, Blerta Gjoci, Jordyn Gooden, Charlotte Hobson, James Hutchinson, Evan Linn, Dan Malone, Robin Nyamekye, Flint Andrew Patterson, Mahgol Taghivand, and Solomiya Zakharchuk.

“Today, we are thrilled to welcome 13 new summer law student colleagues – Madeleine, Militza, Adam, Blerta, Jordyn, Charlotte, James, Evan, Dan, Robin, Flint, Mahgol, and Solomiya,” says Managing Partner, Tom Curry. “The key to our success as a Firm is the strength of our team, and this group makes us stronger. They are high performers who are keen to learn what we can teach them about the practice of law at the highest levels. We will all benefit from their energy and enthusiasm and the joy of sharing a passion for advocacy. We are looking forward to an exciting summer, and beyond!”

Learn more about our summer students below.

Madeleine Andrew-Gee joins us from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Madeleine has been extensively involved in the mooting program, including in the Hamish Stewart Cup and the Callaghan Cup where her team won first place overall and Best Appellant team, and where she received the Best Oralist prize. Madeleine was also chosen to participate in the Grand Moot next school year. Throughout law school, Madeleine has worked and volunteered at Downtown Legal Services, the legal aid clinic, in the refugee and immigration division, and is heavily involved in the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights.

Militza Boljevic recently completed her second year at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where she’ll be incoming co-president of the Litigation Association. In law school, Militza served as a clinic student at the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights, working on a constitutional challenge to the federal voting age, as well as a working group leader for the Sex Workers’ Rights Group. Last year, she served as an executive for several clubs, including Women & the Law, Out in Law, and the Peer Mentorship Program. Militza was immediately drawn to mooting to enhance her advocacy skills and has participated in both the Cassels Brock Cup (the Baby Gale) and the Gale Cup, and will argue in the University of Toronto’s Grand Moot next term.

Adam Davis is currently studying at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. While at law school, Adam served as a Program Coordinator at Pro Bono Students Canada, an access to justice organization. An active moot competitor, Adam competed in the University of Toronto’s Callaghan Memorial Moot, and previously qualified to compete in the Hamish Stewart Cup Moot in his first year. Adam is also committed to mentorship, acting as a group tutor with Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS) at a local high school, and as a peer mentor with Ryerson University’s inaugural class of law students.

Blerta Gjoci studies at the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law. As a first-year student, Blerta was a member of Pro Bono Students Canada where she volunteered at the Elgin-Oxford Legal Clinic to serve remote communities in the area surrounding St. Thomas. Currently, Blerta is a research assistant on a groundbreaking project, the Hidden Racial Profiling Project, that seeks to expose systemic racism within Canada, particularly between Black and Indigenous populations and the police.

Jordyn Gooden studies at Osgoode Hall Law School. Jordyn is passionate about advocacy and has been extensively involved in Osgoode’s community legal clinic, where he has acted as both a Division Leader and current Board member, advocating for low-income clients before administrative bodies and tribunals. Jordyn’s interest in advocacy has also led him to participate in the Lerners Cup Moot, the Dentons Cup Negotiation Competition, the Frozen Open Osgoode Moot, and the Torys Moot Competition.

Charlotte Hobson joins us from Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law. Charlotte discovered her passion for advocacy as a volunteer for the Dalhousie Student Advocacy Service, where she continues to represent students in academic and non-academic hearings. Charlotte was recently appointed as the engagement coordinator for the service, for which she will train advocates who wish to represent students at the Senate level.  Charlotte also served as the Chief Student Editor of the Dalhousie Law Journal, Co-Chair of the Environmental Law Students Society, and as a peer academic mentor. Charlotte is a two-time recipient of the Schulich Scholarship for academic merit and community involvement.

James Hutchinson is currently completing his JD at the University of Western Ontario, where he will be incoming Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Western Journal of Legal Studies. Throughout law school, James has been dedicated to advancing his advocacy skills through mooting. He was a top oralist in the Phillip C. Jessup International Moot Competition and his team earned the Canadian National Championship, going on to rank 11th in the world in the advanced international rounds. James has also earned first place in the Stikeman Elliott Law Games Canada Moot, and placed as a finalist in the Lerners Cup and the Cherniak Cup. Prior to attending law school, James received his Master of Teaching and taught for the Thames Valley District School Board as an Ontario Certified Teacher.

Flint Andrew Patterson studies at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Throughout his time at law school, Flint has undertaken research into several areas of the law while serving as a research assistant to six law professors, a senior editor of the Journal of Law and Equality and the Law Review, and a public legal educator with the Indigenous Initiatives Office. With a passion for social justice advocacy, Flint has volunteered his time with five different legal aid clinics, including the Health Justice Clinic at St. Michael’s Hospital and the Odawa Indigenous Human Rights Clinic. Flint has participated in the Cassels Brock Constitutional Law Moot and placed first nationally in the Harold G. Fox Intellectual Property Moot.

Evan Linn is currently completing his JD at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. While at law school, Evan was awarded a Laskin Prize in constitutional law and participated in a legal clinic organized by the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights. In his first year, Evan researched human rights law for a Toronto-based advocacy group and also worked as a research assistant on a project at the intersection of law, political science, and philosophy. Prior to law school, he graduated from Yale University with a BA in philosophy magna cum laude and with distinction.

Dan Malone studies at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law – Common Law Section. In law school, Dan has been involved in various moots and other competitions, including winning the Dentons Negotiation Competition in November 2020. He also represented the University of Ottawa at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot, ranking in the top 48 out of nearly 600 teams in the 2021 Global Rounds and receiving individual and team recognition for written and oral advocacy. Before law school, Dan received a Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) degree from the University of King’s College and worked as a newspaper reporter and editor.

Robin Nyamekye studies at Osgoode Hall Law School, where she was elected the Community Affairs Officer on Osgoode’s Black Law Student’s Association (BLSA) and established the BLSA Voice section in Osgoode’s student-run paper, the Obiter Dicta. Last fall, Robin participated in an intensive program in poverty law at Parkdale Community Legal Services, where she represented low-income clients in virtual mediations and hearings as a student caseworker in the housing rights division. Prior to law school, Robin worked as a research and policy intern at the City of Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit where she supported the implementation of the Unit’s inaugural action plan. Robin has previously worked in the non-profit sphere as an office manager for the Ontario Health Coalition and as a data specialist at the United Way of Greater Toronto.

Mahgol Taghivand is currently completing her JD at Queen’s University. While in law school, Mahgol worked as a student caseworker for Queen’s Legal Aid, where she represented clients in criminal matters, landlord-tenant disputes and disability benefit claims. Mahgol also competed in the Jessup Moot, where her team was awarded second place memorial at the Canadian Jessup Rounds and a Hardy C. Dillard Award for Best Combined Memorials at the Global Jessup Rounds. Mahgol was previously an intern at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, where she completed rotations in the Privacy & Equality sections of the organization, and worked to defend Canadians’ civil liberties and constitutional rights.

Solomiya Zakharchuk joins us from Osgoode Hall Law School where she received the Fasken Prize in Torts Law for highest standing in her section. While in law school, Solomiya worked as a junior and senior caseworker with the Osgoode Business Clinic, preparing various business documents and memoranda for clients. Solomiya has also sat on the executive committees of the Health Law Association, Mooting Society, and Competition Law Society. She is the co-founder and co-president of the Osgoode Securities Law Association and co-president of the Tax Law Association. Solomiya is also an avid mooter, winning top oralist at the Frozen Open Osgoode Moot and Best Team at the Donald G.H. Bowman National Tax Moot.