The Law Foundation of Ontario created the Public Interest Articling Fellowship to help respond to the public’s need for legal assistance and to help give law students valuable experience in public interest law. The Foundation makes a substantial contribution to public interest law in Ontario through this program as many organizations simply do not have enough funding to host articling students. Meet our current Public Interest Articling Fellowship participants:
Ethan Quan (he/him)
Law school: Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, Lakehead University
PIAF placement: Algoma Community Legal Clinic
Ethan Quan holds a BA in Criminal Justice and Public Policy from the University of Guelph. He graduated from Bora Laskin Faculty of Law in 2025 with First Class Standing and a Specialization in Aboriginal and Indigenous Law. During law school, he was a caseworker at Lakehead University Community Legal Services representing low-income clients at the Landlord and Tenant Board, Ontario Court of Justice (Criminal and POA), and Small Claims Court. He also spent a term as a law student with Legal Aid Ontario in Thunder Bay assisting with LAO’s Senior Criminal Counsel Program and Family Law Office.
Mariya Hoque (she/her)
Law school: University of Essex
PIAF placement: Amnesty International Canada
Mariya Hoque studied her pre-law degree at the University of Calgary, followed by the completion of her law degree at the University of Essex, and obtained her Master of Laws in Human Rights Law with the Queen Mary University of London. She have extensive international work experience in human rights law, including through Legal Aid, representing asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors, and advocating for children surviving sexual abuse in London UK. She is passionate about achieving justice for vulnerable communities, having supported deportation appeals on the basis of wrongful convictions and participated in legal mitigation for British youth through the Death Penalty Mitigation Unit at the Essex Human Rights Clinic.
Kirsten Dika (she/her)
Law school: Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University
PIAF placement: Animal Justice
Kirsten Dayton-Dika is a 2025 graduate of the Schulich School of Law (Dalhousie), where she specialized in criminal law, and holds a BSc from the University of Alberta. She is currently articling at Animal Justice, who she has worked and volunteered with since 2021, including as Creative Coordinator for the Animal Justice Academy and as a summer law student. Kirsten led the Student Animal Law Association of Dalhousie throughout law school and is interested in the intersections of animal, criminal, property, and constitutional law. She lives in Edmonton with her wife, Jen, and their two rescued pugs, Eros and Kratos.
Aneesah Bari (she/her)
Law school: Osgoode Hall Law School
PIAF placement: Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
Aneesah Bari has a deep passion for supporting survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Before completing law school at Osgoode Hall, she completed her MPhil in Criminology at the University of Cambridge, where she began learning about the global impacts of GBV. She then applied this knowledge to work at Yellow Brick House, where she saw first-hand how difficult it is for survivors to access justice. She has since engaged in additional GBV-related research pursuits as a research assistant at Dalhousie University, examining housing options for GBV survivors, and at Harvard University, assisting with research into the impacts of Stand-Your-Ground laws.
Henrique Oliveira (he/him)
Law school: University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section
PIAF placement: Canadian Civil Liberties Association
During Henrique Oliveira’s time at uOttawa’s Faculty of Law, he participated in several public interest internships. He interned at the Ottawa Integrated Legal Services Office where he helped his supervisors prepare refugee claims and submissions for immigration detention reviews. He also worked as a legislative development intern for the Honorable Senator Kim Pate to advocate for policies that protect the rights of vulnerable members of the community. He is excited to work with and learn from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association team, which shares his mission of ensuring that governments listen to everyone’s voices and respect their rights.
Kyla Young (she/her)
Law school: Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University
PIAF placement: Centre for Health Science and Law
Kyla Young completed a Masters of Science with a focus on reproductive biology before attending the Schulich School of Law and completing the Health Law & Policy Specialization. She resurrected the Halifax branch of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, leading events in the community. Kyla is now articling with the Centre for Health Science and Law, an Ottawa based nonprofit organization focused on health advocacy and law reform. Kyla was awarded the Rosalie Silberman Abella award in 2024, which is awarded to a graduating law student, who is most likely to positively influence equity and social justice.
Katie Bray Kingissepp (she/her)
Law school: Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
PIAF placement: Egale Canada
Katie Bray Kingissepp graduated in 2025 from the University of Toronto Jackman Faculty of Law, where she studied how the law could be wielded to effect positive social change. It has been a privilege to her to help defend the rights of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community through my work at Egale Canada, and she is grateful to The Law Foundation of Ontario for this opportunity.
Ryann Barr (she/her)
Law school: Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University
PIAF placement: Innocence Canada
Gurjot Kaur Singh (she/her)
Law school: Thompson Rivers University
PIAF placement: John Howard Society of Canada
Gurjot Kaur Singh (she/her) is a social justice and human rights advocate and policy researcher. She earned her JD from Thompson Rivers University (TRU), where she served as an editor of the TRU Law Review and president of the Human Rights Law Club. She also holds an Honours Bachelor’s Degree from Western University. With over 8 years of experience, Gurjot’s work has focused on gender equity, access to justice, and systemic discrimination in the criminal justice system. As an articling fellow with the John Howard Society of Canada, she advocates for correctional reform grounded in compassion, accountability, and rehabilitation.
Samantha Misner (she/her)
Law school: Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
PIAF placement: Luke’s Place Support & Resource Centre for Women & Children
Samantha Misner has worked on issues ranging from refugee rights and disability advocacy to women’s legal empowerment. She holds a Juris Doctor and Master of Global Affairs from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University. During her JD/MGA, she supported migrants at the Canada–US Border Rights Clinic, advanced advocacy through the International Human Rights Program, and led human rights research in India, Brazil and the Netherlands. Samantha is currently articling at Luke’s Place, supporting women subjected to intimate partner violence as they navigate the family law process.
Rachel Tenn (she/her)
Law school: Osgoode Hall Law School
PIAF placement: National Institute on Ageing
Rachel Tenn is a JD graduate from Osgoode Hall Law School, currently articling at the National Institute on Ageing. She has worked with various regulatory and public institutions, supporting legal research, policy development, and legal writing. Rachel has also volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada and Osgoode’s IP Innovation Clinic, contributing to projects that advance access to justice, innovation, and social impact.
Janae Hines (she/her)
Law school: Lincoln Alexander School of Law
PIAF placement: Peacebuilders Canada
Janae Hines is a graduate of the Lincoln Alexander School of Law and holds an undergraduate degree in Child and Youth Care from Toronto Metropolitan University. She worked in after-school programs and community initiatives that support young people in developing life skills, building confidence, and navigating complex challenges. Her early work with children and youth sparked a passion for advocacy and social justice, leading her to pursue a legal career focused on creating supportive, equitable, and youth-focused systems. Before beginning her articling term, Janae worked within the community legal clinic sector, where she supported clients in navigating legal processes, accessing resources, and addressing systemic barriers.
Claire Lyu (she/her)
Law school: University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section
PIAF placement: Pro Bono Ontario
Clair Lyu graduates from the University of Ottawa with a strong interest in social justice. Throughout her law school journey, she has been actively involved in community-focused work. She volunteered with the Ticket Defence Program, helping street-involved individuals in Ottawa fight poverty-related offences, and with Pro Bono Ontario, where she is currently articling. She also interned at the Ontario Court of Justice and worked as a résumé and cover letter specialist at the University of Ottawa’s Career Development Centre. She enjoys working with fellow law students and helping build a more supportive and inclusive community.
Joshua Fichman-Goldberg (he/him)
Law school: McGill University
PIAF placement: Public Interest Advocacy Centre
Joshua Fichman-Goldberg obtained his JD and BCL degrees at McGill University in 2023. During and after his studies, he has worked at community legal clinics assisting vulnerable individuals access necessary services and supports. Joshua worked for a refugee lawyer in Montréal where he valued the experience of supporting newcomers to Canada. During his time as a PIAF fellow at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, he has developed an interest in Canadian cultural policy and nonprofit governance. He aspires to advocate on behalf of artists and cultural nonprofit organizations to seek better outcomes for Canadian creators in an era of technological change.
Ashna Hudani (she/her)
Law school: McGill University
PIAF placement: Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF)
Ashna Hudani pursued legal education to explore how community-centred advocacy can drive systemic change. She deepened her understanding of anti-oppressive and trauma-informed legal work through roles with the Alberta Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools, and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. In Tiohtià:ke, her work with legal clinics such as Solutions Justes and the Immigrant Workers Centre strengthened her commitment to advancing access to justice and connecting individual migrant struggles with collective organizing.
PIAF articling students are also being hosted by:
Canadian Centre for Housing Rights
Community Justice Collective
Nipissing Community Legal Clinic
