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:
Dominique Goolsarran (she/her)
Law school: Osgoode Hall Law School
PIAF placement: Algoma Community Legal Clinic
Rhea Badhwar (she/her)
Law school: Lincoln Alexander School of Law
PIAF placement: Animal Justice
Rhea Badhwar is a 2026 graduate of Lincoln Alexander School of Law who believes that animals deserve strong legal protections. She has been deeply involved in animal law initiatives through legal research, advocacy, and student leadership. In law school, she worked at the Canadian Environmental Law Association and conducted research exploring how Canadian laws respond to the climate impacts of industrial animal agriculture. She hopes to build a career in public interest law, contributing to legal and policy work that supports a better future for people, animals, and the environment.
Claudia Redondo (she/her)
Law school: Lincoln Alexander School of Law
PIAF placement: Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
Claudia Redondo obtained her Juris Doctor from the Lincoln Alexander School of Law and holds a BA in Business & Society and a Professional Certificate in Public Administration and Law. During law school, Claudia worked at the Schlifer Clinic, Quinn Family Law, and the Superior Court of Justice. She volunteered with METRAC, writing public legal education articles, and with Dominion Tax Law, drafting wills and Powers of Attorney. Claudia is very passionate about advocating for marginalized communities and increasing access to justice. She hopes to build a career centred on meaningful advocacy and to create positive change in the lives of others.
Nick Mitchell (he/him)
Law school: Swansea University, School of Law
PIAF placement: Canadian Centre for Housing Rights
From 2019 to 2022, Nick Mitchell worked or volunteered in social services, aiding unhoused and marginalized persons in Peterborough and Hamilton. These experiences motivated him to pursue a career in legal aid. He attended law school at Swansea University in Wales, finishing with first-class honours. During law school, he worked at the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, providing tenant support and helped create public legal education on the legal concerns of social media usage amongst youth. In a past life, he was a show-diver at Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto, and provided volunteer medical assistance in Uganda and ocean conservation in Honduras.
Alexandra Fong (she/her)
Law school: Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
PIAF placement: Canadian Civil Liberties Association
Alexandra Fong received her Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto. During her time as a law student, Alexandra engaged in opportunities that channeled her interest in social justice, intersectional legal work, and advocacy. She worked as a caseworker at Downtown Legal Services in the Disability, Health, and Income Security Division where she advocated for community members whose matters centred around or were impacted by their experiences with disability. Alexandra is thrilled to be articling at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, where she looks forward to working to safeguard the dignity and rights of people across Canada.
Taite Kalena Palidwar (she/her)
Law school: University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section
PIAF placement: Centre for Health Science and Law
Taite Kalena Palidwar is an articling student at the Centre for Health Science and Law and a recent Juris Doctor graduate from the University of Ottawa, where she specialized in health and environmental law. She also holds an Honours BSc in Biological Science from the University of Guelph. Her work focuses on public interest advocacy at the intersection of health and environmental governance. Taite has contributed to legal research, policy development, and international initiatives, including participating in the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Chemicals and Waste Management Programme.
Christina Lee
Law school: University of Windsor, Faculty of Law
PIAF placement: Egale Canada
Christina Lee is a graduate of the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto. Throughout law school, she gained experience in public interest advocacy through legal clinics, research assistantships, and volunteer leadership roles. Christina has worked on issues including human rights, privacy, accessibility, and mental health, and is committed to advancing equity and access to justice through her legal career.
Katelynn Rookes (she/her)
Law school: Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, Lakehead University
PIAF placement: John Howard Society of Canada
Katelynn Rookes holds a BA in Sociology and an Honours Bachelor of Social Work from Lakehead University. She graduated from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law in 2026 with a Specialization in Aboriginal and Indigenous Law. Her path to law was shaped by her role as a court worker helping individuals navigate the legal system. An articling fellowship with the John Howard Society of Canada represents an exciting full-circle moment as she previously completed her social work practicum at the John Howard Society of Thunder Bay. Law school further grounded her commitment to the organization’s mission and the people it serves.
Terri (Yuk Ling) Tan
Law school: Queen’s University, Faculty of Law
PIAF placement: National Institute on Ageing
Terri (Yuk Ling) Tan has spent the past several years learning what it means to be a good neighbour. She previously worked as a social worker assistant at The Neighbourhood Group Community Services helping older adult immigrants access government benefits and community services. She later joined Algoma Community Legal Clinic as a Debwewin Summer Law Student, supporting First Nations, Métis, and low-income clients with housing and income-security matters. During her time at Queen’s, Terri built on her undergraduate studies in biodiversity conservation at the University of Toronto, serving as a research assistant examining climate change litigation and co-leading the Environmental Law Club.
Nashane Ralph (he/him)
Law school: Lincoln Alexander School of Law
PIAF placement: Peacebuilders Canada
Nashane Ralph advocates for children’s rights and is working on a paper about children’s rights amidst social media bans. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and recently graduated from Lincoln Alexander School of Law. Currently, he is with Peacebuilders Canada. Previously, he worked at Black Legal Action Centre and was part of the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies’s Youth Advisory Council.
Sanjida Rashid (she/her)
Law school: University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section
PIAF placement: Public Interest Advocacy Centre
Sanjida Rashid is an articling student for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. Sanjida graduated from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law in 2026, where she also completed her Honours Bachelor of Social Science in Political Science. In 2026, Sanjida completed the uOttawa Option in Social Justice (JD). In 2025, she was honoured to be named an Amatul Rahman Malik Social Justice Fellow, enabling her to get valuable experience in public interest civil litigation. Sanjida has long demonstrated a commitment to public interest work through multi-level student advocacy, and through her enduring contributions to several community and rights-protecting organizations.
Fatima Sajid (she/her)
Law school: University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section
PIAF placement: Pro Bono Ontario
Fatima Sajid completed her BA in Political Science from the University of Toronto and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa. Throughout law school, she pursued opportunities that focused on advancing access to justice. She worked as a junior analyst with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and as a caseworker at the Ottawa Pro Bono Employment Law Legal Clinic. Her experience also includes working at a law firm, where she assisted with the preparation of refugee claims and submissions for immigration review applications. Through these experiences, Fatima has developed a strong commitment to public interest law.
Celeste Trianon (she/her)
Law school: Université de Montréal & Osgoode Hall Law School
PIAF placement: Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF)
Celeste Trianon is a pan-Canadian trans rights advocate, content creator, and jurist. Prior to her first law degree, she founded her own legal clinic — Juritrans — to help trans people access legal name changes; she’s helped over a thousand people since. She initiated multiple court interventions against transphobia across the nation, including in Saskatchewan v. UR Pride Centre and Hak v. Procureur général du Québec at the Supreme Court of Canada. Her work with LEAF combines her own knowledge and lived experience in fighting for trans people’s right to life and dignity—both inside and outside of the legal field.
PIAF articling students are also being hosted by:
Amnesty International Canada
Community Justice Collective
Innocence Canada
Luke’s Place Support & Resource Centre for Women & Children
Nipissing Community Legal Clinic
