Profiling Women in the Legal Profession
The face of law is changing. According to the Law Society of Ontario, about 43 per cent of lawyers are women. And the final report released in 2016 from the Law Society’s Challenges Faced by Racialized Licensees Working Group noted that the proportion of racialized lawyers in Ontario doubled between 2001 and 2014, from 9 per cent to 18 per cent. The goal of this article is to put racialized and Indigenous women lawyers in the spotlight and amplify their voices in the conversation about gender equality.
Priya Chopra: Tax Litigation & Dispute Resolution Lawyer in Ottawa, Ontario.
- Tell us about yourself : I was called to the Ontario bar in 2019. I obtained my law degree from Western Law. Before law school, I obtained an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. As a proud Ottawa native, I love exploring the city and trying out local restaurants during my free time.
- Why did you choose to become a lawyer? I always admired how strongly advocacy could affect individuals and society. I wanted to be able to use the law as a tool to assist individuals and organizations solve problems.
- What is your favourite part about being a lawyer? I love having the ability to advocate for clients. Assisting a client with pushing a matter forward to overcome an issue is very rewarding to me.
- What is one challenge you recently dealt with? I recently switched from practising civil litigation to practising tax litigation & dispute resolution. It has been a great opportunity to become more familiar with a different area of law and diversify my skill-set. I have been very fortunate to be able to work with an excellent team and strong mentors.
- What is one piece of advice you would give to young women planning to pursue a career in law? Seek out mentors. Remember to pay forward the kindness and support you receive from mentors when you have the opportunity to be a mentor yourself.
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