The HCLA is excited to release its most recent publication: “Τι είπες; You want to be a lawyer – Our Student Guide to Law School”. The HCLA Student Guide was inspired by our experiences mentoring Hellenic undergraduate students, particularly those who were the first in their families to obtain a post-secondary education. The guide is intended to provide prospective students with information about a law school education and to candidly share the personal and academic experiences of our HCLA law student members. By doing so, we hope to reduce the barriers to a legal education and allow prospective students to see themselves in others who may have similar personal histories and experiences. We hope to inspire and encourage the next generation of Hellenic law students! To obtain a copy of the Student Guide, please email us at hcla.information@gmail.com.
A special thank you to HCLA law student members Gabriella Panayotidis, Philip Paschali, Thalia Petsis, Sotiri Katsuras and Christina Papageorgakopoulos for authoring this guide with HCLA President, Christine Arruda. Thank you also to Gina Alexandris, HCLA Honourary Director, for her review and invaluable insights.
Student Guide AvailableThe HCLA is excited to announce that we will be awarding two (2) Justice Andromache Karakatsanis Student Scholarships (each in the amount of $3,500 CAD) for the 2023/2024 academic year! These scholarships are made available by the generous sponsorship of Blaney McMurtry LLP and the Polydor Foundation. The scholarship recognizes students of Hellenic descent who attend law school in Canada and have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, as well as involvement in and commitment to the Hellenic community. For more information and application criteria, please visit our website at https://www.hcla.ca/students/. The deadline to apply is March 29, 2024.
*Kindly note that you must be a paid 2024 HCLA member to be considered for the scholarship.
Calling Scholarship ApplicantsThe HCLA is excited to announce the release of The Legalese – Winter 2024 edition! You can find this edition on the website under the tab, Legalese. This is the sixth edition of The Legalese since its relaunch in Spring 2020. The Legalese has a long tradition of serving as the HCLA’s newsletter. It has been an important way to share community events, member profiles and news from our local Greek legal community and abroad. The Legalese is published on a semi-annual basis. We encourage all members to contribute or to reach out to us at hcla.information@gmail.com with any ideas, news or feedback for future editions. We hope you enjoy and look forward to your future submissions!
The Legalese Winter EditionCongratulations to HCLA member Sean Petrou for co-authoring Virtual Advocacy – Litigating from a Distance. Virtual Advocacy is the first comprehensive authority on virtual advocacy in Canada. It tracks every stage of the litigation life cycle so that practitioners are equipped with brief and direct advice on how to handle oneself in our new virtual landscape. While the book covers every level of court in Ontario, it also addresses appeals including at the Supreme Court of Canada, federal court, commercial arbitration, and other topics such as privacy and access to justice considerations. One of the last chapters contains an annotation of key COVID-19 jurisprudence as of publication. For more information, click here.
Virtual AdvocacyThank you to all those who applied for the Justice Karakatsanis Student Scholarships! The Board of Directors of the HCLA received several competitive and impressive applications this year and following an anonymized review decided to award the scholarships to two deserving applicants. We are pleased to announce that our 2022/2023 scholarship recipients are:
Congratulations! Catherine and Sotiri will each receive a scholarship in the amount of $3,500.
HCLA Scholarship RecipientsThe HCLA is excited to announce the release of The Legalese – Summer 2023 edition! You can find this edition on the website under the tab, Legalese. This is the fifth edition of The Legalese since its relaunch in Spring 2020. The Legalese has a long tradition of serving as the HCLA’s newsletter. It has been an important way to share community events, member profiles, and news both from our local Greek legal community and abroad. The Legalese is published on a semi-annual basis. We encourage all members to contribute or to reach out to us at hcla.information@gmail.com with any ideas, news or feedback for future editions. We hope that you enjoy and look forward to your future submissions!
The Legalese Summer EditionThe HCLA Board is excited to offer application review services for our student members who are completing job applications this summer. Please send your resume and/or cover letter to hcla.information@gmail.com with the subject line “Student Application Review” and one of our volunteers will review and provide comments to assist you in your applications. Please note that this service is available for members only.
Law Student Resume ReviewIn celebration of the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, the Ontario government is returning to the tradition of recognizing Ontario lawyers with the honorary title of King’s Counsel. The King’s Counsel designation is given to lawyers who have demonstrated a commitment to the pursuit of legal excellence in service to the Crown, the public and their communities. Ontario rejoins many of its provincial counterparts and other Commonwealth jurisdictions in observing this practise. Congratulations to all recipients and in particular: Nancy Athanasia Krigas, Jeanie Theoharis and Eustachia Jeanne Triantafilopoulos!
Congratulations King’s CounselOn May 18, 2023, Gina Alexandris, Honourary Director and former HCLA President, was presented with the 2023 Women’s Law Association of Ontario (WLAO) President’s Award at its annual gala held at Sassafraz Restaurant in Toronto. The WLAO’s President’s Award recognizes a woman, firm or organization that has made a substantial contribution to the legal community. As a recognized leader, Gina has demonstrated a commitment to the promotion of women in the law and an engagement in the issues, both substantive and personal, facing women in the legal profession today. The WLAO is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing issues and causes relevant to women in the legal profession through education and awareness programs. The WLAO has existed since 1919 and is an active voice for women in the profession and a vital resource to members in their pursuit of fulfilling and successful careers in law. Please join us in congratulating Gina on this very well deserved honour!
