Acumen Law Corporation is pleased to welcome a new articling student to its team. Sonia Gill-Kahlon will be joining us after she completes her J.D. at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. Before law school, Sonia obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, B.C.
Before she attended law school, Sonia gained experience in mental health through her work in the downtown eastside of Vancouver where she worked with women suffering from addiction and mental health issues. She also worked for Chilliwack Community Services assisting adults suffering from mental health illness, as well as at-risk youth.
Sonia is driven by helping people, which she has shown through her voluntary work. She has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity which included building homes in Costa Rica. Sonia also helped the suicide prevention charity Crisis Line by answering phone calls. In the summer, she volunteered with Canucks Autism Network teaching children with autism aged three to five how to play soccer.
Sonia says her degree in psychology and her social work experience has made her an excellent people person. “I think understanding the diversity between people – how they work and how they think – is very transferable to law,” she explained.
“I did a lot of mental health social work before law school where I worked with people from very different backgrounds,” she added.
Sonia knew that she wanted to be a lawyer from when she was about 12 or 13-years-old.
“I went into mental health work,” she said. “And I still knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to be a lawyer one day. I wanted to get experience working with people from diverse backgrounds before going to law school.”
“I am still very passionate about mental health and advocating for people who can’t advocate for themselves. Taking this route has enabled me to work with people from all walks of life,” she added.
Sonia went into law school with the vision of becoming a criminal defence lawyer although she has also developed an interest in other areas of law including, human rights law and administrative law. She is committed to becoming a criminal defence lawyer advocating for people’s rights and standing up for people who don’t have a voice.
Sonia will be joining Acumen Law Corporation as an articling student in this summer. Sonia will be completing her articles with Kyla Lee.
Q&A
- Who is your favourite fictional lawyer and why?
Alicia Florrick from The Good Wife. She embodies resilience, intelligence and strength – a strong, driven woman who is able to balance a successful criminal defence practice with being a mother while dealing with many obstacles and adversity.
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- Who is someone you look up to in law?
Former Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin
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- What is one thing you have learned about the law that surprised you?
The role of a lawyer is surprisingly similar to that of a counsellor. The successful lawyers are not necessarily the aggressive and intimidating ones you see on TV. A good lawyer must be empathetic, accepting and a good listener.
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- What is one thing you can’t do without?
TEA! (David’s Tea is my favourite)
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- In an alternate universe what would be your dream career?
International aid worker – working for an international organization where I get to travel the globe while helping people!
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- Do you have any hobbies?
Yoga, running, hiking and soccer (anything active). Also cooking, especially vegetarian and vegan recipes.