Bruna Kalinoski is an intellectual property, technology, and litigation lawyer at Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer LLP in Calgary. Her practice focuses on contentious aspects of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyright, industrial design, and trade secrets, with a particular emphasis on complex IP litigation.

Before joining BD&P, Bruna worked at a leading IP boutique in Canada and began her career in the IP and Technology groups at a top national law firm in Toronto. She has litigated a wide range of technologies, including pharmaceutical, telecommunications, mechanical, high technology, and software, from both technical and economic perspectives.

Bruna previously served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Justice Eladio Rocha of the Court of Appeals of the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, where she was involved in deliberations on various civil and commercial disputes. She holds an LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School and a law degree from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Before transitioning to law, Bruna studied Dentistry for two years, giving her a background in health sciences.

In this special "series within a series" episode, the tables turn as your host, Claudio Klaus, steps into the guest seat to share his journey through Canadian law schools and the process of becoming a lawyer in Canada. Co-hosted by Erika Bailey, who has dedicated nearly 25 years serving the University of Toronto, most recently supporting #NCA internationally trained lawyers and law students at the Faculty of Law’s #GPLLM and #LLM, this episode is the beginning of a series of podcasts that dives deep into the challenges and triumphs of navigating the Canadian legal landscape as an internationally trained lawyer from day one.

The first episode is called "Touchdown" as a nod to aviation lingo, capturing that key moment when the wheels first hit the ground. Before touchdown, the plane goes through a flare —a gentle rise to prepare for a smooth landing. Similarly, this episode marks the beginning of Claudio’s journey into the Canadian legal world, with more to explore as he settles into his new path.

Bio:

Erika Bailey (she|her) has served the University of Toronto for nearly 25 years, specializing in international graduate student advising and coaching. With an MA in Adult Education from OISE|UT, an MA in Leadership from Royal Roads University, and Solutions-focused Brief Coaching, her passion is to support internationally trained lawyers and law students with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law’s graduate programs, specifically the GPLLM and the LL.M. She coaches and advises them in their orientation to, and engagement with, the rigorous recruitment processes for future law licensing candidates, as well as on their licensing processes. In particular, fostering communities of kindness and belonging through mentorship, networking, and transparent dialogue are at the heart of her work.

Herman Wong is the host of the podcast Law Syrup and an incoming litigation associate at Torkin Manes LLP in Toronto. With a passion for making law accessible, Herman has previously served as a Justice Education Fellow for the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN), where he was recognized with the Tate Herbert Memorial Post-Secondary Award for his contributions to legal education. An Osgoode Hall Law School alum, Herman has a background in journalism, holding a Bachelor of Journalism and a Combined Honours degree in French from Carleton University, where he received several academic accolades. He has a strong commitment to mentorship and community engagement, which is reflected in both his legal and media work.

Law Syrup is a podcast that delves into hot topics on Canada law and legal-related careers. Hosted by Herman Wong, the series features candid conversations with special guests including academics, and activists, aiming to demystify complex legal issues and foster a more inclusive dialogue around justice. Co-produced with the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) and supported by The Law Foundation of Ontario, Law Syrup blends insightful commentary with a casual, approachable tone, making legal discussions accessible to everyone. This season’s guests include high-profile figures like Supreme Court Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin and other guests within the legal practice and beyond. Herman's dedication to improving access to justice and transparency within the legal system is at the heart of every episode. Listen to it at: https://open.spotify.com/show/5dO4Z3PdAgEO8GJbMw5IbD?si=9172ba4712e44d0c

Jake Hirsch-Allen is a Senior Fellow at The Dais focusing on inclusive technology and skills. Most recently he has been building public-private partnerships in workforce development and higher education for LinkedIn.

Jake advises the Mila AI institute, impact investors, public sector leaders and start-ups, including on responsible tech and AI governance. He founded Lighthouse Labs and has acted as a director on many boards. A former intellectual property and international criminal lawyer, Jake was also chair of the Technology Committee of the Global Education Platform, taught Global Health at McMaster University and clerked at the Supreme Court of Israel.

Richard A. Haigh is an Assistant Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and Director of York’s Centre for Public Policy and Law and Co-Director of the Part-Time LLM program in Constitutional Law at Osgoode Professional Development. He was, until December 2007, the Associate Director, Graduate Program at Osgoode Professional Development.

Professor Haigh is the host of the podcast 'What's Law Got To Do With It?', where he and his student co-host discuss the ins and outs of Canadian law school life. According to the podcast description, they "attempt to be funny", a goal they very much succeed in.

He has been a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, a Senior Advisor at the National Judicial Institute in Ottawa, and a Legal Research and Writing Lecturer at Osgoode. His research and teaching interests include Constitutional Law, Public Law, and Equity and Trusts, particularly the areas of freedom of conscience and religion.

His recent works include papers on the use of conscience and religion in legislative policies, whistleblowing, dialogue theory and freedom of expression’s relation to noise by-laws; he has also contributed a chapter to a book on legislating statutory interpretation, and a chapter to the casebook on public law (Emond, 3rd ed., 2015).

Michael Tam is the Program Lawyer, Professional Graduate & International Programs at Osgoode Professional Development. In this role he develops degree programs, graduate courses, and non-degree education options for domestic and internationally trained lawyers and law students. He is also the academic and career counsellor to all OsgoodePD students and a career coach to NCA candidates.

Michael holds an Honours B.Sc (Hons) in Psychology, an LL.B. from the University of Leicester, and an LL.M from the University of Toronto with a focus on human rights. He completed the NCA process in 2013 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2015. Michael is a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives. As of 2023, he has also taken over administration of the Canada wide OCIs for ITL/NCA Candidates initiative with ITLNCA NetworkS.

Piper Riley Thompson is a legal career advisor, former human rights lawyer, and entrepreneur. Piper has dedicated her career to breaking down taboos and increasing inclusivity in the legal profession.

Currently, she serves as the Assistant Director of the Career & Professional Development Office at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law. Additionally, Piper is the Founder of Ontario Bar Exam Coach, a strategic coaching business that helps lawyer licensing candidates effectively prepare for the Ontario bar exams. Piper also co-founded and co-hosted Off the Tracks Podcast from 2021-2024. Off the Tracks won a Canadian Law Blog Award for Best Podcast and covered subjects such as career transitions, law student debt, launching your own law firm, and the evolving legal landscape across Canada.

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Lilia Kvorka is a bilingual lawyer, licensed in Mexico and in Ontario with experience in both the public and private sectors, including the State and Federal Government in Mexico as well as a Foreign Mission in Canada.

She is a Director for the Canadian Hispanic Bar Association and Associate Corporate Counsel for the Canadian mining Company Americas Gold and Silver. Lilia’s path to licensing in Ontario included the GPLLM Program at the University of Toronto, the Ryerson Law Practice Program (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and the mentorship with the CHBA, all of which she strongly believes were vital to her call to the Ontario Bar in 2022.

Lilia was elected as part of the Law Practice Program student executive committee and was the LPP representative on the OBA Student Executive. She was also on the OBA Mental Health and Awareness Sub-Committee and identifies herself as a mental health advocate. Lilia specializes in navigating the legal complexities of mining operations. Her background in Mexican law, her experience as Associate Corporate Counsel combined with her knowledge of corporate governance and compliance ensures that companies uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct while pursuing their ESG goals.

As part of her dedication to continued education, she earned a certificate in Mining Law from Osgoode Hall and she is currently taking a certificate in Environmental Law from the Supreme Court of Justice (Mexico). Lilia believes in giving back to the legal community; even as busy mom, wife and professional, she will always find time to speak with anyone who is asking for advice or looking to achieve their goal of becoming licensed in Canada.