EDI within the Current Climate of the Legal Profession: A Roundtable Discussion – Part 1 of 2

This roundtable discussion, moderated by Liz Smith and Asha Walker, features a distinguished, multidisciplinary panel of legal experts that includes paralegals, academics, investigators, executives and regulatory leaders, each bringing firsthand experience from different corners of Ontario’s justice system. The participants are Nana Adjei-Poku (Owner and Licensed Paralegal, Infordus Legal Services), Ada Maxwell-Alleyne (Assistant Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, University of Toronto Faculty of Law), Leon Presner (Owner and President, Defend-it Legal Services; paralegal, private investigator and CCRTIS fingerprinting and background-screening officer), Nicole Robinson (Senior Paralegal and Notary Public, EmploymentParalegal.ca), Pako Tshiamala (Founder and CEO, Blink Equity) and Shalini Konanur (Executive Director and lawyer, South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario; Bencher, Law Society of Ontario). 

Guided by questions that probe how equity, diversity and inclusion shape daily practice and challenge the profession to confront implicit bias, the panel shares candid examples of everyday prejudice within legal workplaces and proceedings, then spotlights practical tools that widen public access to justice, including proportionate-fee models, targeted community outreach and collaborative referral networks between lawyers and paralegals. In response to calls for systemic change, they champion anonymized recruitment, rigorous workforce data collection and active allyship within professional bodies, weaving lived experience into an energizing blueprint for a more inclusive legal profession. 

A dynamic, solution-focused roundtable that translates real-world challenges into concrete reforms advancing equity, diversity and inclusion across Ontario’s legal landscape.