Committees
Below is a complete listing of CLA Committees and volunteers in alphabetical order.
2025-2027: ACCESSIBILITY
To promote access to public spaces and technology important for the provision of legal services. To address the issues and concerns of members of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association (CLA) who have one or more disabilities. To promote diversity in the CLA and the leadership of the CLA. To foster and promote opportunities for people with disabilities in criminal law.
CLIENT ACCESSIBILITY
In order to advance our client’s case we need access to our clients, in particular those clients who have been remanded into custody. Accessing clients in certain facilities may not always be easy, for a number of different reasons. The Accessibility Committee is interested in hearing your concerns when it comes to accessing your clients in custody whether it be at the remand facility, courthouse, virtual courtroom etc. Please voice your concerns by emailing accessibility@criminallawyers.ca. We have a volunteer team ready to assist!
Committee members:
- Anthony J. Orazietti (Sault Ste. Marie) – Co-Chair
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga) – Co-Chair
- Ben Fulton (Mississauga)
- Carolyn Arnold LeBlanc (Woodstock)
- Dawn Quelch (Napanee)
2025-2027: COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA RELATIONS – media@criminallawyers.ca
To coordinate CLA communications activities and implement communication strategies to support our objectives.
Committee members:
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Jessyca Greenwood (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Adam Weisberg (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Elizabeth Barefoot (Owen Sound)
- Daniel Brown (Toronto)
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto)
- Hilary Dudding (Toronto)
- Matthew Gourlay (Toronto)
- Tonya Kent (Toronto)
- Howard Krongold (Ottawa)
- Michael Lacy (Toronto)
- Dominic Lamb (Ottawa)
- Maija Martin (Toronto)
- Meaghan McMahon (Ottawa)
- Laura Metcalfe (Toronto)
- Cassandra Richards (Ottawa)
- Lauren Wilhelm (Hamilton)
2025-2027: CRIMINAL LAW AND TECHNOLOGY / EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND PRIVACY COMMITTEE – modernization@criminallawyers.ca
To develop positions on behalf of the CLA in relation to the significant impact of emerging technologies on criminal law, Charter rights and civil liberties; to advocate for our position on these issues in court and other public forums in coordination with the litigation committee; to consult with government and law reform bodies in relation to these issues; to educate and support our members in relation to these issues as they arise in cases and in terms of their use of emerging technologies in the practice of law.
Committee members:
- Eric Neubauer (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Karen Symes (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Elizabeth Barefoot (Owen Sound)
- Cooper Lord (Kitchener)
- Brendan Neil (Milton)
2025-2027: CRIMINAL PRACTICE
Responsible for Courthouse Reps as well as to coordinate all aspects of court administration affecting the CLA membership.
Committee members:
- Jessyca Greenwood (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Eric Neubauer (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Lisa Carnelos (Windsor)
- Tonya Kent (Toronto)
- Sara Little (Toronto)
- Mark MacDonald (Smiths Falls)
- Michael Michel (Sudbury)
- Anthony Orazietti (Sault Ste Marie)
- Alan Richter (Oshawa)
- Chris Sewrattan (Toronto)
- Ram Shankar (Owen Sound)
- Karen Symes (Toronto)
- Jordan Weisz (Toronto)
2025-2027: DIVERSITY – diversity@criminallawyers.ca
Committee members:
- Tonya Kent (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Marianne Salih (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Usman Farhat (Ajax)
- Richard Mwangi (Toronto)
- Inderdeep Padda (Toronto)
2025-2027: EDUCATION
Oversee all CLA related CLE programming and CLA mentor activities.
Committee members:
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Brendan Neil (Milton) – Co-Chair
- Tonya Kent (Toronto)
- Alan Richter (Oshawa)
- Chris Rudnicki (Toronto)
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga)
- Jordan Weisz (Toronto)
- Lauren Wilhelm (Hamilton)
2025-2027: ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL REGULATION: ethics@criminallawyers.ca
Committee members:
- Elizabeth Barefoot (Owen Sound) – Co-Chair
- Lisa Carnelos (Windsor) – Co-Chair
- Jill Makepeace (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Michael Davies (Ottawa)
- Mark Halfyard (Toronto)
- George Joseph (Thunder Bay)
- Tonya Kent (Toronto)
- Nadia Liva (Toronto)
- Naomi Lutes (Toronto)
- Chris Rudnicki (Toronto)
- Breanna Vandebeek (Toronto)
2025-2027: FALL CONFERENCE – https://criminallawyers.ca/cla-programs/cla-fall-conferences/
Responsible for planning all aspects of the fall program including setting the agenda and securing the program speakers.
Committee members:
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Lauren Wilhelm (Hamilton) – Co-Chair
- Samiyyah Ganga (Toronto)
- Matt Gourlay (Toronto)
- Tonya Kent (Toronto)
- Meaghan McMahon (Ottawa)
- Eric Neubauer (Toronto)
- Sweta Tejpal (Brampton)
2025-2027: GALE MOOT CUP – Galecup@criminallawyers.ca
https://www.galecupmoot.com/en/home/
CLA Committee members:
- Sweta Tejpal (Brampton) – Co-Chair
- Lauren Wilhelm (Hamilton) – Co-Chair
- Emily Dyer (Barrie)
- Sara Little (Toronto)
- Jessica Proskos (Toronto)
- Maya Shukairy (Ottawa)
2025-2027: GOVERNANCE
Committee members:
- Jessyca Greenwood (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Adam Weisberg (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- One Women’s Committee co-chair – TBC
- One Diversity Committee co-chair – TBC
- One Indigenous Committee co-chair – TBC
2025-2027: INDIGENOUS – indigenous@criminallawyers.ca
Committee members:
- Ryan Stiles (Bracebridge) – Co-Chair
- Jessica Belisle (Sault Ste Marie)
- Hilary Dudding (Toronto)
- Derek Fox (Thunder Bay)
- Keith Gordon (Akwesasne Mohawk Territory)
- Daniella Guido (Newmarket)
- Jason Herbert (Bracebridge)
- Riali Johannesson (Parry Sound)
- Arianna Murdoch-Fyke (Goderich)
- Rubaina Singh (Toronto)
2025-2027: LEGAL AID – legalaid@criminallawyers.ca
To address all legal aid related issues affecting the criminal defence bar.
Committee members:
- Michael Davies (Ottawa) – Co-Chair
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Jordan Weisz (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Lisa Carnelos (Windsor)
- Emily Dyer (Barrie)
- Mark MacDonald (Smiths Falls)
- Laura Metcalfe (Toronto)
- Michael Michel (Sudbury)
- Brendan Neil (Milton)
- Alan Richter (Oshawa)
- Ram Shankar (Owen Sound)
- Adam Weisberg (Toronto)
2025-2027: LEGISLATION – reform@criminallawyers.ca
The Legislation Committee members regularly attend at House of Commons and Senate committees to provide input on criminal legislation. Members are consulted by lawmakers on draft legislation and the Legislation Committee is working on producing position papers in various priority areas of criminal justice policy.
Committee members:
- Jolene Hansell – (Ottawa) – Co-Chair
- Maija Martin – (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Cassandra Richards – (Ottawa) – Co-Chair
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto)
- Danielle Landry (Owen Sound)
- Chris Rudnicki (Toronto)
- Marianne Salih (Toronto)
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga)
2025-2027: LITIGATION (intervention) – litigation@criminallawyers.ca
To manage all litigation focused activities on behalf of the organizations and the membership as approved by the board.
Committee members:
- Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Mark Halfyard (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Breana Vandebeek (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Michelle Biddulph (Toronto)
- Dan Brown (Toronto)
- Erin Dann (Toronto)
- Matt Gourlay (Toronto)
- Jolene Hansell (Ottawa)
- Nader Hasan (Toronto)
- Anil Kapoor (Toronto)
- Howard Krongold (Ottawa)
- Michael Lacy (Toronto)
- Maija Martin (Toronto)
2025 Second Chair Roster:
- Brandon Chung (Toronto)
- Brendan Coffey (Toronto)
- Nikolas De Stefano (Toronto)
- Kathryn Doyle (Toronto)
- Rick Frank (Toronto)
- Heather Gunter (Toronto)
- David Hakim (Toronto)
- Kally Ho (Toronto)
- Heather Lawson (Toronto)
- Sara Little (Toronto)
- Cassandra Richards (Ottawa)
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga)
- Anna Zhang (Toronto)
2025-2027: MEMBERSHIP – membercommitttee@criminallawyers.ca
Manage all aspects of membership recruitment, retention and recognition.
Committee members:
- Adam Goodman (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga) – Co-Chair
- Daniella Guido (Newmarket)
- Sukhraj Hundal (Oakville)
- Chris Raimondo (St. Catharines)
- Glenn E.J. Sandberg (Sudbury)
- Remy Sansanwal (Toronto)
2025-2027: MENTAL HEALTH – md@criminallawyers.ca
To coordinate all aspects specific to mental health issues in the Criminal Justice System.
Committee members:
- Dean Embry (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Maija Martin (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Nemee Bedar (Ottawa)
- Cassandra DeMelo (London)
- Sabrina Feldman (Toronto)
- Daniella Guido (Newmarket)
- Jamie Kopman (Toronto)
- Dawn Quelch (Napanee)
- Karen Symes (Toronto)
- Jordan Weisz (Toronto)
2025-2027: MENTORING
Committee members:
- Jill Makepeace (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Christopher Raimondo (St. Catharines) – Co-Chair
- Andrew Guaglio (Toronto)
- Jolene Hansell (Ottawa)
- Tonya Kent (Toronto)
- Cooper Lord (Kitchener)
- Adam Newman (Toronto)
2025-2027: PRISONS/JAILS
To coordinate all aspects specific jails/prisons/incarnated persons.
Committee members:
- Tonya Kent (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Cooper Lord (Kitchener) – Co-Chair
- Simon Borys (Kingston)
- Jolene Hansell (Ottawa)
- Mark MacDonald (Smiths Falls)
- Cassandra Richards (Ottawa)
- Marianne Salih (Toronto)
- Remy Sansanwal (Toronto)
- Karen Symes (Toronto)
2025-2027: RECENT CALL – https://criminallawyers.ca/cla-programs/cla-legal-programs/
To coordinate all aspects specific to recent calls.
Committee members:
- Nemee Bedar (Ottawa) – Co-Chair
- Remy Sansanwal (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Sebastian Becker (Toronto)
- Samiyyah Ganga (Toronto)
- David Hakim (Toronto)
- Jocelyn Heaton (Toronto)
- Mark Kamel (Mississauga)
- Robert Nanni (Toronto)
- Victoria Palermo (Toronto)
- Elias Rabinovitch (Toronto)
- Anish Sethi (Ottawa)
- Sophie Vaisman (Toronto)
- Taylor Wormington (Toronto)
2025-2027: SPRING CONFERENCE – https://criminallawyers.ca/cla-programs/cla-spring-conferences/
Responsible for planning all aspects of the Spring program including setting the agenda and securing the program speakers.
Committee members:
- Cassandra DeMelo (London) – Co-Chair
- George Joseph (Thunder Bay) – Co-Chair
- Elizabeth Barefoot (Owen Sound)
- Brendan Neil (Milton)
- Karen Symes (Toronto)
- Sweta Tejpal (Mississauga)
2025-2027: WOMEN IN CRIMINAL LAW – https://criminallawyers.ca/about-us/cla-womens-committee/ – women@criminallawyers.ca
To promote and protect the interests of the female members of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association (CLA). To promote diversity in the CLA and the leadership of the CLA. To foster and promote opportunities for women in criminal law.
Committee members:
- Danielle Landry (Owen Sound) – Co-Chair
- Michelle Psutka (Toronto) – Co-Chair
- Ayesha Abbasi (Peel)
- Sarah Black (Kingston)
- Tara Boghosian (Toronto)
- Lisa Bristow (Toronto)
- Jolene Hansell (Ottawa)
- Melody Izadi (Toronto)
- Sandra Kimberg (Toronto)
- Rachel Neiman (Toronto)
- Sabrina Shillingford (Toronto)
- Rubaina Singh (Toronto)