Mentor Lawyer Profiles - Ajith Thiyagalingam

The Blazing Trails Mentorship Program (“BTMP”) is a mentorship program available to all law students in Canada. It helps law students connect with lawyers passionate about social justice-oriented careers. This summer, Level is highlighting some of its BTMP mentor lawyers to find out what made them pursue social justice in the first place. Today, we proudly profile Ajith Thiyagalingam, a lawyer specializing in refugee and immigration law and international human rights law.

What made you follow a social justice centered career as a lawyer and would you recommend it to law students who hope to do the same?

I came from a refugee background and was the first in my family to attend university. I went to law school to pursue a social justice-centered career where I can give a voice to the voiceless, advance human rights protections for marginalized communities, and contribute to society in a meaningful way. I recommend this pathway to law students because you are helping to bridge the access to justice gap. You are serving the most vulnerable members of our society who have no one else to turn to for legal assistance. The work is challenging but meaningful, and you will know that you are affecting real people’s lives for the better every day.

What is your favorite memory of your time as an advocate?

I have many favourite memories of my time as an advocate. I enjoyed helping a single disabled mother with a family sponsorship application. I enjoyed helping a couple who suffered from mental and physical disabilities to bring their children to Canada whom they had not seen in many years. I enjoyed helping a low-income client negotiate their sponsorship debt repayment from $100,000 to $100/month. I enjoyed training refugee decision-makers and assisting them with their decision-making process. I enjoyed advising tenants facing eviction on their legal rights.

What is your favorite part of mentoring law students in the Blazing Trails Mentorship Program?

The mentor-mentee relationship is reciprocal so I am learning from them as much as they are from me. Engaging with law students helps me ground myself, as I remember I was in the same position not long ago. There is a lot of negativity and misinformation circulating among law students about the legal profession and the opportunities therein. Law school is a challenging and stressful experience for many people so it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees. While mentoring law students, I enjoy breaking those law school myths, sharing information, and brainstorming careers. I like to remind students that there are career opportunities outside the large corporate law firms where you can still earn a decent income while pursuing meaningful public interest work.

BTMP will begin accepting mentee applications in September 2024. To stay informed, please sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media (@leveljustice).