Laura Bobyn

First Year of Call

Areas of Practice
Criminal Law

Description
I am a criminal defence lawyer at Strategic Criminal Defence, a full-service criminal defence law office, with central offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Victoria, Saskatchewan, and Toronto.

My practice is based in Calgary.

Education, Awards, and Career Path
I completed my law degree at the University of Birmingham, in England, where I graduated with honours. Throughout my time there, I engaged in multiple opportunities to develop advocacy skills both verbal and written. I was elected by my cohort as the Faculty of Law Student Representative, a position I held throughout law school that provided a leadership opportunity where I could verbally advocate for my fellow students on changes we believed would benefit our program. I was also selected to compete in the Advocacy Program Moot, where I made the semi-finals, developing verbal and written advocacy skills directly applicable to the legal challenges we were given.

In my final year of law school, I applied and was selected to volunteer and work for the Free Legal Advice Group (F.L.A.G.), through the Pro Bono Society. This clinic provides free legal advice and assistance to those who do not qualify for the UK Legal Aid system but cannot afford to hire private counsel. This was my first opportunity to work directly with clients and find legal solutions to their problems, ensuring they were not navigating the system alone. Finally, I completed and submitted a dissertation contemplating the existing framework of mental health legislation in the UK and how it could be improved. Working with and acknowledging the challenges of individuals who suffer from mental health concerns while being in an overwhelming position in the criminal justice system is a career focus for me. Providing reassurance and legal assistance, while ensuring a just outcome in consideration of the specific challenges associated with mental health is an area of expertise I want to develop.

In 2020, I was accepted to the University of British Columbia where I completed my Master of Laws. As an internationally trained lawyer, it was important to me that I bolster my international training with a concrete foundation in Canadian law. Although England and Canada have the same common law judicial system, pursuing my Master’s was an important accomplishment for me in order to feel prepared to pursue my career as a lawyer practicing in Canada.