Volunteer Committees
Professional Advancement Committee (PAC)
The BFLN PAC organizes networking and professional development events, namely panel discussions on topics touching female and female identifying legal professionals, career advancement opportunities and mentorship events with students and junior members of the Bar.
Committee Chair: Mariam Momodu
Title: Associate
Employer: Dentons Canada LLP
Committee member: Eniola Akinoso
Title: Articling Student
Employer: Dentons Canada LLP
Committee member: Malaika Henriques
Title: Associate
Employer: Derstine Penman Criminal Lawyers
Committee member: Sarah Aikodon
Title: Associate
Employer: Loblaw Companies
Committee member: Bukola Adelusi
Title: Associate
Employer: Goodmans LLP
Committee member: Esinam Abena
Title: Legal Counsel
Employer: TD Bank
Committee member: Eyitene Iwere
Title: Manager, Associate
Employer: EY, Law
Communications and Public Relations Committee
The BFLN Communications and Public Relations Committee is responsible for the publication of BFLN’s monthly newsletters. The newsletters aim to create awareness about networking events, skill development sessions, happy hours and all other events which promote the professional development and welfare of black female lawyers.
The Communications and Public Relations team also utilizes all social media platforms, promote such events, and engages with the public on matters related to our black female lawyers and generally, the legal profession. Finally, the team is responsible for BFLN’s official email and communicating with members of the general public as required.
Committee Chair: Lavinia Latham
Title: Associate
Employer: Alphonse Latham LLP
Committee member: Bolaji Olarinde
Title: Patent Administrator
Employer: Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt
Committee member: Fayola Benjamin
Title: Associate Lawyer
Employer: Benjamin Law
Committee member: Sharon Yeboah
Title: Lawyer
Employer: GAB Law
Committee member: Chino Ibe
Title: NCA Candidate
Ottawa Chapter Committee
The Ottawa Chapter was launched in October 2019 to provide local networking opportunities to BFLN members. This chapter is a link to the national BFLN organization that provides those in Ottawa with activities and support from an Ottawa perspective.
This new chapter seeks to attract members, develop relationships with Black law students (ie. BLSA – University of Ottawa chapter), leverage existing partnerships (ie. with the CABL Ottawa chapter) and recruit volunteers to help organize events. While not fully bilingual yet, the chapter encourages the use of both English and French.
Although the chapter started just before the pandemic, we were able to pivot to hosting virtual events to support our members. We look forward to building on a strong start.
Ottawa Chapter Chair: Ludmilla Jarda
Title: Adjudicator (Member)
Employer: Tribunals Ontario
Committee Member: Lois Boateng
Title: Legal Counsel
Employer: Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa
Committee Member: Chinwe Nwanisobi
Title: Fraud Specialist
Employer: Private Practice
Committee Member: Nefeterri Carnadin
Title: Senior Legal Counsel
Employer: Department of Justice Canada
[Note – we are looking for other committee members to assist with planning and implementing events.]
Fundraising Committee
Fundraising Committee Chair: Shalia Steer
Title: Lawyer
Employer: Steer Law Firm
Committee Member: Jessica Hardy-Henry
Title: Legal Counsel
Employer: Toronto Metropolitan University
Committee Member: Denise Dwyer
Title: Assistant Deputy Minister, Indigenous Education & Wellbeing Division
Employer: Ontario Ministry of Education
Membership Committee
The BFLN Membership and Mentorship Committee is responsible for collating and keeping up to date the registry of all members, creating awareness to encourage expanded membership, caters to Membership subscriptions, works with other committees in initiatives for mentoring of junior legal professionals/law students and organizes the Annual General Meeting.
The Committee is also responsible for creating avenues for the matching of mentors and mentees, through a mentorship program carefully curated to cater for each participant’s objectives, and to ensure personal and professional growth for all. This creates an avenue for our more senior members to provide insight and guidance to our younger members to set them up for success in the legal profession. Another goal is to partner with other mentorship programs across various sectors.
Committee Chair: Yetunde Amodu
Title: Associate
Employer: Gowling WLG
Committee Member: Eseosa Omoruyi
Title: Associate
Committee Member: Gift Raji
Title: Student
Committee Member: Gabrielle Gonsalvez
Title: Student
Employer: Osgoode Law School
Social Engagement & Wellbeing
The Social Engagement and Wellbeing Committee works to create a structured approach to foster meaningful relationships and active participation among community members, volunteers, and stakeholders. It also aims to develop and implement strategies for the BFLN Board to help fully engage all sectors of the community, and organizes team building activities and social events for members.
Retreat Committee
The BFLN’s Retreat Committee is responsible for working with the Board to plan and implement the annual Sistahs in Law Conference in November of each year. This committee meets year-round with the lion’s share occurring in the Summer and Fall. Our challenge is to organize a meaningful conference – a perfect balance of retreat and CPD, that will be engaging and accessible to all of our Sistahs in law. We are interested in welcoming new, creative members in the first quarter of each year, although we may be able to accommodate new committee members year-round.
Committee Chair: Sara Bond
Title: Will Estate Consultant
Employer: Royal Bank of Canada
Committee Member: Mariam Momodu
Title: Associate
Employer: Dentons
Committee Member: Esinam Abena
Title: Legal Counsel
School: TD Bank
Committee Member: Vera Egbadon
Title: Freedom of Information Analyst, Legal
School: Infrastructure Ontario
Committee Member: Adjoa Osei-Yeboah
Title: Oral Advocacy and Academic Success Assistant
Employer: Lincoln Alexander School of Law
Event Planner: Frederica Black
Firm: Frederica Black Events