Shalini Konanur has made a major contribution to legal aid services. For the last six years she has been executive director of the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO). She has provided a wide range of legal services to the community of South Asians – including assistance with immigration, income maintenance, employment, human rights, workplace safety and family law.
Lawyers and staff throughout the clinic system have come to rely on Ms. Konanur’s sound judgment when it comes to the more complex aspects of poverty law and the challenges involved in serving a diverse population with multiple needs.
Ms. Konanur has ensured that SALCO has a voice at the judicial level through her use of interventions before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, and the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. She has also been actively advocating on behalf of new Canadians to defend their access to medical care and other services.
Under her leadership SALCO has dramatically increased its presence in the community through public legal education activities and media engagement; while also increasing the level of direct services offered to clients.
Ms. Konanur is an excellent role model demonstrating to new lawyers not only how to be a professional who applies the law with empathy but also how to be an energetic and effective advocate for the marginalized and isolated individuals within our communities.
Ms. Konanur is a vocal, fair-minded advocate for low-income South Asians. She has impacted the lives of numerous people in the community while setting a strong and positive example for other advocates to follow. For all these reasons, Ms. Konanur is a Legal Aid Leader.