Jessyca Greenwood (BA ’05) is making a difference. A little over a decade ago, she was an undergraduate at Laurier, majoring in political science while taking philosophy, history and women’s studies courses. She wanted to do advocacy work. “Social justice issues were my real passion.” Today, she is a partner in her own criminal defense firm and she credits her time at Laurier with setting her on this path.

“My Laurier days were very influential in helping me figure out where I wanted to go,” says Jessyca. Very interested in “how we treat our most vulnerable,” she wanted to understand the political structures and ideas underpinning society’s choices. “I especially enjoyed my seminar classes, where we were challenged on our beliefs.” These skills turned out to be very important when Jessyca attended Windsor Law School. “I was able to engage in class and articulate my views.” Windsor’s “Access to Justice” program attracted Jessyca since it allowed her to pursue her passion for advocacy and social justice.

Running her own firm gives Jessyca the opportunity to encourage other women starting out in the field of criminal law. She and her partner have pro-actively hired women, and try to create a supportive environment conducive to work-life balance. Some troubling statistics explain why she feels strongly about this mission. “A study commissioned by the Criminal Lawyers’ Association found that law school graduates are fifty percent women. But, ten years out, seven of ten women have left the practice of criminal law.” She is committed in her own firm to try to break some of the barriers that remain to women in criminal defense work.

She notes that there are limits. “The job is always about the client first, and problems do not always crop up at convenient times. We need to be available to serve our clients, so we work in a team to ensure that someone is always on call.”

In addition to her legal practice, Jessyca teaches Criminal Procedure and Working with Vulnerable Clients at Osgoode Hall Law School. She also mentors young lawyers when she can. “If you have your own practice, it’s not easy to be a good lawyer and to build a business. My advice is to hire help to do it right the first time. It might be costly, but it pays off in the long run as you concentrate on providing the best legal services.”

Jessyca has fond memories of several of her Laurier professors. In Political Science, she stays in touch with Professor Brian Tanguay, who was very supportive of her law school plans, helped her to make connections, and sparked her interest in electoral reform. She also notes that Professor Debora VanNijnatten “helped me to learn the skills needed to be successful in university.” Sounds like Jessyca’s success story has extended well beyond university.