Toronto is hustling this month. From Pride Month celebrations to the city gearing up to welcome the FIFA World Cup, there’s a lot happening around us. And that got us thinking: what does it really mean to hustle?

In Lady Justice Talks' final episode of the year, WILA Podcast host and VP of Podcast, Susu B., sits down with two fellow hustlers: Macey Misa, Co-Vice President of Marketing, and Julia Cook, Marketing Coordinator.

Together, they discuss how experiences outside of traditional law spaces can still prepare students for success in legal careers. From camp counselling paperwork and incident reports to navigating study abroad and travel documentation, every experience teaches valuable skills. The conversation explores transferable skills, imposter syndrome, work-life balance, and the pressure many women feel to constantly "do more" in order to prove themselves.

Whether you're worried that your resume isn't "law enough" or trying to balance school, work, leadership, and life, this episode is for you.

Tune in for our final episode of the year!

And on a personal note, this is my final episode with WILA as I complete my second and final year with the association. Thank you to everyone who has listened, supported, shared, and grown with us throughout this journey. Your support has meant more than you know. With gratitude, Susu B.

From left to right: Macey Misa, Julia Cook, and Susu B.

As another school year comes to a close and many students prepare for internships, interviews, and graduation, questions around professionalism and belonging begin to surface: Do I sound “professional enough”? Should I soften my accent? Am I speaking the “right” way for legal spaces?

In this episode of Lady Justice Talks, we sit down with Sanzala Achakzai, Events Coordinator, and Olivia Thomas, a First Year Representative at the Women in Law Association (WILA), to unpack the idea of being “linguistically competent” in legal spaces. Together, we explore how language intersects with identity, particularly for ESL speakers and those with accents, and how accents, code-switching, and legal jargon shape experiences within the legal system.

This episode dives into the complexities of legal language and asks important questions: Who gets understood in court? Who gets left out? And what happens when you don’t speak the language of law? From translation and interpretation to cultural meaning and accessibility, we reflect on how language can act as both a tool and a barrier to justice, and how those in positions of power can use that to their advantage.

Tune in as we discuss the ways power, access, and inequality are embedded in the very words the legal system relies on.

From left: Chantelle Belonio, Sanzala Achakzai, Olivia Thomas, and Charley Atkinson.

What happens when law meets creativity, identity, and storytelling?

In this episode of Lady Justice Talks, we’re joined by Hamzah Taleb, Editor-in-Chief of Muses of Justice, for an introduction to the journal and its vision. With Volume I already published and Volume II on the horizon, the journal creates a space for diverse voices to explore legal ideas beyond traditional boundaries.

Hamzah shares the inspiration behind founding the journal, its purpose, and how it brings together perspectives that challenge, question, and expand conventional legal narratives. Together, we discuss the importance of representation, creative expression, and community in shaping a more inclusive understanding of justice.

This conversation invites listeners to think differently about law, not just as a profession, but as a platform for storytelling, reflection, and impact.

Whether you’re a student, aspiring legal professional, or someone passionate about social change, this episode offers a meaningful introduction to a growing and impactful initiative.

Join us as we explore the vision, purpose, and future of Muses of Justice.

From the left: Hamzah Taleb & Rubaljeet Kaur

As exam season wraps up, most students know what it feels like to be assessed; your work evaluated, your answers weighed, your future shaped by a decision. But what happens when the roles are reversed? When you’re no longer the one being judged, but the one asked to decide?

In this episode of Lady Justice Talks, our host Anita sits down with Fatima Hira, Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator at the Women in Law Association at York University, to explore what it means to step out of the classroom and into the courtroom. From advocating within WILA to serving on a real jury, Fatima shares how her leadership experiences shaped her perspective and how jury duty challenged everything she thought she knew about the justice system.

Together, they unpack the journey from being selected for jury duty to navigating the realities of a live trial. Fatima reflects on her initial assumptions, what surprised her most, and what it felt like to walk into a courtroom not as a student, but as an active participant in the legal process. As the selected foreperson, she also shares how she led a room of diverse voices, balanced differing perspectives, and worked toward a collective decision under pressure.

This conversation goes beyond procedure to explore the human side of justice; the emotional weight of delivering a verdict, the responsibility of influencing real lives, and the complexity of making decisions that aren’t always clear-cut. Fatima also reflects on how this experience deepened her understanding of justice beyond textbooks, and how it reshaped her vision for her future in law.

Whether you’re a student, an aspiring legal professional, or simply curious about what really happens inside a jury room, this episode offers an honest and thoughtful look at what it means to not just learn about justice; but to sit with it.

From the left: Fatimah hira & Anita Afraz

Law isn’t just a profession; it’s a service to the community. It extends beyond the courthouse and the contracts; it branches out into real-life action.

Tune in to this episode of Lady Justice Talks as we sit down with Maleeha Aslam, co-president of WILA, to discuss how she combines her passion for law with her commitment to community service. Together, Maleeha takes us on a journey. We discuss how years of volunteering and community service led up to her humanitarian action in Bosnia with Islamic Relief Canada and ignited her passion for service and community organizing.

Maleeha details how witnessing the ongoing impacts of the Bosnian Genocide shaped the type of lawyer she aspires to be. While injustices and violence can paralyze us, we discuss how we can find purpose and joy despite the realities we live in.

As future law professionals, we strive for a world in which humanitarian action is not necessary. However, reality is far from a utopia. With National Volunteering Week coming up, let’s take action in our own communities to work towards a world we would be proud to call home.

From the left: Chantelle Belonio, Maleeha Aslam

What if the way we understand justice isn’t shaped by the law, but by the media?

In this episode of Lady Justice Talks, we explore the powerful and often overlooked relationship between media and the legal system. Joined by Mehakpreet Singh, Vice President of Events, and Sanya Walia, Vice President of Administration at the Women in Law Association YU, we unpack how the crime content we consume influences public perception of justice.

From dramatized investigations in shows like Law & Order to true-crime series, courtroom television, and viral crime stories on social media, these portrayals don’t just entertain us, they shape what we expect justice to look like. In today’s episode, our viewers will see the way the media presents crime, victims, and justice and how it subtly shapes our perceptions of whom we see as credible, whom we see as guilty, and what we believe justice should be. Over time, these portrayals don’t just influence opinions; they help construct them.

So today tune in to our newest episode and unpack with us how the media doesn't just tell society stories of the law it helps shape the way we think about truth and justice!

From the left: Mehakpreet Singh, Sanya Walia, Charley Atkinson

In this episode of Lady Justice Talks by the Women in Law Association (WILA), host Anita Afraz sits down with criminal defence lawyer Hamna Anwar for a compelling conversation about justice, empathy, and the human realities behind criminal law.

Hamna practices exclusively in criminal defence and represents clients charged with serious offences at all levels of court in Ontario, from complex fraud and firearm cases to homicide and sexual assault matters.

Grounded in the belief that everyone deserves quality representation regardless of background, she has built her career around providing clients with a trauma-informed, judgment-free space while fiercely protecting their fundamental rights and freedoms.

Together, Anita and Hamna explore what it means to advocate for people at their most vulnerable, the emotional and ethical demands of defending high-stakes cases, and how systemic bias can shape legal outcomes. Drawing from her academic research on race, masculinity, Islamophobia, national security, and the law, Hamna offers thoughtful insight into the deeper structural forces influencing the criminal justice system.

The episode also highlights her leadership and mentorship work in the legal community, including her role with Women in Canadian Criminal Defence and her involvement in programs supporting women and underrepresented voices entering the profession. We discuss the barriers racialized women face in law, the importance of mentorship, and why representation matters, not just in courtrooms, but within the profession itself.

From redefining success beyond courtroom wins to envisioning meaningful reform in the justice system, this conversation invites listeners to reconsider assumptions about crime, advocacy, and fairness, and to see the law through a more compassionate, human-centered lens!

From the left: Anita Afraz, Hamna Anwar

New year, old laws; and a growing call for change.

In this episode of Lady Justice Talks by the Women in Law Association (WILA), we sit down with Victoria Perchal, Co-President of WILA, and Sanzala Achakzai, Events Coordinator at WILA, to unpack the ongoing debate around the decriminalization of sex work and what it truly means for workers, communities, and society at large.

Together, they explore the realities behind existing legal frameworks and the stigma that continues to shape public opinion, asking difficult questions about morality, safety, labour rights, and human rights. The conversation examines the New Zealand model as a widely referenced approach to harm reduction and worker protection, and considers what a decriminalized, labour-based framework could look like in practice.

The episode also dives into how religion, culture, and societal values influence attitudes toward sex work, and how stigma directly impacts the safety, health, and dignity of workers. Most importantly, Victoria and Sanzala highlight the potential benefits of decriminalization — from improved health outcomes to greater equality, autonomy, and legal protection.

This episode challenges listeners to rethink long-held assumptions and to consider sex work through a legal and human-centred lens: as work, not a crime!

From the left: Chantelle Belonio, Victoria Perchal, Sanzala Achakzai, Charley Atkinson