arrow icon Back

Our Students

The student team at Whitelaw Twining is motivated and dynamic. Meet these talented professionals as they take early steps in their legal careers.

Alexandra Kulakova, Articling Student

Alexandra joined Whitelaw Twining in 2022. She completed her JD with Distinction at Bond University in Australia. Alexandra received her Bachelor of Arts with a major in Law and Society and a minor in Psychology, at University of Calgary. During her studies, Alexandra was a piano teacher organizing student curriculums and preparing her students for yearly recitals and exams. From this experience, she has come to appreciate the importance of building and maintaining client relationships. Alexandra later moved into legal assistant roles at various firms in Calgary specializing in litigation and a paralegal role in insurance litigation specifically.

Alexandra is excited to join the Calgary team at Whitelaw Twining and is looking forward to learning through practical experience from her colleagues.

Lane Aman, Articling Student

Lane is currently pursuing his JD at the University of Calgary. Lane completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Lethbridge, receiving his Bachelor of Management with great distinction in 2019. During his undergraduate years, he played two seasons with the Prairie Baseball Academy, contributing to two Canadian College Baseball Conference championships.

Prior to joining WT, Lane spent a summer working with Alberta Justice Crown Prosecution Services where he assisted prosecutors and conducted research on a wide range of criminal matters. Throughout law school Lane has been an active volunteer with Student Legal Assistance where he has represented individuals from the low-income community in Provincial Court. He has also been involved with the Business Venture Clinic assisting early-stage businesses with a range of legal matters.

Lane is excited to be a part of the growing Calgary team. He looks forward to gaining practical experience and legal skills at WT.

In his spare time, Lane enjoys staying active, cheering on the Blue Jays, and spending time with family and friends.

Isabella De Bortoli, Articling Student

Isabella joined Whitelaw Twining as a summer student in 2021. She recently received her Juris Doctor degree from Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. Prior to attending law school, Isabella graduated with distinction from Simon Fraser University and received a Bachelors of Arts degree, majoring in Criminology and minoring in Psychology. She also completed a Legal Studies certificate during her time at SFU, which nurtured her interest in the law.

Throughout her academic career, Isabella has maintained an active role in local legal communities by supporting Vancouver’s Downtown Community Court in partnership with the Elizabeth Fry Society, and volunteering with the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program. More recently, she participated in the UBC Innocence Project clinical program, and acted as a legal research assistant.

Isabella is excited to join Whitelaw Twining’s team of experienced lawyers and staff. She is looking forward to acquiring further legal expertise and continuing to develop her advocacy skills in Whitelaw Twining’s diverse and collaborative environment.

In her spare time, Isabella enjoys exploring hiking trails, trying new recipes, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Patrick Kurek, Articling Student

Patrick joined Whitelaw Twining in the summer of 2021 and is excited to continue his legal career with the firm. He completed his JD at Thompson Rivers University in 2022 and a Bachelor of Commerce with honours from the University of Northern British Columbia in 2019 majoring in Finance.

While attending law school, Patrick was a member of several academic and sports related clubs. He also spent a semester in the TRU Legal Clinic working with low-income individuals to assist with their legal issues. Patrick worked with Pro Bono Students Canada, and had the opportunity to conduct research regarding the opioid crisis in Vancouver and it’s intersection with law.

Patrick has long been an active member of the community. He specifically has a passion for coaching youth sports and volunteering with at risk children. Patrick has also been involved with the Canadian Cancer Society since 2017.

Outside of the office, Patrick is an sports fanatic, he is an avid golfer and competes in a number of rec and fantasy sports leagues. Patrick enjoys travelling and has now visited 23 countries.

Jackson Li, Articling Student

Jackson graduated from the University of Victoria Faculty of Law in 2022.

During his upper years at law school, Jackson worked as a peer tutor to assist first year students and strengthen the school’s sense of community. He also worked at the Department of Justice for one academic term, where he conducted research, drafted legal documents and submissions, and fostered his interest in litigation. Jackson looks forward to returning to the firm to continue to learn from the experienced members of its team.

In his spare time, Jackson enjoys exercising, playing video games, and spending time with his friends.

Sam Macdonald, Articling Student

Sam joined WT in summer 2021. Sam received his JD from Thompson Rivers University in 2022 and received a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences from Quest University in 2019.

During his time at law school, Sam enjoyed creative problem solving and working in a collaborative environment. In his second year, Sam competed in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot where he placed third for overall oralist and third for written submissions at nationals. In his third year, Sam won the TRU Law Internal Moot Competition.

Sam is excited to continue his legal career at WT and looks forward to gaining experience in the firm’s wide variety of practice areas.

In his spare time, Sam enjoys spending time with friends, playing sports, and taking his dogs on the North Shore trails.

Ali Sarhill, Articling Student

Ali recently completed his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Calgary in 2022. Before law school, he completed his Bachelor of Business Commerce at the University of Windsor in 2018. Ali has had several experiences that strengthened his passion for advocacy. These include helping newcomer families integrate into Canadian society, competing in negotiation and trial competitions, and volunteering with Pro bono Canada to assist low-income Canadians in accessing legal services.

Ali is eager to return to the firm to learn practical experience and develop his advocacy skills from his talented colleagues.

In his spare time, Ali enjoys cooking different cuisines, exploring local restaurants, playing table tennis, and spending time with his friends.

Jill Wiberg, Articling Student

Jill joined the firm in 2021 as a summer student. Jill recently received her JD from Thompson Rivers University in 2022. Before attending law school, Jill received a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta in 2019.

While attending law school, Jill received the course prize in Advanced Advocacy for achieving the highest grade in the course. Jill enjoys working in collaborative environments. She participated in several negotiations and moots with the Oral Advocacy Club. In her third year, Jill was a proud member of TRU’s Wilson moot team.

Jill finds passion in working within her community. In school, Jill worked on projects with Pro Bono Students Canada. Outside school time, Jill was actively involved with her community, coaching children and creating youth sports programming.

Jill is excited to return to the firm to learn from Whitelaw Twining’s experienced team of lawyers and staff. She is looking forward to gaining practical experience in the firm’s various practice areas.

In her spare time, Jill enjoys spending time on the golf course, skiing the West Coast slopes, going to spin class and cheering on her home team – the Edmonton Oilers.

Matthew Wong, Articling Student

Matt received his JD from the University of Calgary in 2022. A Vancouver native, he returns to Whitelaw Twining for articles after summering with the firm in 2021. Previously, he earned a BA from the University of Calgary and a BSc from the University of British Columbia.

In law school, Matt developed an interest in advocacy. In his first year, he won a school-wide trial competition. Matt competed in the 2020/21 Jessup International Law Moot, where his team received two national awards, including top overall written submissions. Matt also captained his school team while competing in the 2021/22 Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot.

Matt has provided volunteer legal services through the University of Calgary’s Student Legal Assistance and Allard Hall’s Law Students’ Legal Advice Program. Matt also taught first-year law students while working as a tutor for the University of Calgary’s compulsory legal foundations course.

Matt is excited to rejoin his colleagues at Whitelaw Twining and is keen to hone litigation skills in the firm’s supportive environment.

Outside of the law, Matt enjoys performing on acoustic guitar, brewing specialty coffee, collecting sneakers, and exploring Vancouver’s food scene.

Pegah Kenarsari, Summer Student

Pegah is currently pursuing her JD at Thompson Rivers University. Pegah has a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University (Montreal) – with a major in Sociology with a minor in Law and Society. She obtained a Master of Arts from Ryerson University (Toronto) in Criminology and Social Justice.

Before joining Whitelaw Twining, Pegah worked in Vancouver's hospitality industry, primarily managing cafes in Gastown and Chinatown. In addition, she has spent time giving back to her community, working both in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and at Community Legal Assistance Society. From these experiences, Pegah has developed a passion for a client-centred approach to advocacy.

Pegah is excited to begin her legal career at Whitelaw Twining for its progressive and team-focused environment. She is looking forward to gaining practical legal skills from the wealth of experience held by the Whitelaw team.

In her free time - Pegah enjoys mountain biking, concerts, exploring restaurants and cafes and cooking meals with close friends and family.

Hailey Berge, Summer Student

Hailey is currently completing her JD in the English Common Law program at the University of Ottawa. Prior to law school, she attended the University of the Fraser Valley. In 2020 she received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a minor in French, graduating with distinction. During her undergraduate degree, Hailey completed a practicum with the Ann Davis Transition Society, and afterwards was hired as a crisis interventionist.

Throughout law school, Hailey has worked as a student caseworker in the tenant division of her university’s Community Legal Clinic, and with the Ticket Defence Program. Last summer, she was awarded a fellowship to work as a legal advocate with Prisoners’ Legal Services. Hailey has also competed in two competitive moots and looks forward to continually improve her advocacy skills with Whitelaw Twining.

Hailey is excited to start her legal career with Whitelaw Twining, and gain invaluable, practical legal skills while being exposed to a wide variety of practice areas.

In her spare time, Hailey can be found on the hiking trails in BC, or unwinding with a good book (especially anything by Stephen King or Margaret Atwood). She also loves spending quality time with her family and friends.

Emma Bozoian, Summer Student

Emma is pursuing her legal education at the University of Victoria. She completed her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts at the University of Victoria where her focus was on theatre production and design. Prior to starting law school, Emma travelled in Asia and lived in Australia. When she returned to Canada, she worked as an assistant at a family law firm.

Since starting law school, Emma has volunteered for various organizations, including Student Legal Services at the University of Alberta where she completed her first year of law school. She has also worked on various research projects and worked for an immigration, citizenship, and refugee law lawyer.

Emma is very excited to be joining Whitelaw Twining and is looking forward to learning from her colleagues.

In Emma's spare time, she likes to sew, and play badminton, tennis, and video games.

Gillian Haggett, Summer Student

Gillian is currently pursuing a JD at the University of Victoria. She earned a Bachelor of Science, specializing in immunology and infection from the University of Alberta. Being born and raised in Edmonton, she particularly enjoys the winters (or lack thereof) on the West Coast.

Prior to attending law school, Gillian worked in public health, living and working in northern Alberta and Tanzania. She spent her first summer in law school in Yellowknife, working for the government of the Northwest Territories.

While in law school, Gillian has been involved with Pro-Bono Students Canada, and is the General Secretary of the Law Student's Society at Uvic. Her favourite law school experience to-date has been competing on UVic's Wilson Moot team.

In her spare time she likes skiing, cooking (particularly Italian food), hanging out with her dog Nala, and going to a happy hour with friends.

Dorsa Izadi, Summer Student

Dorsa is currently pursuing her JD at the University of Victoria. Prior to law school, Dorsa completed her Bachelor of Arts with distinction at the University of Calgary where she was the recipient of the Department of Psychology Academic Achievement Award. As an undergraduate, Dorsa was involved with the Women’s Resource Centre, volunteering as part of the Peer Support and Community Outreach team.

While pursuing her law degree, Dorsa was an active member of the UVic Law Student Society as the faculty’s Social Coordinator. Her role on the Law Student Society allowed her to foster valuable connections between the students by implementing initiatives such as the Law Buddy Program and planning social events. She also pursued her continued interest in gender rights issues with her involvement in the UVic FemLaw club.

Dorsa looks forward to gaining practical skills from her esteemed colleagues at Whitelaw Twining, and acquiring experience implementing a client centred approach to her practice!

In her spare time, Dorsa loves spending time with her friends, dancing, listening to true crime podcasts and spoiling her cats.

Priya Parihar, Summer Student

Priya is currently pursuing her JD at Thompson Rivers University. While at law school, Priya has taken on the role of Co-President of the Women and Law Society, where she facilitates events that promote the personal and professional development of women in the legal profession.

Prior to law school, Priya attended Western University where she received a Bachelor of Arts with an Honours Specialization in Sociology. She was actively involved in student council, orientation leadership teams, and a variety of clubs. Outside of her education, Priya has also worked for a non-profit organization in the Lower Mainland, assisting victims of family violence through criminal and family court proceedings.

Priya is excited to join the Whitelaw Twining team and looks forward to learning from the firm’s accomplished legal professionals.

In her spare time, Priya enjoys taking spin classes, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Aurora Allison, Summer Student

Aurora is currently pursuing her JD at the University of Calgary. Aurora received her Bachelor of Social Work degree with distinction from Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, BC where she spent much of her spare time volunteering with local domestic violence shelters and youth mental health early intervention outreach teams.

Prior to joining WT, Aurora spent a summer working as a research assistant at the University of Calgary on an interprofessional virtual gaming simulation targeted at educating law students, social work students, and nursing students on how to respond to domestic violence in their profession. She continues to be an active member of this team and looks forward to integrating the program into law school courses next year. Aurora has also spent her time in law school volunteering with Pro Bono Students Canada on the Consent Project, working as project lead in her second year of law school.

In her spare time, Aurora enjoys camping, snowboarding, and cheering for her home team – the Edmonton Oilers.

Paul Cavin, Summer Student

Paul will be entering his final year at the University of Saskatchewan in the College of Law in the fall. In 2019, he graduated with distinction from the University of Victoria where he completed his undergraduate degree with a major in history and a minor in economic policy. He was awarded the Inspiring Historians Scholarship along with several book prizes.

During Paul’s undergraduate studies, he enjoyed coaching a middle school boys’ basketball team. During law school, he has volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada in conjunction with the Public Legal Education Association. This involved preparing and presenting relevant legal information to high school students. Since beginning his studies in law, Paul has been actively involved with many clubs and intramural teams.

Paul is excited to begin his career in the progressive work environment of Whitelaw Twining where he will have the opportunity to be mentored and gain hands-on experiences that will be invaluable going forward.

In his spare time, Paul enjoys playing hockey and soccer as well as finding new spots to go hiking and camping.

Kaelyn Burns, Summer Student

Kaelyn is currently pursuing her JD at the Schulich School of Law in Halifax. Before she moved to Nova Scotia, Kaelyn completed her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations at the University of British Columbia. During her time at UBC, she was involved with the International Relations Student Association, and interned with a support program for underprivileged mothers.

Throughout her time at law school, Kaelyn volunteered with the Dalhousie Pro Bono program, where she had the opportunity to work with the Canadian Rights and Freedom Centre. She was also involved with the Law Student’s Society, as a member of the Publications Committee. Prior to joining Whitelaw Twining, Kaelyn completed a Schulich Law Internship with Rise Women’s Legal Centre in their research department.

In her free time, Kaelyn enjoys cooking for her friends and family, reading anything she can get her hands on, and listening to podcasts while getting her steps in.

Join Us

We’re always looking for like-minded students to join our team. Please email your resume to: