TODAY IS AAKANKSHA’S FIRST DAY BACK, THIS TIME AS A LAWYER, NOT A STUDENT.
SHE’S GOING TO HEAD UP OUR FIRM’S (PURELY) CRIMINAL DEFENCE SECTION as well as continue our long-standing tradition of mental health justice litigation in all realms.
We enjoyed Aakanksha as a student and look forward to her contributing her expertise as a criminal defence lawyer who worked in that capacity in India prior to her call to the Bar in Canada, to our diverse firm.
Can’t wait to get started to embark upon this new terrain together! Welcome back!!
• Called to the Bar (1992)
• U of T Law grad (1990)
• Sole practitioner (33 years)
• Partner in small law firm (Hiltz Szigeti) 2002 - 2013
• Mom to two astonishing kids, Scarlett (20+) and Sebastian (20-)
• (Founding) Chair of Mental Health Legal Committee for ten years (1997 to 2007)
* Founding President of Law and Mental Disorder Association - LAMDA since 2017
* Founder and Secretary to Women in Canadian Criminal Defence - WiCCD - since 2022
• Counsel to clients with serious mental health issues before administrative tribunals and on appeals
• Former Chair, current member of LAO’s mental health law advisory committee
• Educator, lecturer, widely published author (including 5 text books on consent and capacity law, Canadian civil mental health law, the criminal law of mental disorder, a law school casebook and a massive Anthology on all things mental health and the law)
• Thirty+ years’ experience as counsel to almost exclusively legally aided clients
• Frequently appointed amicus curiae
• Fearless advocate
• Not entirely humourless
anitaszigeti 