Heron Law Offices is proud to have two of our lawyers, Will Tao and Laura Schemitsch, actively participating as speakers at this year’s CBA Immigration Law Conference in Victoria, B.C.
Will Tao, our Principal Lawyer, is lending his voice and leadership on the evolving relationship between immigration law and technology:
- Session 3C – Inside IRCC’s Digital Overhaul: AI Strategy, Portals, and What Lawyers Need to Know
Will joins Vernon Von Finckenstein (IRCC) and Anna Lillicrap (DOJ Canada) to discuss IRCC’s AI Strategy, Digital Platform Modernization (DPM), and key developments in digital infrastructure. The panel focuses on how automation is shaping decisions across temporary and permanent residence streams, as well as citizenship.
- Session 7B – Pixels and Precedents: Addressing Technology-Assisted Immigration Decisions in Court
As moderator of this session, Will leads a powerhouse panel featuring members of the Federal Court, academia, IRCC, and the bar. Panelists include Justice Alan Diner (Judge at Federal Court), Dr. Jennifer Raso (McGill Law), Zeynab Ziaie Moayyed (Lawyer), Andrew Kinoshita (DOJ), and Vernon Von Finckenstein (IRCC). The session addresses legal principles, caselaw, and advocacy strategies involving tools like Chinook and tech-related refusals.
Laura Schemitsch, a Canadian Immigration and Refugee Lawyer at Heron Law, is speaking on:
- Session 9.7 – Degrees of Difficulty: Navigating Canada’s International Student Program and PGWP
Laura joins Lou Dangzalan (LJD Law PC) and Gabriela DeJager (IRCC) to address recent changes to the International Student Program and Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility. The panel explores policy updates, Federal Court litigation trends, refusal issues, and best practices for supporting international students, including those who fail a semester or face PGWP ineligibility.
We’re honoured to see both Will and Laura contribute to national conversations on immigration law reform and practitioner advocacy. Their participation reflects Heron Law’s ongoing commitment to thought leadership in both litigation and client-focused practice.
