Hello! Bonjour!
My name is Karina and I’m pleased to be continuing my legal journey with Heron Law Offices as a Canadian Immigration & Refugee Lawyer, after being the firm’s first articling student.
About Me
I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. My family immigrated to Canada from East Africa (Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya) in the 1970s and 1980s, and our ancestral roots are in Gujarat, India.
I studied in French immersion from kindergarten through university, and I graduated with a Joint Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in History and Political Science from the University of Ottawa in 2020 (summa cum laude).
I have co-authored a book on newcomer settlement, which was published by the University of Ottawa Press in 2022, and an article I wrote about the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was published in the Canadian Yearbook of Human Rights that same year.
After undergrad, I stayed in Ottawa, pursuing a joint law degree and master’s degree program. In June 2024, I graduated from the Common Law Section of the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law (magna cum laude) and from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University with a specialization in Health, Displacement, and Humanitarian Policy.
Articling Experience and Practice Areas
I started my articles in August 2024, training under the direct supervision of Heron Law Offices’ Principal Lawyer, Will Tao, and I was called to the bar in British Columbia in May 2025.
During my articles, I gained experience in many types of immigration matters including judicial review, inadmissibility, responses to procedural fairness letters, temporary and permanent residence applications, immigration appeals, reconsideration requests, and border enforcement actions.
I’m developing a diverse immigration practice alongside nurturing my passion for refugee and humanitarian cases. My educational background in history, law, and international affairs allows me to approach my work with a structural understanding of global migration systems and a deep appreciation for the human experiences behind them.
Hobbies
Since moving here last August, I’ve embraced the active B.C. lifestyle, first with spin class, and then with yoga.
Hot yoga in particular has given my life balance – not only physically, but mentally too – and this kind of calming energy is exactly what I strive to provide my clients on a daily basis. I strongly believe in a wellness-based legal practice and in serving clients with compassion, care, and empathy.
When I’m not at spin class or at the yoga studio, you can find me listening to music, watching YouTube or reality tv, and indulging in pop culture podcasts.
Karina offers services in English and French, and can assist clients with Gujarati and Hindi language-needs.
