Immigration Issues in Depth 2024

Course Chairs
Erica L.C. Louie — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Brett J. Nash — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Deanna L. Okun-Nachoff — McCrea Immigration Law LLP, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Erica Louie is counsel in the Public Safety, Defence and Immigration Law section of the Department of Justice Canada (DOJ). She received her LLB from Queen's University in 2006. After articling with the Attorney General of Ontario, she moved home to Vancouver and joined the BC Regional Office of the DOJ in 2008. In recent years, Erica's practice has focused primarily on immigration, refugee, and administrative law. 

Brett Nash is counsel with the Department of Justice Canada in Vancouver and practices primarily in the area of immigration and refugee law. Brett has appeared in the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal on a wide range of immigration and refugee issues. Prior to focusing on immigration matters, Brett was counsel on Aboriginal rights and title claims in the Aboriginal Law Section, and before joining the Department of Justice, he had a general litigation practice. Brett holds a Master of Laws degree focusing on constitutional and statutory interpretation and international law. 

Deanna Okun-Nachoff is a partner at McCrea Immigration Law LLP, where she focuses on litigation and permanent migration to Canada, especially for those seeking to overcome admissibility and eligibility barriers. She represents refugees, foreign nationals, and permanent residents at all levels of the IRB and at the Federal Court. Deanna runs a trauma-informed practice, and has extensive experience assisting victims of domestic violence, undocumented workers, survivors of torture, and persons who have persecuted on SOGIESC grounds. She also co-hosts a monthly podcast called "Borderlines" covering immigration and other border related issues.

Faculty
Preeti Adhopia — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division, Western Region, IRB, Calgary
Laura A. Best — Laura Best Immigration Law, Toronto
Jody Brennan — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Appeal Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver
A. Connie Campbell — Edelman & Co. Law Offices, Vancouver
Antoine Collins — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division, Central Region, IRB, Ottawa
Sharalyn Jordan — Associate Professor, Counselling Psychology and Equity Studies in Education, SFU, Burnaby
Sadaf Kashfi — DMF Law, Vancouver
Kamaljit K. Lehal — Lehal Law Corporation, Delta
Mark Mancini — Assistant Professor, Thompson Rivers University, Faculty of Law, Kamloops
Mary Murray — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Dupe Oluyomi-Obasi — Department of Justice Canada, Toronto
Sarah E. Sharp — Practice & Equity Advisor, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Alice Tang — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver
William Tao — Heron Law Offices, Vancouver
Linda Taylor — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Appeal Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver

Full Agenda to follow!