Top law grad to clerk for Chief Justice

Mila Shah has a hard time explaining to her grandmother in Tanzania what it means to graduate from a law program at the top of her class, earning her a gold medal. But the difficulty is because of a language barrier, not a cultural one. “My grandmother speaks Gujarati,” says Shah, who graduates this year with a Juris Doctor (JD) from UVic. “But Gujarati is not my first language. She understands that this is a great achievement.”

Shah grew up in North Delta, BC. Her father, a psychologist, married her East African mother, a food technologist, and they moved to BC to start a family. 
Shah started her university education in math and science at UBC but switched to political science in her second year.

“I was taking an English course when a professor, Gillian Jerome, saw my writing and encouraged me to pursue law,” she recalls. “It took me by surprise, but I looked into it and went for it.”

She chose UVic because of its great reputation and because the program is relatively small and tight knit.

“The program didn’t have a reputation for being cutthroat, which is what I’ve heard about other schools,” she says. “We all helped each other out, and everybody pulled for everyone else. It was a great experience and taught me the value of being collegial instead of competitive.”

Not only did Shah excel at her studies, she was also the vice-president external for the Law Students Society, becoming close friends with president Meaghan McWhinnie and vice-president internal Miriam Isman.

“We are super close,” says Isman, who will be Shah’s roommate this year as they both complete a work placement with the BC Court of Appeal. “She’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, but she’s also one of the nicest.”

Shah credits her success to friends like Isman and McWhinnie, particularly during grueling first-year exams.

“We had a property law exam coming up, so we set ourselves up in a mall food-court,” recalls Isman, “…with our papers spread out all over the place completely focused on studying with chaos all around us. It must have been quite a scene.”

Shah also sat on the editorial board of the UVic law review, Appeal, and volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada, helping the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

In 2013/2014 Shah and Meaghan McWhinnie will be living in Ottawa—Shah at the Supreme Court of Canada clerking for Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin, and McWhinnie clerking for the Tax Court of Canada.

Professor Gerry Ferguson, who supported Shah’s application to the Supreme Court placement, fondly recalls supporting Shah’s progress through the law program. “[It was] a joy and a privilege to teach and work with Mila,” he says. “She is the type of exceptional student who only comes along once every few years. She will make her family, friends and UVic proud.”

“I went into law to help people,” says Shah. “That’s what I hope to do as a lawyer.”