“The Faculty of Law is proud of the deep ties it has with the Supreme Court,” says Kristen Boon, the Susan & Perry Dellelce Dean of the Common Law Section, who clerked for former Supreme Court Justice Ian Binnie. “One of the reasons students come to uOttawa is to be in our nation’s capital, and to be close — literally and figuratively — to the most important national institutions: Parliament, government departments, agencies and the Supreme Court.”
Bradley Henderson, JD ’24, will clerk in Justice Malcolm Rowe’s chambers.
Henderson’s path to the Supreme Court has been distinguished by his interest in public law and deep commitment to public service. He will first clerk for Justice Siobhan Monaghan at the Federal Court of Appeal, beginning in August 2025. "Five years ago, I could never have imagined myself in this position. I am incredibly grateful for these opportunities, and to work for such esteemed jurists" he remarked.
Henderson brings a wealth of experience from his work at Health Canada (where he worked as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Legislative and Regulatory Modernization and conducted research and analysis for nearly a dozen legislative proposals concerning drugs and devices) and more recent articling role at the Department of Justice. "I place incredible value on my work experience with Health Canada prior to and during law school."
His legal interests lie in complex constitutional and administrative law issues, especially where they intersect with health law. He sees this clerkship as a unique opportunity to deepen his expertise. "The prospect of a clerkship offered me a path to take a deeper dive into these types of issues and to contribute to the administration of justice while working in the public interest."
Henderson encourages current students interested in clerking to embrace a combination of passion and perseverance. "I would suggest that they pursue their passions, with perseverance, and view every door closed as another door opened. During law school, consider submitting high-quality work for publication, apply for research assistantships, and continuously step outside of your comfort zone."
He graduated with his JD summa cum laude, already holding an MPA from Queen’s University and an MBiotech from the University of Toronto. Henderson also actively publishes in the areas of AI and health law, and AI and administrative law. “I could not have achieved these successes without the support of my family, friends, and the many brilliant professors and mentors at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.”
Sonia Saroj Anand Knowlton, JD ’23, will clerk in Justice Mahmud Jamal’s chambers.
"I’m incredibly grateful to serve as a judicial law clerk for Justice M. Jamal. I admire Justice Jamal’s intellectual precision and humility, and I look forward to supporting His Honour’s work," she shared.
Knowlton earned her JD summa cum laude at uOttawa before pursuing an LLM at Yale Law School, where she worked as a legal research expert at Yale’s Natural Language Processing Lab of the Department of Computer Science. She attributes her success to the guidance she received throughout her legal education. "My time at uOttawa, especially the mentorship I received from faculty, played a huge role in getting me here. I owe so much to the professors, colleagues, and mentors who challenged and encouraged me along the way." In particular, Knowlton credits uOttawa professor Dr. Sylvia Rich for shaping her thinking and believing in her capabilities.
Knowlton’s advice to future applicants is simple: persistence is key. "For those applying: don’t get discouraged if it does not pan out the first time. I applied a few times before it worked out. Persistence matters—it shows that you want it, and that goes a long way."
Knowlton completed her articling at Cooper Sandler Shime & Schwartzentruber LLP, a criminal defence firm in Toronto, where she worked in all areas of Canadian criminal law at the trial and appellate level. Following graduation from the uOttawa Faculty of Law, Knowlton co-authored a publication with Professor Sylvia Rich on the relationship between the principles of proportionality, individualization and parity in Supreme Court of Canada sentencing jurisprudence. She has several other research papers accepted for publication.
Prior to her clerkship at the Supreme Court of Canada, Knowlton will complete a judicial clerkship at the British Columbia Court of Appeal, in Vancouver, which will begin in September 2025.
The strength of uOttawa’s legal community
“Our students are so uniquely fortunate to have the opportunity to regularly interact with members of the Court throughout their studies. It is part of what makes the University of Ottawa so special,” stated Dean Boon. “My year at the SCC provided incredible experiences I will always remember. The intellectual stimulation, mentorship, lifelong friendships were fantastic. I know that this experience will be transformative for Bradley and Sonia.”
We wish these two inspiring alumni much success as they begin these new experiences and make their mark in the legal profession.