Natasha Jaczek is a Ph.D. student in law, studying under Professor David Wiseman (Law), Professor Amy Salyzyn (Law), and Dr. Joel Westheimer (Education). Natasha is pursuing interdisciplinary research in the fields of social justice, critical pedagogy, justice education, and legal empowerment. Specifically, she wants to research what public secondary school students in Ontario know about the law, what they think they should know, and whether they feel they have adequate knowledge to deal with everyday legal problems as they transition into independent living. Apart from her studies, she is also a legal research assistant with Public Services and Procurement Canada, a member of the Law Union of Ontario – Ottawa Chapter, and a back-up crossing guard for the city of Ottawa. She is a member of the Law Society of Ontario.
Natasha recently completed her articles with the Government of Canada and was called to the bar of Ontario in 2020. While completing her law degrees at the University of Ottawa, Natasha was the recipient of two Social Justice Fellowships and was the program coordinator for the Ticket Defence Program, a lawyer/law-student run organization that defends and advocates for people who are street involved. Natasha was also an ardent volunteer at Pro Bono Ontario – Law Help Centre and the Dalhousie Food Bank. Before coming to law school, Natasha worked and volunteered for Special Olympics in Toronto and Whitehorse, Yukon. She misses the North but loves the outdoor spaces Ottawa has to offer. When not reading, you can find Natasha pedalling up a storm on her bike!