Gladys Osien is a bilingual lawyer, published researcher, and mentor. Osien is currently an associate in Gowling WLG's Ottawa office practicing in product regulatory law. An alumna of the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, she holds a Master’s of Science in Experimental Medicine (Pharmacoepidemiology) from McGill University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology & Pharmacology from McMaster University.
During her formative years, Osien lived in numerous countries and worked in various professional settings including international organizations, not-for-profits, and academia. This exposure alongside her lived experience makes her extremely attuned to the importance of equity, diversity, and representation. Osien strives to make the legal profession an accurate reflection of the population it serves by championing diversity.
Osien has published on socio-ethical and legal issues in genomics and personalized medicine. During her time at UOttawa, she conducted research on implicit bias in the legal profession as a part of a directed research project with Professor Bouclin and wrote a paper entitled, “The Good Fight against Implicit Bias: Reducing Prejudice in the Legal Profession Using Parasocial Contact,” in which she explored how media can be used as a tool to reshape ideologies and address implicit bias in the legal profession.
Osien also supports anti-violence and feminist causes. For example, as part of her Feminist Law Reform class, taught by Professor Jackman, Osien worked alongside anti-gun violence community organizations to advocate the viewpoints of victims and activists regarding Bill C-71, the firearm legislation.
Osien regularly mentors students and supports initiatives from equity-driven associations. She recently worked with the UOttawa’s Black Law Student Association’s VP Mentorship, Edwina Mayama, to formalize a mentorship program. Osien leads the education subcommittee for Gowling WLG’s Anti-Racism Action Committee (ARAC), an internal local committee instituted to combat anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism and to promote equality through project-based advocacy. She is a member of ARAC’s Recruitment, Retention and Mentorship subcommittee and a member of the Ottawa office’s Diversity & Inclusion committee. Osien also volunteers for Dress for Success Ottawa and the Pro Bono Ontario legal advice hotline - organizations that support economic empowerment for women and access to justice respectively.
Gladys Osien often reflects on the significant role that her mentors have had in helping her achieve her goals throughout her studies and legal career. She looks forward to providing support to students at the Faculty.