Meryl Gary

Meryl has always had a strong commitment to social justice and social reform. She graduated with distinction from the University of King’s College and Dalhousie University, majoring in philosophy and contemporary studies. During her undergraduate degree, Meryl was involved in fundraising and awareness initiatives for the Canadian Foundation for Aids Research.

Meryl decided to pursue a degree in law in order to utilize the legal system as a means of challenging existing inequalities and discriminatory conduct. At Osgoode, her studies focused on constitutional, human rights, and international law. In addition to graduating in the top two percent of her class, Meryl was a Dean’s Fellow in constitutional law and was awarded several prizes, including the Ivan Cleveland Rand Prize in Constitutional Law and the Matthew Wilson Memorial Prize for placing third in examinations in her final year.

While at Osgoode, Meryl was the founding member and divestment chair of Stand York, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of and advocating for an end to the genocide in Darfur. She also did volunteer work for Bakerlaw and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, researching various areas of human rights law. As part of her degree, Meryl spent a semester at Parkdale Community Legal Services, where she represented clients before the Social Benefits Tribunal. At Parkdale, she developed a practical insight into the diverse legal barriers that confront low income Ontarians, and was reinforced in her desire to pursue a social justice career upon graduation.