Ayderus Alawi

For more than a decade, Ayderus Alawi has built his reputation as one of Toronto’s leading criminal defence lawyers. As Principal of Alawi Law, he represents clients across Ontario in serious and complex cases, from assault and drug charges to conspiracy and homicide.

The idea of pursuing an LLM had been on Alawi’s mind for years. When his caseload finally eased enough to make it possible, he took the opportunity to enroll in OsgoodePD’s Professional LLM in Criminal Law and Procedure, and found that the timing couldn’t have been better. The program offered him the rare chance to step back from courtroom pressures and explore the theory, policy, and evolving dynamics that define Canadian criminal law.

“What I really enjoyed about the LLM is that it allowed me to reflect and connect the dots,” Alawi explains. “When you’re in practice, you don’t always get the chance to do that.”

Among the instructors who left a lasting impression were the Program’s Director Professor Benjamin Berger, Megan Stephens, Jonathan Rudin, Elizabeth Kirley, and Christopher Sherrin. “They’re brilliant,” he says. “They challenge you to think differently, to engage with perspectives you might not have considered before.”

In the course, From Victimization to Criminalization – Gendered Experiences in the Criminal Justice System course, taught by Megan Stephens, Alawi wrote a major paper examining how intersecting identities – particularly for Black and Indigenous women – shape both victimization and criminalization within the justice system. That work influenced how he now approaches cases involving systemic inequities.

The LLM also informed Alawi’s ongoing research and advocacy on sentencing disparities, including the consideration of Morris factors in cases involving Black accused. “That’s become a particular focus in my practice,” he says. “A lot of the thinking that shaped how I approach those issues was born out of the work I did at Osgoode.”

Beyond practice, Alawi’s commitment to community justice runs deep. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Black Legal Action Centre, has been a member of the Anti-Racism Advisory Panel to the Toronto Police Services Board, and represented the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association as an intervener at a coroner’s inquest. He also leads community Know Your Rights workshops across Toronto, helping people understand how to navigate interactions with police and security authorities.

For Alawi, the classroom discussions and peer debates were just as valuable as the academic work. “It’s a good venue to test ideas,” he says. “You’re not being challenged in a courtroom, but you’re still pushed to defend your positions, hear counter-arguments, and refine how you think.”

Today, as both an advocate and a mentor – he recently taught criminal law at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law – Alawi continues to draw on those lessons. “The LLM gave me the space to step back and gain perspective,” he reflects. As for advice for those considering the program? “Do it. It’s definitely worth it, it’s worth your time. You’ll get a lot out of it.”