When Neha Chugh opened her own criminal law practice in the small eastern Ontario city of Cornwall, she expected the pace of her professional life to shift down a gear.
After articling and practising with several seasoned criminal defence practitioners in Toronto, Chugh arrived in Cornwall in 2014 as a “trailing spouse” to her academic husband – who had accepted a job in nearby Montreal – with one young child and another on the way.
“I thought I’d have a small practice, raise my kids and support my husband’s career,” explains Chugh, the principal at Chugh Law Professional Corporation.
The intervening 12 years have proved her prediction comprehensively wrong.
After quickly establishing herself among the local criminal and child protection defence bars, Chugh was soon forced to hire a team of lawyers and administrative staff to support her growing practice.
In addition, she has presented at conferences, published a book of guidance for lawyers establishing their own small or solo firms, served as the prosecutor at the Akwesasne Mohawk Court and received a string of awards for her work, including the Advocates’ Society’s Catzman Award for Professionalism and Civility, which she accepted at the 2022 Opening of the Courts for Ontario.
Since 2023, Neha Chugh has also served as a bencher of the Law Society of Ontario, following her election to the regulator’s governing body.
“It has been a rollercoaster,” she says. “The best part is being able to practice and serve my community. That’s what motivates me to keep going.”
In 2024, Neha Chugh decided to add yet another string to her bow, as she enrolled in OsgoodePD’s Professional LLM in Criminal Law and Procedure.
“I was looking for an academic challenge and an opportunity to write, think and engage with other lawyers and practitioners,” Chugh says.
The LLM program was something of a homecoming for Chugh, who originally discovered her passion for criminal law while earning her J.D. at Osgoode, which included a stint in the school’s renowned Intensive Program in Criminal Law.
As a former graduate of a social work program, Neha Chugh says a key moment came when then-Professor James Stribopoulos – who has since been appointed a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice – helped her make a connection between her earlier academic interest and her future work.
“He was so encouraging and really changed my life in the way that he guided me towards criminal law. He basically told me that when you are a criminal defence lawyer, much of what you do really is social work, so I was able to picture myself quite well in that area of the law,” Chugh says.
Her second Osgoode degree has also made an immediate impact on her working life, she adds.
“The LLM program helped me to not only broaden my professional network, but also to broaden the lens through which I look at criminal law in Canada,” Chugh says. “In my practice, I’m making more connections about how the law can be applied and I’m doing it with more confidence.”
According to Chugh, the flexibility of Osgoode’s program, which allows students to fit in evening classes around their full-time jobs, was a big draw for her and many of her classmates. The bulk of her classes also proceeded online.
“When you’re in the virtual world, it makes it that much easier to get out of your bubble and interact with other lawyers and practitioners from across Canada. You can have a conversation with a friend in northern B.C. or explore how a colleague in Labrador would approach a particular issue,” Chugh says. “It was just so incredible to hear how people in other jurisdictions are implementing big ideas.”
Chugh says she would not hesitate to recommend the program to “middle-career” professionals who are looking for a new challenge.
“I was 13 years out when I applied and started the program, so I felt like I was on my feet and knew what I was doing,” she says. “This is great for experienced practitioners who are thinking about what’s next on the horizon, how to test themselves, broaden their networks and become a better writer.”
To get the most out of the program, Chugh says prospective candidates should focus on building relationships with their colleagues, who typically include criminal defence counsel and other lawyers in private practice, as well as senior professionals without a legal background.
“There’ll be a point in the middle where you’ve done a full day’s work and you can’t believe you have to go to class or your kids are sick and you have to go to Toronto for an in-person weekend class,” Chugh says. “Push through those days and take the time to get people’s numbers, engage in the chat forum and connect with people outside of class.”
Wondering if the Professional LLM in Criminal Law and Procedure is right for you? Get information on course requirements, application dates, tuition and more!