Precedent Setter Awards 2021: Pam Hrick

Still, the posting caught Hrick at an auspicious time. “Like a lot of folks, I’d been doing some thinking during the pandemic about whether I was using my passions and any talents to the greatest extent possible,” says the 37-year-old. Hrick has long been oriented toward social justice: raised in London, Ont., by a single mother, she’d seen up close the strength of women as well as the institutional barriers they face. So she sent LEAF an application — and walked away with the gig. Now she’ll lead the organization in its work to achieve equality for women and gender-diverse people through litigation, education and law reform.

“Pam is a powerhouse, particularly when it comes to her fight against unfairness and injustice,” says Luisa Ritacca, the managing partner at Stockwoods. In March, Hrick handled her last file as a Stockwoods lawyer, serving as co-counsel to Start Proud and Guelph Queer Equality, two organizations acting as intervenors when the Ontario government appealed a decision that struck down its “Student Choice Initiative.” This initiative would allow post-secondary students to opt out of paying fees that fund services the government deems “non-essential” — services like food banks as well as student centres for women, trans folks and gender-diverse people. “I was delighted to work on this file and litigate for the LGBTQ2S community to which I belong,” says Hrick, who is married to visual artist Kristyn Watterworth. (At press time, the court hadn’t ruled on the case.) Beyond her legal work, Hrick also chairs the board of The 519, an LGBTQ2S service and advocacy organization. “I strive to create space for members of historically marginalized groups to be heard,” says Hrick, “and amplify their voices.”