Black Legal Action Centre names Moya Teklu as general counsel

Moya Teklu has joined the Black Legal Action Centre as executive director and general counsel.

Teklu has a long history of working to eradicate anti-Black racism in the justice system and delivering legal aid services to members of Ontario's Black communities. For the past six years, she worked at Legal Aid Ontario where she implemented a significant service delivery plan for Black Ontarians, provided critical support during the launch of BLAC, and authored LAO's Racialized Community Strategy. She has also delivered anti-racism training to hundreds of judges, justices of the peace, lawyers, regulators, adjudicators, and educators across the country. In 2019 and 2020, she was an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

"As a Black woman and lawyer, this work is particularly meaningful to me, and I welcome the opportunity to continue to build on the progress BLAC has already achieved," says Teklu. "I look forward to serving those who deserve a fair and just legal process, as well as advocating for systemic justice with the goal of liberation for all Black Ontarians."

BLAC has also welcomed a new board chair, Aba Stevens, and board members, Erin Atkinson, Okeima Lawrence, Sarah Riley Case and Roy Williams.

"Our board has every confidence that Moya will lead BLAC into its next chapter with diligence, integrity, transparency, and creativity," says Stevens. "We believe she will be a bright mentor and leader for BLAC's staff. We also trust that she will work to advance BLAC's mission –  to educate, advocate and litigate to tackle anti-Black racism in Ontario."

Teklu graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 2009 was called to the Bar in 2010. She has participated in proceedings before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. She also taught Legal Ethics at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

Established in 2017, BLAC is an independent not-for-profit community legal clinic that combats individual and systemic anti-Black racism by conducting research, engaging in structural transformation, and providing legal services to members of Ontario’s Black communities. It is funded by Legal Aid Ontario and governed by a volunteer board of directors.