Our Team

Meet Our Team

Jennifer Dagsvik

Clinic Director

Jennifer Dagsvik (she/her) has been an immigration and refugee lawyer since 2007. Before becoming the Clinic’s director, Jennifer worked in private practice serving migrants and refugees in Thunder Bay, and before that she represented the Government of Canada in immigration and refugee cases at Federal Court. Jennifer also teaches the immigration and refugee law course at the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.

Elena Kusaka

Lawyer

Elena (she/her) graduated from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law in 2024 with a Specialization in Aboriginal and Indigenous law. Elena worked for the Newcomer Legal Clinic as a clinic student before transitioning to her current role as a lawyer for the clinic. She studied International Relations and gender studies at UBC and graduated with a Master of Arts from the University of Toronto. She has thoroughly enjoyed meeting new clients, community partners, and students and looks forward to supporting the clinic's work.

J. Bianca Espinoza

Outreach/ Program Coordinator

Bianca is our Clinic’s Outreach and Program Coordinator. Bianca has graduated with a Master’s in Social Justice from Lakehead University. She collaborates with community partners, coordinates with interpretation services for staff who need it, researches and updates anything related to the TFW program, reports and budgets for the clinic, trains temporary staff and law students, and interprets for the clinic, as needed.

María del Mar Rojas

Intake worker / Tech support

María is our intake worker and tech support specialist. She graduated with a Master’s in Education for Change from Lakehead University. María helps out at the clinic by supporting the intake process, working on tech design, and managing our social media. She also teaches Spanish in the Department of Languages at LU.

Kunal Pandya

Summer Caseworker

Kunal Pandya is a law student at the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law with a background in paralegal studies, accounting, taxation, and intellectual property law. He has volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada, where he contributed to public legal education initiatives that promote access to justice for vulnerable populations. Drawing on lived experience and cultural fluency, Kunal brings a thoughtful and inclusive approach to his work with newcomers. Fluent in four languages, he is passionate about making legal services accessible for newcomers and multilingual communities.

Yvonne Oni

Summer Caseworker

Yvonne Oni is an incoming 2L student at Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law. She brings with her a background in the public sector, having worked at the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), where she developed a strong interest in legislation and regulatory work. Yvonne is excited to contribute to the clinic’s mission while expanding her skills in immigration and refugee law through hands-on experience and meaningful client interactions.