SABA-Toronto was created in 2005 by a small group of volunteers. One of the main objectives of SABA has been the promotion of diversity in the legal profession and judiciary and the creation of greater employment opportunities for visible minority members in the legal profession.
Ron Choudhury, the former president of SABA feels that a lot of hard work has went into making SABA one of the largest South Asian legal organizations in the GTA. In just five years, the organization has expanded to two hundred members and made a name for itself in the legal profession.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t always easy. Choudhury explains how at first the legal community was sceptical about an organization congregating on the basis of race. However, since its inception, SABA received a lot of interest and support from the community. Choudhury is adamant that assimilation cannot happen just within one’s own community, and it is important for communities in Canada to grow together. This has to be done through an awareness of the legal system and the utilization of legal resources by the South Asian community.
Cognisant of the limitations in using an umbrella term like ‘South Asian’, SABA is focused around promoting unity despite differences in ethnicity, language, nation or religion.
In spite of the contention between the various histories and backgrounds of the South Asian diaspora collecting in Canada, SABA has experienced more harmony than disunity within its professionals and clientele. With goals to expand access and equal opportunity for visible minorities in the legal profession, SABA has always had its eyes on greater inclusion for all people.
One of the things that SABA has been able to overcome, Choudhury feels is the conflicts and barriers between various groups of people within the South Asian community. Whether this be Sri Lankans, Indians or Pakistanis, or the various ethnic groups within these countries, SABA has been able to unite and not differentiate between any group of South Asians. SABA acknowledges the different linguistic groups within South Asia, with Choudhury himself well versed in both Hindi and English.
As a member of the South Asian diaspora in Canada, Ron Choudhury knows that the transition for immigrants can be tough when coming to a different country. He says that his experience at law school helped to ease that transition. Having graduated from Osgoode Hall law school and New York University, Choudhury’s legal expertise focuses on taxation law. Choudhry is an associate and member of Aird & Berlis LLP Tax Group and Estates and Trusts Litigation Team. Choudhury, along with others at SABA feel that the legal profession of which they are a part of, does not reflect the diversity of the burgeoning South Asian presence in Canada.
“When you’re coming from wherever you’re coming from and establishing yourself here, you have to work so much harder– there is always a need, a want, and a desire to do more”, states Choudhury.
Choudhury, however, is discontented with the discrepancy between the increasing number of young South Asians entering law school and the retention of these students in the legal profession in Greater Toronto Area.
The job market for lawyers hasn’t always been the best, especially as the economy continue to recover in the light of last year’s recession. The goal of SABA is to provide mentoring advice to those looking for jobs. SABA hosts pub nights where students can find opportunities through networking. SABA currently caters to the six major law schools in Ontario including Osgoode Hall law school at York, University of Toronto and Queens.
Choudhury feels that catering to the expansive and vast South Asian community in the GTA helps to maximize the potential of the organization. By not limiting themselves to just one group or community within the South Asian diaspora the organization reaches out to a large number of people.
Choudhury believes that larger awareness of the legal system and Canadian culture can help the South Asian community in the process of assimilation. Choudhury loves to teach and give guest lectures. This gives him an opportunity to reach out to young South Asians in university campuses. If he was not working full time in the legal profession, Choudhury’s next option would have been teaching.
