Jennifer Samara Shuber B.A., LL.B., M.S.W.

Called to the Ontario bar in 1997

Jennifer received her B.A. from the University of Western Ontario in 1991, and her LL.B. and M.S.W. from the University of Toronto in 1995. She trained with the Office of the Children's Lawyer, Ministry of the Attorney General. Jennifer's Master's Thesis was entitled "Custody and Access Assessments: An Interdisciplinary Analysis". She completed full service articles with a large Bay street firm and practiced in their family law department after being called to the Bar in 1997.

Before joining Basman Smith in 2006, Jennifer practiced family law with a well-known Toronto boutique for nearly ten years. Jennifer became a partner at Basman Smith in 2007. Jennifer's practice is focused exclusively on family law. She advises clients on all types of property, support and child-related issues. Jennifer has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario, including the Court of Appeal. She has extensive family law experience, including in high conflict matters and complex custody and access disputes.

Jennifer is trained as a comprehensive family mediator. She regularly combines her legal and mental health knowledge to assist clients in creatively resolving their family law disputes. Jennifer conducts solo mediations and arbitrations in private practice, as well as co-mediating with Howard Irving, Ph.D. She also represents clients in arbitration and mediation processes and has trained in collaborative law and parenting co-ordination.

In addition to representing clients in her private practice, Jennifer continues to lecture and be actively involved in the combined J.D./M.S.W. Program and is cross-appointed as a lecturer at the University of Toronto Faculties of Law and Social Work. She developed and taught the seminar course "The Intersections of Law and Social Work" for University of Toronto combined LL.B./M.S.W. students. Jennifer has taught family mediation for law and social work students as well as instructing in the University of Toronto Continuing Education Mediation Certificate Program.

Jennifer has authored and co-authored numerous papers and articles on family law issues, particularly on mediation/arbitration and custody and access. Jennifer is actively involved in continuing education programs and speaks regularly on various family law and mediation topics. Jennifer is a member of the family law sections of the Ontario and Canadian Bar Associations, the Alternate Dispute Resolution section of the Ontario Bar Association, Family Mediation Canada (Ontario), the Association for Conflict Resolution, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the Ontario College of Social Workers. Jennifer is a former board member of the Family Service Association of Toronto and a current personal rights panel lawyer for the Office of the Children's Lawyer.

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jshuber@basmansmith.com
416-860-1950
1 Dundas Street West
Suite 2400
Box 37
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1Z3

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