About Us

We provide practical and high-quality training opportunities for professionals to better support women and gender diverse people in the legal system. Our funds strengthen Rise Women’s Legal Centre’s core client services and advocacy work.

Rise Professional Legal Education (RPLE) creates data and practice driven training opportunities for family lawyers. Our trainings blend our frontline knowledge and original research to create educational offerings for lawyers at all points in their career. Our trainings are always CPD accredited, and always practical.

As a social enterprise of Rise Women’s Legal Centre, everything goes back into strengthening Rise’s services and programs.

Our Values

Education

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We believe continuing education is essential to the ability of a professional to advocate for women and gender-diverse people.

Client Centered

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We teach professionals to practice from a client-centered perspective that emphasizes the agencies of their clients and treats them as the experts in their own lives.

Collaboration

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We believe that collaboration and community-building will provide more accessible support for clients.

Our Team

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Vicky Law

Vicky obtained her Juris Doctor (Honours) from the University of Saskatchewan and has built a legal career in BC where she passionately advocates for gender equality. Vicky has extensive experience in the fields of immigration law and family law for women experiencing intimate partner violence.
In 2024, Vicky became Rise’s second Executive Director, where she leads a team of 37 dedicated professionals, providing legal assistance to over 2,000 women and gender diverse people in BC a year. She has developed and delivered extensive trainings for lawyers and support workers across the province on how to work with clients who have experienced violence. She continues to contribute to systemic legal reform through policy development and test case litigation, and has provided guidance, mentorship, and support to the next generation of lawyers through Rise’s student legal clinic and articling students. A passionate advocate, Vicky’s collaborative approach, her client centered perspective, and her dedication to access to justice drives her ongoing work.

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Sarah Hall

Sarah attended the University of Ottawa for her undergraduate studies and law school. Originally from Vancouver Island, Sarah returned to BC after graduating law school to begin her legal career. Before joining Rise, Sarah worked as a family law lawyer in private practice, where she gained extensive litigation experience, achieving favorable outcomes for her clients at all levels of court in BC. Sarah also has considerable experience helping her clients resolve their matters outside of court through alternative dispute resolution processes. Sarah is particularly passionate about supporting clients who have experienced family violence and is committed to continuing this work at Rise. She works hard to ensure that her clients feel informed, supported, and empowered, both in and out of the courtroom.
At Rise, Sarah serves as one of the Supervising Lawyers for the Student Legal Clinic, working with upper year UBC law students. She also works as the Education Lawyer for RPLE, where she develops training programs and resources for lawyers in BC.

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Nithasha PremKumar

Nithasha is the Education Manager at Rise Women’s Legal Centre, where she oversees educational programs and initiatives for the organisation. She works on developing accessible learning opportunities, strengthening community partnerships, and advancing Rise’s mission through education-driven advocacy. Nithasha believes deeply in the power of education and awareness to create safer, more equitable communities for everyone. As an immigrant herself, she believes that access to justice means removing barriers that prevent people from being heard and empowering individuals with the knowledge to navigate systems.