RUDI BARWIN, Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyer

Rudi is an Associate in the Appeals Division of Hicks Adams. She assists clients who have been found guilty challenge their convictions or sentences.

She received her Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia in 2024. As a law student, Rudi completed placements with the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic, BC Human Rights Clinic, Vancouver Island Human Rights Coalition, Accountability Counsel, and Centre for Law and Democracy.

Before joining Hicks Adams, Rudi worked at a busy criminal law practice in Hamilton on a wide range of trial matters, including on complex evidentiary issues and Charter applications. Rudi completed her articles at a mental health law firm where she assisted clients detained in psychiatric institutions. She also gained experience working on judicial reviews of Ontario Review Board hearings, coroner’s inquests involving deaths caused by the police, and public interest interventions at the Ontario Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada.

She has worked at various international human rights law NGOs on efforts towards criminal law reform and state accountability for human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention.

Rudi holds a BA in human rights and linguistics from Carleton University, and an MA in linguistics from York University where she researched how language impacts outcomes in legal settings, such as in courtrooms and police interviews.

Rudi is a strong advocate for her clients and prioritizes a client-centred approach.