The CHBA is pleased to announce our very first Member Highlight. The initiative aims to bring us closer together as a community within our profession by making it easier to get to know a bit about each other. The CHBA membership ranks are filled with exceptional lawyers, law students, and NCA candidates. Let’s get to know one another!
Meet this month's highlight – Roberto Aburto
Roberto has been an active CHBA member for many years. He has participated in and organized CHBA events in Ottawa. As a partner at Gowling WLG, Roberto’s practice focuses on municipal law and real property disputes. He is also on the Board of Trustees for the County of Carleton Law Association.
Roberto’s father immigrated to Canada from Mexico to attend university. Roberto is the youngest of five brothers, and the first in his family to attend law school. Roberto is also the father of two fur babies and one human baby – a daughter that has captured the hearts of him and his wife. Roberto is proud of his Hispanic heritage and the Hispanic legal community, and proudly supports the Mexican national soccer team.
Roberto is a champion of the CHBA Mentorship Program. He has been a mentor since the program’s first iteration in 2019 and we cannot thank him enough for his time and dedication to the CHBA and its Mentorship Program. The Mentorship Program is very important to the CHBA and its members. It directly supports student members at the outset of their careers and welcomes them to our profession and the CHBA. This year, Roberto is a mentor to two bright law students.
Roberto decided to share his Member Highlight with his two current mentees. Given Roberto’s consistent generosity, we are not surprised.
I could not be prouder to be a mentor in the CHBA’s Program. It is a model that I am hoping will be replicated by other organizations. As a mentor, it is privilege to see the energy and passion of those looking to enter the Ontario legal market. I do my best to listen, and to try to match my mentees with opportunities and perspectives, even if I cannot provide those myself.
- Roberto Aburto
Roberto has been an exceptional mentor to me. He has been a constant source of support and guidance about law school, the job search process, the OCIs, and even some personal issues related to my relocation to Toronto. Moreover, hearing from the experience of Roberto in the field has been an invaluable insight into the Canadian legal market and the opportunities that are available for an internationally trained lawyer like me. It is encouraging to know that I have someone in my corner who invests in my success and happiness as an individual.
- Maria Estela Anaya
When I started my process to become licensed in Canada, some colleagues stressed the importance of having a mentor in the legal career. I joined the CHBA because I was looking for an association where I felt connected in a certain level to my background. I learned about the mentorship program and was really impressed with the profile of the members that are part of the association, so I was really looking forward to finding my mentor among the members, that’s when I was connected with Roberto. Roberto has been a guide for me in this competitive process and all the nuances that come along with it. One of the great qualities of my mentor (Roberto) is that he listens to all my concerns and questions, most importantly he gives you honest advice and reassures you when in doubt. A great part of my advancement in my process to become a lawyer in Canada has been greatly due to the mentorship that Roberto has provided to me. For future mentees, either you are starting or are already working in the legal profession, having a mentor is an essential part of your career and the CHBA has a great mentorship program. For future mentors, there is always a word or a piece of experience that you can share with future generations that will help them navigate the complexities of the legal profession, and believe me, they will feel inspired to continue this legacy.
- Natalia Castro
Mentorship within our community is an investment that will only continue to strengthen the CHBA and our profession.
We thank Roberto, Natalia, and Maria Estela for their contributions to our first Member Highlight. Clearly, the CHBA and its Mentorship Program has impacted all in a positive way and we hope this encourages senior members of the CHBA to continue to support those starting their journeys.
Stay tuned for next month’s Member Highlight!