Who We Are – Class Action Clinic

The Class Action Clinic at Windsor Law is the first clinic of its kind in North America. Our focus is on class members – people who are part of a large civil lawsuit launched on their behalf by representative plaintiffs and class counsel.

The Clinic is staffed by a team of law students, a staff lawyer, and a faculty director who provide a range of legal services, information, assistance with filing claims in settlement distribution processes, public education and outreach.

Because we serve class members across Canada, the Clinic provides its services online, by telephone and by video conference, as well as in person for those in the Windsor–Essex community.

Academic Clinic Director

Gemma Smyth

Education

BA(Hons), 1999, University of Western Ontario
LLB, 2002, University of Windsor
LLM, 2004, Osgoode Hall Law School

Professor Gemma Smyth (she/her) is Associate Professor and Externship Director at the Faculty of Law, University of Windsor, on the territories of the Three Fires Confederacy. She manages and teaches in the Judicial Internship Program and Externship Program at Windsor Law, and is the Academic Clinic Director for the Class Actions Clinic.

Professor Smyth has held various positions including Law Foundation Chair at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan, Associate Dean (Academic), Academic Clinic Director and Associate Professor and Externship Program Director and Director of University of Windsor Mediation Services. She has taught Clinic Seminar, Learning in Place (an Externship Program seminar), Dispute Resolution, Access to Justice, Mediation Clinic, and Research Methods. Professor Smyth researches and writes in the areas of clinic law, dispute resolution, lawyering skills, and legal education. Professor Smyth is the co-author of the first text on clinical legal education in Canada, with Professors Sarah Buhler and Sarah Marsden. Professor Smyth has written and annually published updates to an online, open source book, “Learning in Place: A Living Landscape of Practice”, now in its third edition. This text is freely available to clinical, internship, externship, co-op and other work-informed learning programs.

Professor Smyth hosts an open-access Youtube channel with materials on law practice with a focus on clinical law skills and a website on clinic supervision for lawyer-supervisors and law students in work-integrated learning environments. She is Past President of the Association for Canadian Clinical Legal Education, a national collaborative working on issues related to clinical and experiential legal education in Canada. Professor Smyth’s papers and other publications can be found on the University of Windsor’s digital repository . Professor Smyth is also a member of the Judicial Advisory Committee (West and South) and a Board member for the Canadian National Negotiation Competition.

Staff Lawyer

Andrew Eckart

Email: [email protected]

Education

B.A. (Economics and North American Studies), McGill University, 2005
LL.B., University of Windsor, 2010
Mediating Disputes, Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, 2017

Andrew is the founding Staff Lawyer at the Class Action Clinic. Prior to his role here, he gained class action experience in private practice as a plaintiff side lawyer. His first introduction to this work was as a an articling student clerking at the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, where he assisted judges on many class action matters, including a multi-year common issues trial.

As the Clinic’s Staff Lawyer, Andrew supervises and mentors student caseworkers and routinely represents clients through claims processes, at settlement approval hearings, and providing important, non-partisan, independent legal advice.

In addition to his work at the Clinic, Andrew is a mediator of civil disputes and sits on the OBA’s Class Action Bench-Bar Liaison Committee.

Articling Student

Keren Harrison

Email: [email protected]

Keren Harrison (she/her) is a community leader and activist. She holds a JD from the University of Windsor, a Master of International Development and Global Studies from the University of Ottawa, and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Calgary.

During law school, Keren served her national and local BLSA Canada chapters, was Solicitations Editor of the Windsor Review of Legal and Social Issues, sat on the admissions committee, and worked as a research assistant for the Anti-Black Racism Committee and the Disability and Social Change Project. From 2020-2025, she also served as the Executive Director of the Black Inclusion Association, a Calgary-based nonprofit that invested in educational and cultural support for Black youth. Keren received over $30,000 in funding during her time at Windsor Law in recognition of her commitment to service and her academic achievements, and was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch in 2022. Keren is passionate about plaintiff-side advocacy, and looks forward to a career in litigation.

Student Case Workers

Supreet Grewal

Supreet Grewal is a Summer Student at the Class Action Clinic and a J.D. Candidate, Class of 2027, at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Political Science and a minor in Sociology from the University of Alberta, where she published a policy brief in the Crossings Journal.

Supreet brings several years of legal and community-based experience. Prior to law school, she worked as a Judicial Court Clerk and Commissioner of Oaths at the Alberta Court of Justice. She has also been involved with the Youth Restorative Action Project, supporting youth involved in the youth justice system through restorative justice programming. She previously worked as a 1L summer student at Bishop & McKenzie LLP, where she gained hands on experience and engaged in client-focused work, she will be returning to article there in 2027.

Supreet is interested in class actions, family law, and wills and estates, with a strong commitment to access to justice and creating safe, supportive spaces for clients navigating complex legal issues. Outside of her legal work, Supreet enjoys working out, hanging with her dog, pottery, travelling, and exploring new food spots.

Fazia Khawaja

Fazia is entering her third year at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Justice, Political Philosophy, and Law from McMaster University, and has developed a strong interest in immigration law, class actions, human rights, and personal injury law. Through her legal studies and work at an immigration consulting firm, where she assists with immigration and refugee matters, she has developed a strong commitment to promoting access to justice and advocating for individuals navigating complex legal processes. She is excited to join the Class Action Clinic this fall and contribute to its mission of expanding access to justice through client-centred advocacy, legal research, and public legal education.

Before law school, Fazia developed a strong commitment to community advocacy through her involvement in initiatives focused on education, mentorship, and charitable service. She co-founded and served as Co-President of the McMaster Women in Pre-Law Society, where she helped grow the organization and expand opportunities for students interested in pursuing legal careers. She has also served as Marketing and Event Coordinator for the annual Run for Burlington, supporting fundraising efforts for the Joseph Brant Hospital and helping raise over $15,000 annually to support patient care.

Outside of law school, Fazia enjoys travelling and experiencing new cultures, with recent trips to South Korea, Japan and Greece! She also enjoys exploring new places through road trips and staying active through volleyball, badminton, skiing, and fitness.

Omer Malik

Email: [email protected]

Omer Malik is a J.D. Candidate at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law, where he is developing a specialization in civil litigation, class actions, and human rights law, with a particular focus on remedying systemic harm. He currently serves as a summer student at Windsor Law's Class Actions Clinic and as a research assistant, and he holds several leadership roles within the law school and his community.

Omer’s research explores how innovation and technology can expand access to justice and deliver meaningful benefit, drawing on creative approaches to decision-making and problem-solving, with broader interests in alternative dispute resolution, corporate accountability, Indigenous rights, and youth justice. He has contributed to legal research and advocacy across both public interest and private litigation contexts.

Beyond his commitment to his own development and to mentoring peers, Omer enjoys cooking, spending time in nature, and reading.