Vanessa Wilson
 

Vanessa has built a diverse career in the legal field.  Starting her legal journey in 2006 as a full-time temp, this provided Vanessa with exposure to various firms of different sizes and cultures in Calgary, as well as the ability to gain valuable exposure to multiple different areas of law.  In 2009 when she decided she wanted to move into a full-time noncontract role, Vanessa enrolled in the Legal Assistant Diploma program at SAIT at the guidance of industry professionals.

 

Upon leaving SAIT in 2011 Vanessa joined a family law boutique firm that specialised in child welfare.  However, due to her family moving to Regina in 2013, she temporarily transitioned to an alternate career path due to difficulties finding legal assistant work in Saskatchewan. Upon returning to Calgary in 2015, Vanessa briefly continued her sales career before venturing back into full-time temporary work, gaining knowledge in pension law. Since the Spring of 2017 Vanessa has been working with a growing mid-size firm as a litigation paralegal, with her primary focus being on criminal defence and civil litigation.

 

Outside her professional endeavors, Vanessa has been pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice through online studies with Athabasca University, developing a deep passion for access to justice in Alberta.  She has dedicated her time to volunteering with the 538 “Buffalo” Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron since 2016.  Apart from her involvement with Cadets, Vanessa tries to be an active member of the Calgary burlesque community, and in her personal life, Vanessa embraces the joys of being a cat parent to three delightfully chonky cats with her partner, as her human children are now all adults and have moved on with their respective lives.