By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
While working at his family’s wholesale distribution business, Kaamil Ali Khalfan cultivated an appreciation for the complex legal challenges faced by businesses, and developed a particular interest in corporate law.
“I acquired an understanding of how legal issues develop in businesses and the crucial role external counsel plays in ensuring client needs are met,” he says.
Khalfan’s career goal is to work in the corporate law group at a top national law firm, and advise the largest clients in Canada and the U.S. on a broad range of corporate transactions.
He is well on his way to that goal, as a 2L student in the Dual JD program offered by the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and the University of Windsor Faculty of Law.
“Studying law provides me with a great opportunity to think abstractly about the legal structures that govern not only individual lives but also the day-to-day activities of businesses and markets,” he says. “The complexity the law and the ways in which the law adapts to a constantly evolving society has always fascinated me.”
After earning an Honors B.Sc. in Health Studies with a double minor in Psychology and Health Humanities at the University of Toronto, Khalfan was drawn to the Dual JD program to gain practical experiences on both sides of the border.
“The focus on American and Canadian corporate and commercial law matters provides me with the opportunity to compare and contrast the laws of both countries while simultaneously learning two legal languages,” he says.
He particularly appreciates the practical experiences Detroit Mercy Law offers, whether from volunteering at a legal clinic or completing an externship or internship.
Last summer, Khalfan interned for Wayne County 35th District Court Judge Michael J. Gerou in Plymouth, and worked on a wide range of civil and commercial matters and drafted a memorandum on landlord-tenant disputes amidst the pandemic.
“I was able to thoroughly analyze U.S. case law, while recognizing the differences in how the law is applied in the U.S. and Canada,” he says. “I was also able to see first-hand how case law translates to the application of law through the lived experiences of those with interests at stake.
“I’m looking forward to continuing my practical experience through the Trademark & Entrepreneur Clinic at Detroit Mercy Law this semester.”
His volunteer work includes serving last semester as a moot court judge for the first-year program.
“This experience was very rewarding as I was able to give back to the Detroit Mercy Law community while experiencing a moot from the perspective of a judge rather than as a participant,” he says.
He also serves as 2L Dual JD Class Representative to the Student Bar Association.
“I’m immensely appreciative to have been elected,” he says. “I take great honor that my classmates trust me with representing them and bringing forth any concerns they may have to the faculty and administration.”
Khalfan also helps out the Admissions & Recruitment Office at Detroit Mercy Law with welcome events for prospective first-year Dual JD students. And during the month of Ramadhan, he volunteered for his local mosque to deliver dinners to elderly community members during the pandemic.
He has even found time to be an entrepreneur and start a new business. After recognizing the challenges clients often face in finding legal assistance, Khalfan teamed up with fellow student Ivir Dhanoa to co-found the website Legaloops to help bridge this divide.
“I’ve honed my entrepreneurial skills by creating a web based-platform where people and businesses can narrow down their legal issue to find a lawyer with relevant skills and expertise to help solve it,” he says. “Our integrated booking platform aims to further the legal field through increasing the use of technology when providing legal services.”
Khalfan, who originally hails from Pickering east of Toronto, now lives in Vaughan, north of Toronto, where his interests include sports, photography, and trying different local coffee shops.
“I’m happily engaged to my lovely fiancée who always supports me to work the hardest I can,” he says.
Khalfan enjoyed spending pre-pandemic time in the Motor City, and looks forward to returning to those pastimes soon.
“Detroit is a beautiful city filled with art, character, friendly people, and culturally-diverse restaurants,” he says. “Attending a Detroit Pistons game with my friends before the pandemic has definitely been a highlight of my time in the Dual JD program.”
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