Amy Kishek 
Lawyer and Executive Director | Canadian Intern Association
Ottawa, ON, CANADA
Advocate for policy and law reform in areas of workplace law on behalf of precarious and young workers
Biography
Amy is the Executive Director of the Canadian Intern Association and a labour lawyer, with experience in administrative, labour, human rights and employment law. She is a recent graduate of the University of Ottawa Common Law Faculty, and holds a master’s in Political Economy from the University of Toronto where she was a Junior Fellow at Massey College. Amy has extensive work experience working in both the political and public service, including working as a staffer on Parliament Hill. A passionate advocate for access to justice, Amy is a co-founder of A2J, a provincial lobbying group aimed at addressing access to both legal education and legal services. She also serves on the board of director of Equal Voice, a non-for-profit aimed at electing more women to all levels of politics, and is an active volunteer with the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF). Amy's first hand experience with unpaid internships, and with student debt, led her to take action with the Intern Association, in the aim of addressing systemic issues that plague young workers.
Industry Expertise (2)
Legal Services
Government Relations
Areas of Expertise (14)
Human Rights & Workplace Law
Human Rights
Labour Law
Employment Law
Youth Employment
Young Workers
Government & Politics
Public Outreach
Advocacy and Social Justice
Policy Advocacy
Access to Justice
Law Reform
Policy Analysis
Workplace Law
Education (3)
University of Ottawa: Juris Doctor, Common Law 2015
University of Toronto: Master's of Arts, Political Economy of International Development 2012
University of Ottawa: Bachelor of Social Sciences, Public Administration and Political Science 2011
Affiliations (2)
- Board Member, Equal Voice
- Imagine Canada
Links (1)
Languages (2)
- Arabic
- English
Media Appearances (3)
Probe finds federal departments neglected to pay interns
CBC online
2016-09-23
Liberal government investigation uncovers examples of interns who should have been paid
Proposed rules on unpaid interns a 'political problem' for Liberals, advocates say
CBC online
2016-02-10
Advocates say unpaid internships lead to precarious employment for young workers
Federal government faces heat for unpaid intern rules
Ottawa Citizen print
2016-02-10
The federal Liberals are facing a growing backlash over proposed regulations that would allow federally regulated workplaces to hire unpaid interns, which intern advocates say flies in the face of the government’s campaign pledges to help young workers.
Articles (2)
Navigating rights and responsibilities under workers' compensation and human rights legislation in Ontario
Ontario Bar Association Annual Human Rights Update 20162016-05-30
A review of recent Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario cases involving injured workers shows that workplace parties are not always responsive to the different obligations that exist under workers’ compensation and human rights legislation in Ontario. It is possible that many disputes over these issues that have ended up before the Tribunal might have been avoided had there been clear policies and processes in place explaining these distinctive obligations and encouraging proactive compliance with both WSIA and Code requirements.
Canadian Intern Association Rights Guide
Canadian Intern Association2016-11-16
The Guide provides a summary of employment, health and safety, and human rights for interns in each province and the federal sector in the “know your rights” section. The Guide also features “claim back your pay” information, recommendations for law reform, and best practices for employers and academic institutions.
Social