Alumni Spotlight: Kiana Froese Receives the Social Justice Fellowship Award

We’re proud to share that TGS alum Kiana Froese recently received the Social Justice Fellowship Award through Level Justice. 🌍⚖️

Kiana’s research for the Environmental Law Centre in Canada sheds light on the barriers that prevent law students from pursuing careers in social justice, despite their passion and initial intent. From financial pressures to the lack of accessible mentorship, her work highlights the systemic changes needed to make public interest law a sustainable career path.

Continue reading to learn what winning this award means to Kiana, how TGS helped inspire her path, and the moments that continue to shape her vision for justice.

Tell us more about your research on the barriers to pursuing social justice careers in law?

My research, conducted with Nicole Green through Level Justice’s Social Justice Fellowship program, focused on understanding why law students who enter school with a strong interest in public interest or social justice careers often end up in other fields. We surveyed students, reviewed career office resources, and interviewed career advisors at law schools across British Columbia. The main barriers we found were financial pressures (student debt and low salaries), limited recruitment opportunities compared to corporate law, and a lack of accessible mentorship. Our work highlighted that the problem isn’t a lack of student interest, but rather a lack of institutional support and pathways to make these careers realistic.

What does winning the Social Justice Fellowship Award mean to you?

Winning the Social Justice Fellowship Award affirms the necessity of this research. It recognizes that the barriers students face in pursuing social justice careers are real and worth addressing. For me, the award is encouragement to continue building awareness and to keep pushing for more sustainable pathways into public interest work. It also means a lot to know that our research can contribute to conversations about access to justice in Canada.

How did TGS help inspire your path toward a legal career in social justice? Ten years later, are there any TGS memories that stand out as most memorable?

One of the most vivid memories I carry from TGS is visiting the Bhopal disaster site in India at the Union Carbide factory. Survivors spoke about what they had lost – families, livelihoods, entire ecosystems – and how they still felt forgotten decades later. It was the first time I understood how decisions, inadequate accountability, and negligence by corporations and governments can cause damage that lasts for generations. This experience became a catalyst for the career I am pursuing.

In New Zealand, we stayed overnight with the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei on their land. We shared meals, listened to stories, and learned about their laws and stewardship practices. Hearing how these shaped their views on self-governance gave me a perspective I had never encountered before. When I returned to Canada, it changed how I listen to Indigenous communities and peoples. As a future legal practitioner, I see it as my responsibility to ground my work in respect and uphold Indigenous peoples’ sovereignty, self-governance, and legal orders.

What connects these moments is the way we learned from each other and from place. Walking through the Ajanta Caves while studying the development of religion, debating environmental policy while hiking in the Costa Rican rainforest, or volunteering in schools in marginalized communities and confronting the inequities in education systems – each experience showed me that learning is richer when it’s grounded in real contexts and diverse perspectives. That approach continues to guide how I broaden my understanding and how I think about my role in law today.