Kelly O’Connor 

Founding Partner | Immigration and Refugee Lawyer
Niagara-on-the-Lake (Canada) / Bogotá (Colombia) / Oxford (United Kingdom)
kelly@giroux-oconnor.ca
+1 (438) 801-5905

Professional Membership:

• Law Society of Ontario #84111L (2022–Present)

From humanitarian education to the forefront of human rights.

Kelly O’Connor embodies the multidisciplinary scope that defines contemporary legal leaders. Her journey began with a B.A. from the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she laid the foundation for her professional communication in English and French. She continued her specialization with an exchange program at University College Dublin and later obtained her dual JD/BCL degree from McGill University in 2020. Currently, Kelly maintains her commitment to academic excellence as a candidate for the MSc in International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford, consolidating a profile that integrates cutting-edge legal theory with unparalleled field practice on three continents.

Impact in federal courts and international bodies

Kelly’s career has been forged at the most prestigious institutions of international and domestic law. She served as a Judicial Law Clerk to Associate Chief Justice Jocelyne Gagné at the Federal Court of Canada, where she drafted critical research memoranda on judicial reviews of immigration and refugee matters in both English and French. Her international experience is equally robust: she worked at the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague, collaborated with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San José, and carried out refugee protection work with UNHCR in Quito, Ecuador, where she directly interviewed asylum seekers to assess their eligibility for resettlement.

Child protection and experience in Latin America.

A central focus of Kelly’s career is her specialization in protecting vulnerable populations. As a legal advisor for the International Bureau for Children’s Rights (IBCR) in Bogotá, Colombia, she led training activities for the Coalition against the Involvement of Children and Youth in the Armed Conflict in Colombia (COALICO), focusing on the protection of children affected by armed conflict and forced displacement. Her extensive academic background includes certifications from UNHCR and UNICEF on issues such as the best interests of the child, gender-based analysis (GBA+), and child safeguarding. This sensitivity translates into her private practice, where she is recognized for her expertise in humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) applications, complex family sponsorships, and the Economic Mobility Pathways Program (EMPP) for skilled refugees.

Founding and vision: Giroux O’Connor Immigration Law.

As a founding partner of Giroux O’Connor Immigration Law, Kelly has transformed her experience at international bodies into a legal practice with high social and technical impact. Her work has been fundamental in supporting populations in crisis, such as advising on special visas for Gazans with family members in Canada and providing strategic representation before the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). In addition to her legal practice, she is a prolific researcher and public legal educator, collaborating with the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association and designing community workshops for diverse populations. From her firm, Kelly continues to demonstrate that human rights advocacy and success in private practice are not only compatible but also the foundation for systemic change in Canadian immigration law.