Christopher Chaclag Balawan

Lawyer 

He  obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of the Cordilleras and Bachelor of Arts in Communications  degree at Saint Louis University, in the Philippines. He never imagined that he could fulfill his dream as a lawyer here in Canada until he tried sending his university credentials from the Philippines to the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA-Federation of Law Societies of Canada) for assessment. He then completed his certification with the NCA and the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education, including his articling. He was called to the Law Society of Alberta Bar  in January 2022. His experience as a student-at-law was in family law and criminal law. Having hailed from Kalinga, in the Philippines, he is humbled to be an Igorot lawyer in Canada.

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Chris is A Filipino lawyer in Calgary AB fluent in English, Tagalog, and Ilocano. He arrived in Canada as an immigrant in 2011 and was faced with different challenges but was able to adapt to the new culture and environment embracing diversity.  

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He is a worship leader and one of the directors in Shekinah Victory Church Calgary. He loves hiking, biking and doing a lot of outdoor activities with his family. You can reach him at chris@balawanlawfirm.ca.

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Justine Camille Rivera

Lawyer 

She was admitted to the Alberta Law Society in June 2022 after completing her articling. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2017 and was admitted to the Philippine bar in 2018. In 2011, she graduated with a degree in BS Accountancy from the University of Santo Tomas and also passed the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) board exam in the Philippines the same year.

 

Shortly after moving to Canada, she worked towards successfully completing the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) exams for internationally-trained lawyers while working as a retail associate. After completing the NCA exams, she articled in a boutique law firm where she gained experience in real estate, corporate commercial, and wills and estate.

 

She is fluent in English, Filipino (Tagalog), and Pangasinense.

 

During her free time, she is either heading to the mountains or thrifting. On lazy days, she enjoys cooking and binge-watching movies with her husband and cat. You can reach her at camille@balawanlawfirm.ca

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