Pronouns: she/her/hers

— Maryam is a first generation immigrant. She was born in Baghdad, Iraq and was raised on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Stó:lō Coast Salish peoples. She currently lives and works on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Maryam graduated with a BA in Political Science and History from the University of the Fraser Valley, where she developed a strong interest in political theory, international relations, and minority rights. During her studies, Maryam developed a deeper understanding of the social, political, and socioeconomic impact marginalization can have at a personal, communal, regional and international level.

With an interest in advocacy, Maryam then pursued a degree in law at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), where she interned at the Office of the Child Youth Advocate of New Brunswick and volunteered at the Fredericton Legal Aid Clinic.

Being an ethnic and religious minority from Iraq and immigrant to Canada has greatly influenced her passion for social justice, her involvement in human rights, and commitment to community building initiatives. Maryam is passionate about Pivot Legal Society’s mission of collaborating with marginalized people and grassroot movements to develop solutions to human rights issues and to create lasting change.

Today, Maryam is a litigator in a law firm in Vancouver. Her work focuses on insurance defence, professional errors and omissions, and environmental litigation.