How to Succeed at Small Claims Court in 2025

For more than 135 years, the Toronto Lawyers' Association, located within the Courthouse Library, has represented the interests of lawyers practising in the City of Toronto. The association was founded to support its members in three key areas: Knowledge, Advocacy, and Community. To uphold these pillars, the association offers a year-round mix of online and in-person education programs for lawyers, hosts both free and paid events to foster in-person networking, and submits advocacy pieces on behalf of its members to the Ontario bench and bar, all levels of government, and the broader public.

Miray Granovsky serves as General Counsel for Atlantic Coated Papers and Flexible Packaging Corporation, manufacturers of pharmaceutical, food, and industrial packaging. Miray graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School and has an LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution. She sits as a deputy judge at the Toronto Small Claims Court. Miray has lectured on issues in the Small Claims Court for the Law Society of Ontario. She was a member of the Board and executive committee of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. Miray co-chaired their Annotated Code Project to improve understanding and access to the Centre’s procedures and prior decisions. Miray was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work. Miray served as a member of the Ontario Special Education Tribunal. She has volunteered with Pro Bono Law Ontario, where she represented families with rights-based complaints against their local school boards. Miray chaired and spoke at the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Freedom Day, an event to celebrate democracy, tolerance, and equality attended by over 1,500 middle school and high school students. Miray chairs the planning committee of the Grand Slam Pro Am, a charity tennis event held annually to support communities in need both locally and abroad.

Founder of Hum Law, Lai-King Hum is known for expertise in all areas of workplace law. Her practice encompasses employment law, human rights, professional regulation, mediation, and litigation. Lai opened her Toronto-based employment law and human rights firm in 2014, having established herself as a leading employment law practitioner at top-tier national firms in Ontario and Quebec. Lai advises and represents Canadian, U.S.-, and international-based businesses, non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, and individuals in a range of matters in jurisdictions across Canada. She offers legal services in English and French to clients in manufacturing, education, healthcare, and financial/banking services. Licensed by both the Ontario Bar and the Quebec Bar, Lai has appeared before various levels of court and tribunals. She is a member of the ADR Institute of Ontario, and conducts workplace investigations as well as mediations. Before embarking on a full-scale investigation, Lai first ensures that the client has explored and exhausted all avenues for resolution. She is experienced in resolving internal workplace matters relating to harassment or discrimination, either through investigations or as a workplace mediator. As a mediator in workplace matters, Lai tailors her approach to the circumstances at hand but leans towards an evaluative mediation practice model, rooted in her knowledge of the law. In addition to her practice, Lai is a Deputy Judge in the Small Claims Court of the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. She is also one of three Discrimination and Harassment Counsel in the Discrimination and Harassment Counsel Program, a service funded by the Law Society of Ontario.

Aaliyah works as Court & Client Representative in Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO).

Ayda joined Donovan Kochman LLP as an associate in 2022 and maintains a broad litigation practice. She has experience litigating estates and trusts disputes, real estate-related matters, professional liability disputes, and a range of corporate and commercial matters. Prior to beginning her legal career, Ayda studied law in England, and later obtained a master’s degree at Osgoode Hall Law School. Ayda is both a strong advocate and a good listener. She is constantly mindful of her clients’ wishes and unique interests while pursuing the best possible result in each matter.