Alina Sklar
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,276 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 307 handling Criminal Defence.
About Alina Sklar
Alina Sklar is a bilingual Toronto lawyer whose work centres on Canadian criminal defence and on immigration law in both Canada and the United States. Refugee law and civil litigation are also part of the practice.
That cross-border reach rests on real credentials. Sklar can practise in Ontario and in Washington State, is a member in good standing of both the Law Society of Ontario and the Washington State Bar Association, and holds Foreign Legal Consultant registration in New York State.
Language is a big part of what clients get here. Sklar trained in law in both French and English, and Russian is spoken too. Toronto was chosen for the practice because francophone litigants still didn't have real access to justice in French, and in early 2024 roughly half the clients were francophone, a share that has at times reached 70 percent.
Every new matter begins with an initial consultation that sets out the client's priorities, settles whether Sklar can take the case on, and always covers fees.
Practice areas
Criminal defence
Criminal law is a core part of the practice, with Gladue matters as a specialty alongside it. Alina Sklar appears in Legal Aid Ontario's lawyer listings for both.
Immigration and refugee law
Immigration covers both U.S. and Canadian law, with refugee protection offered as its own practice area. The cross-border side serves people, families, entrepreneurs and companies relocating, investing, taking up work or growing a business between the two countries.
Our guide: How to Hire an Immigration Lawyer in Toronto
Civil litigation
Civil litigation is offered alongside the criminal and immigration work, and a civil matter can be handled to the same standard in French or in English.
Our guide: Litigation and Dispute Resolution in Toronto
Good to know
By appointmentHow Alina Sklar works
The practice is built on a clear idea of fairness. Alina Sklar distinguishes between equality of opportunity and actual equality: handing everyone the same short ladder isn't enough when some people need more rungs to get over the wall. Laws that stop at equal opportunity fall short, and the aim is to hold laws and legislators to the more demanding standard. On each file, Sklar's attention goes to the underlying sources of a legal issue.
The same principle shapes how Sklar handles French-language rights in criminal court. With judges and Crown prosecutors, the line is simple: an offer that wouldn't be made to an anglophone accused isn't acceptable for a francophone one either.
Milestones & recognition
- 2011 to 2014: law studies at the University of Ottawa in its National Program, earning degrees in both civil law and common law.
- 2016: sworn in to the bar of Ontario and opened Alina Sklar, Barrister & Solicitor, a bilingual practice in Toronto.
- Member of AJEFO, the association of Ontario's French-speaking jurists.
In the community
- Served as president of La Maison, Toronto's francophone shelter for women who've experienced violence and for their children.
- Recruited to ACFO de Toronto to work on its French-language services mandate.
- Spoke at Toronto City Hall at the invitation of Mayor Olivia Chow during the raising of the Franco-Ontarian flag.
- Has taught a practice management class in the University of Ottawa's law practice program.
- Makes time to explain the public's rights and obligations and how the justice system's mechanisms work, and is involved with non-profit organizations and projects aimed at real access to justice, particularly for minorities and vulnerable people.
Lawyers 1
Frequently asked questions
- What sets the price of Alina Sklar's block-fee option?
- Alina Sklar offers two ways to pay: hourly, or a block fee. A block fee is priced on criteria that include how complex the matter is, what the client wants to achieve and the disbursements likely to come up, such as mileage and transcripts. The fee structure is meant to flex around each client's situation.
- Is my first meeting with Alina Sklar confidential if the matter doesn't go ahead?
- Alina Sklar keeps everything discussed at the initial consultation confidential, even when the matter isn't pursued. Bring valid ID, such as a driver's licence or passport, to confirm who you are. Before the meeting ends, Sklar makes sure your goal is understood and walks you through what happens next, and together you'll settle how and how often to stay in touch.
- When does Alina Sklar officially become my lawyer after the consultation?
- Alina Sklar becomes your lawyer only after agreeing to act and sending a retainer agreement, and once you've dated, signed and returned it promptly. Representation can't start until that agreement is signed.
- Does Alina Sklar take on agency work and research for other lawyers?
- Alina Sklar offers other lawyers agency work, legal research, and drafting of applications, motions and factums.
Where to find them
150 King Street West, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario M5H 1J9 · 416-873-0868
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Criminal DefenceThis listing was generated by AI from public sources in October 2026. It may contain errors, and we can’t guarantee it’s accurate or complete. Before you rely on anything here, verify it on the firm’s own website. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗
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