Julia Kushnir Law
1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 455 handling Criminal Defence.
About Julia Kushnir Law
Julia Kushnir Law is a small, independent criminal defence and appellate firm in downtown Toronto, with an office on University Avenue in the city's courthouse district. It represents clients facing criminal and regulatory charges before the Provincial and Superior Courts and the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and centers its practice on protecting clients' constitutional rights and holding government agencies to the limits of their lawful authority. Julia Kushnir earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Windsor and completed a judicial internship under Justice Dean, then worked at another Toronto criminal defence firm before founding this practice. The firm offers services in English, French and Ukrainian, and Kushnir works directly with clients in French and Ukrainian.
Beyond the caseload, Kushnir teaches and speaks publicly: coaching moot court, training law enforcement in cross-examination technique, guest lecturing on international human rights law, and writing on the war in Ukraine. Kushnir is also a founding member of Canadian Lawyers for Ukraine.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- In 2025, a client was acquitted of all charges after a week long trial on historical sexual offence allegations (R. v. Wilson, 2025 ONSC 2653).
- In 2023, proceedings were stayed on serious sexual assault charges due to unreasonable delay after the case had been remitted for trial by the Court of Appeal for Ontario (R. v. J.P., [2023] O.J. No. 5926).
- In 2024, proceedings were stayed on drug and firearm charges after the Crown failed to disclose material in a timely way (R. v. Kunz & Rahimi, [2024] O.J. No. 2686).
- In 2021, the Ontario Court of Appeal granted release pending appeal in a case involving firearm and drug charges (R. v. Tran, 2021 ONCA 19).
In the community
- Julia Kushnir is a founding member of Canadian Lawyers for Ukraine and belongs to the Criminal Lawyers' Association, the Ukrainian Canadian Bar Association and the Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada.
- Kushnir's work has included genocide prevention and human rights advocacy tied to Ukraine, along with youth mentoring programs in Canada.
- Kushnir has taught cross-examination to law enforcement professionals at the Osgoode Courtroom Testimony Workshop and co-coached the Yaroslav Mudrij (Kharkiv) Jessup Moot Court Team.
- In the spring of 2025, Kushnir gave a guest lecture on international human rights law and dispute resolution at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law, and spoke on documenting war crimes in Ukraine through the Peacedays Webinar Series.
- Kushnir is credited as an author of a report titled "Seizing Power: Rosatom's Complicity in Occupation, Torture, and Nuclear Safety Breaches at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant."
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
The firm's office is at 439 University Ave in downtown Toronto, on the same street as one of the city's busiest courthouses. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice runs a criminal and family courthouse at 361 University Ave, a short walk south, handling trials, motions and conferences in both areas. For a firm built around trial and appellate defence work, that puts Julia Kushnir Law close to a court it appears in often.
University Avenue itself is one of Toronto's ceremonial boulevards, an eight lane street with a landscaped median of memorials and gardens that runs past Osgoode Hall and a row of major hospitals to the north. The avenue was extended south in 1931, creating a vista that terminates at the Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park, and it has anchored the city's legal and civic institutions ever since.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Julia Kushnir Law handle appeals as well as trials?
- Yes. The firm represents clients before the Provincial and Superior Courts as well as the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and its case history includes appellate work such as a 2021 release pending appeal in a firearms and drug case.
- I only speak Ukrainian, can Julia Kushnir Law still help me?
- The firm offers services in English, French and Ukrainian, and Julia Kushnir works directly with clients in French and Ukrainian.
- What kind of criminal charges does the firm defend?
- Julia Kushnir Law handles criminal and regulatory offences, and its case history includes matters involving firearms, drugs and sexual offence allegations, often with a focus on constitutional rights and law enforcement conduct.
- Can Julia Kushnir Law help with a bail or detention review?
- The firm's case history includes securing a client's release following a detention order review and obtaining release pending appeal in other matters, so this is within its practice.
- Where is Julia Kushnir Law located, and does it serve clients outside Toronto?
- The office is at 439 University Ave in downtown Toronto, and the firm serves clients across Toronto, the GTA, Ontario and Canada.
- How do I get in touch with Julia Kushnir Law?
- Through the contact form on the firm's website. Submitting an inquiry does not create a solicitor client relationship until a retainer agreement is signed.
Where to find them
439 University Ave Suite 1900, Toronto, ON M5G 1Y8
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Legal AidListing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗