Jeanine Zahara was called to the bar in June 2019. She completed her articles at Roulston Urquhart Criminal Defence Firm under the mentorship of Tonii Roulston and Andrea Urquhart and is currently working as an associate at Roulston Urquhart Criminal Defence. Ms. Zahara’s experience as a criminal defence lawyer includes trial litigation in the area of drug trafficking, sexual assault, domestic violence, fraud and impaired driving. It is through a meticulous review of her client’s disclosure in addition to fulsome legal research and courtroom presence that Ms. Zahara is able to put forth the best defence for her clients.
Contact us nowMs. Zahara has successfully litigated a variety of Constitutional challenges including protecting her client’s right to a tried within a reasonable time, not to be subject to unlawful search and seizure and to be protected from excessive force or abuse of process at the hands of investigating police officers. Ms. Zahara has effectively argued for her client’s release pending trial (bail) even in cases of alleged serious violence including armed robbery, discharging a firearm and aggravated assault.
Jeanine earned her J.D. from the University of Calgary focusing her studies in the area of criminal law. Prior to attending law school, she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Dalhousie University.
During her three years of studies at the University of Calgary, Jeanine received numerous academic awards. In 2017, she was awarded the Gary J. Bigg Memorial Award in Advocacy for her oral advocacy skills as a competitor in the 2017 MacIntyre Cup criminal moot as well as her work with Student Legal Assistance. In 2018, she was awarded the Access to Justice Award for her dedication to providing legal information and representation to marginalized individuals in the areas of criminal, family and civil law, and the Provincial Court Judges Award of merit for her dedication to Student Legal Assistance, her clients and the students volunteering under her leadership.
