Thijiba Sinnathamby
Thijiba Sinnathamby is a lawyer, educator, and consultant whose work bridges legal practice, academic instruction and community-based training. She is a Professor and Program Coordinator of the Family Legal Services Provider program at Fanshawe College, where she teaches Substantive Family law I and II and oversees program delivery. Her leadership in the FLSP program reflects a commitment to access to justice and legal education that is responsive to Ontarians.
Thijiba provides legal services in family law and estate matters through her firm. Her practice includes negotiating and drafting domestic contracts, advising on parenting time and decision-making disputes, acting as a litigation guardian or Section 3 counsel for incapable persons, and serving as estate trustee during litigation in complex or high conflict estate matters. She regularly appears before the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice.
As a consultant and trainer, Thijiba delivers workshops and develops legal toolkits for law firms, institutions and community organizations. Her training focuses on family law, intimate partner violence, Indigenous-Settler reconciliation, anti-racism, and systemic barriers in the justice system. She is known for her trauma-informed, equity-focused approach to legal education and support.
Thijiba holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, while there, her research focused on forced migration and war, the criminalization of racialized women, and ethical ways of relationship-building with Indigenous communities. She earned her J.D. at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law and articled at a prominent boutique estate litigation firm in Toronto.
Education
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
Juris Doctor, 2015
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Masters of Education, 2011
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Honours Bachelor of Arts, 2010
Membership & Affiliations
The Women’s Centre of Halton, Volunteer Family Lawyer
Junior Trusts and Estates Practitioners Group