Shawna (Paris) Hoyte
B.A., LL.B., BSW., MSW., RSW.
Lawyer and Private Practice Social Worker

Shawna, who was born and raised in Nova Scotia, has degrees in the arts, social work and law.  She also holds certificates in community development from Henson College and mediation from the University of P.E.I. Shawna is a practicing social worker with the IWK Crisis Team, she facilitates the Supported Education Program for adults with mental health issues for the Capital District Health Authority and has a small private practice as a clinical social worker.

In addition to her vocation as a social worker, Shawna has been a clinical law instructor with Dalhousie Law School since 1995 and a practicing lawyer at Dalhousie Legal Aid Service in the areas of family law, divorce law, child welfare, and youth criminal law and administrative law. 

For over thirty years Shawna has worked with grassroots community organizations on issues related to equality rights for individuals from marginalized communities. In the past decade the focus of her community work is specific to public legal education regarding youth, education, and mental health.  In February 2008, she presented a case for the rights of youth with learning disabilities to the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa.

In 1999, Shawna was appointed to the Federal Government Task Force on Visible Minorities by the President of the Treasury Board of Canada.  She assisted in drafting the Federal Government equity plan entitled - Embracing Change in the Federal Public Service regarding hiring visible minorities in the Federal Public Service.  She has served as an adjudicator for the Residential Tenancies Board in Halifax, she was appointed to the Nova Scotia Assessment Appeal Court, and has been a member of numerous Community Boards and Committees throughout the years. Commencing in March 2008 Shawna will be a member of the Board of Examiners for the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers.

Shawna has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in the community including the prestigious Elizabeth Fry Society - Rebels with a Cause award that she received in 2006