Schulich School of Law
Dalhousie University
David Curry
I'm a CROWN ATTORNEY WITH THE NOVA SCOTIA PUBLIC PROSECUTION SERVICE
David Curry brings a range of experiences and perspectives to his work as a Crown Attorney with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service. But he didn't always plan to become a lawyer.
Curry first studied sociology and social anthropology at Dalhousie. Then Curry, who has both Mi'kmaq and African Nova Scotian roots, learned about the Schulich School of Law's Indigenous Blacks & Mi'kmaq Initiative.
Established at the law school in 1989, the IB&M Initiative aims to increase representation of Indigenous Black and Mi'kmaq people in the legal profession in order to reduce discrimination. To date, there have been over 180 IB&M graduates, and Curry is proud to be one of them.
The intention behind the IB&M Initiative spoke to Curry—especially in light of such local injustices as what happened to Donald Marshall Jr., a Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq who was wrongfully convicted for murder in 1971.
"What happened to him directly relates to my life experience of being from a marginalized community," says Curry. "The historical context of such injustices is important to Nova Scotia."
Curry was 27 when he enrolled at the Schulich School of Law. In his third and final year of classes, he worked at the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service (DLAS), a community based legal clinic in Halifax's north end, which provides legal information and services to low-income residents.
Curry credits his legal education and DLAS experience as good preparation for his work with the Nova Scotia Legal Aid Commission and his current role as a Crown Attorney.
"There's a family environment at the law school, where you feel like the faculty and your fellow students provide a safety net around you," he says. "It's comforting to know that you can call anyone and bounce ideas off of them, both while you're at law school and even after you start working."