Pnina Alon-Shenker

Pnina Alon-Shenker serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Law & Business at Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Business Management, where she is the founding Academic Director of the Law & Business Clinic. Her academic journey spans institutions including the University of Toronto (S.J.D., 2010), Hebrew University (LL.M., 2003), and Haifa University (LL.B., 2001), complemented by clerkship experience at Israel's Supreme Court.

Her educational foundation:

• S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science), University of Toronto, 2010
• LL.M. (Master of Laws), University of Toronto, 2005
• LL.M. (Master of Laws), Hebrew University, Israel, 2003 (cum laude)
• LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws), Haifa University, Israel, 2001 (summa cum laude)

Professor Alon-Shenker's research pioneers transformative approaches to labour law through three interconnected pillars: workplace discrimination (with focus on age-gender intersections), aging workforce challenges, and employee representation models. Her scholarship deconstructs conventional legal frameworks for age discrimination, arguing that current paradigms fail to capture the unique harms of age-based exclusion. Instead, she develops capability theory-based alternatives that reframe discrimination as denial of 'dignified work lives,' directly influencing how courts and employers address accommodation failures and mandatory retirement policies.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent thematic evolution: early work established foundational critiques of age discrimination law (2012-2014), mid-career research expanded into intersectionality and gig economy impacts (2015-2018), and current scholarship integrates philosophical frameworks with cutting-edge classification challenges (2019-2024). This trajectory demonstrates increasing theoretical sophistication while maintaining practical relevance for human rights tribunals and workplace policy.

Her scholarly impact is recognized through significant awards:

• Provost's Experiential Teaching Award (2016) for Law & Business Clinic innovation
• Dean's Scholarly Research Award (2014)
• SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship (2008-2009)
• Naomi Overend Fellowship in Human Rights (2006-2007)

As Academic Director of the Law & Business Clinic, she provides students with direct client representation experience while advancing her research agenda. Her supervision focuses on translating theoretical frameworks into practical advocacy, particularly for aging workers facing discrimination. International collaborations—especially with Hebrew University scholars—enrich her comparative analysis of Canadian and Israeli labour systems.

The Law & Business Clinic serves as the operational nexus of her work, embodying her commitment to bridging academic theory with real-world legal practice through experiential education that directly addresses systemic workplace inequalities.