Jennifer Raso

Jennifer Raso (BA, LLB) is a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and a Junior Fellow at U of T’s Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies. Her research, which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, explores the role that discretion plays in both the decisions of front-line workers and in the design of administrative agencies. Using Ontario’s welfare program as a case study, Jen reconsiders the relationship between discretion and judgment in light of the new administrative law in which regulatory technologies compete with regulations and policies to structure discretionary decision-making.

Raso obtained her LLB from the University of Victoria, receiving the William R. MacIntyre Medal for academic achievement and community service. Upon graduating, she articled and practiced as a litigator with the City of Toronto’s Legal Services Division, specializing in administrative, social welfare, and municipal law. She has appeared before the Divisional Court on applications challenging a range of administrative decisions, from those of licensing, social benefit and human rights tribunals to Toronto’s City Council, as well as before a wide variety of administrative tribunals.