Jake Shen criminal lawyer Toronto
Jake Shen | Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyer
Jake Shen is a Toronto criminal defence lawyer and former Toronto Police Service officer. Before attending Osgoode Hall Law School, he served as a police officer for many years and worked in different divisions and units. That experience gave him direct exposure to frontline policing, police procedures and criminal investigations, including how officers gather evidence, prepare reports, conduct interviews and make decisions during an investigation. Therefore, Jake is very familiar with police operation and investigative techniques. As someone who worked at the frontline of our Canadian criminal justice system, Jake saw first-hand how the criminal justice system can impact an individual’s life, which inspired him to pursue law and criminal defence.
While at Osgoode Hall Law School, Jake was accepted to the Criminal Intensive Program and completed a placement at a busy Crown Attorney’s Office. The placement gave him practical exposure to the prosecution side of criminal cases and to the way files are assessed, prepared and litigated. He received top marks in every category of his placement evaluation.
After law school, Jake articled at the Ontario Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), the agency then responsible for overseeing and investigating public complaints involving police officers in Ontario. This work added another perspective to his understanding of police conduct, accountability and the legal standards applied to police investigations. During his articling term, Jake participated in police-misconduct investigations, Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) appeals, judicial reviews and systemic reviews involving issues such as police use of force and strip searches.
Taken together, Jake’s policing, prosecution-side placement and police-oversight experience allow him to examine a criminal investigation from several perspectives. In defending a case, he reviews how evidence was obtained, how investigative steps were documented, whether procedures were followed and whether legal or Charter issues may arise. His practice focuses on criminal defence, and he represents clients in Toronto, York Region and other Ontario communities listed on the firm’s Service Areas page. Jake provides legal services in English and Mandarin. His professional memberships include the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, the York Region Law Association and The Advocates’ Society.
