Mic Liu is a PhD candidate in civil engineering at the University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society, under the supervision of Prof. Jena McGill and Prof. Beatriz Martin-Perez.
Mic Liu is a lawyer, a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng), speaker, inclusion consultant, community leader, interdisciplinary scholar and a founding partner of Liu Chooti Law & Counselling Group. As a Queer, non-binary, racialized, and neurodivergent person, Mic Liu’s focus across their undertakings is to leverage their lived experiences and subject matter knowledge to advance social justice.
Mic Liu’s legal experience includes working at Danielson Kabesh Law in Ottawa, Ecojustice Canada, and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. At Danielson Kabesh Law, Mic Liu helped clients with their family and employment issues and represented clients in administrative tribunal proceedings, among other areas. Prior to DK Law, Mic Liu worked in environmental and regulatory law at Ecojustice Canada, and before that, at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, where Mic Liu’s civil and environmental engineering expertise enhanced their ability to conduct legal research and writing about highly technical matters in the energy and construction sectors. Mic Liu has also served on the editorial board of the Canadian Journal of Women and the Law since 2023.
Mic Liu earned their JD (magna cum laude, Dean’s Award) from the University of Ottawa and is completing their PhD in Engineering at the same institution. Mic Liu’s research, recognized by the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2022) and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship (2022-2025), uses sociolegal approaches to understand the interaction between technology, human rights, and the public interest in Canada. While in law school, Mic Liu served on the student union board of directors, two terms as law student society president, member of the University Senate, and member of the selection committee that installed Elder Claudette Commanda as the current Chancellor of the University.
Before going into law, Mic Liu earned two engineering degrees from the University of Waterloo and worked for various national and international engineering firms. Mic Liu has played key roles in infrastructure projects of up to $500 million and supervised construction teams of over 150 people.
Mic Liu has published 15 peer-reviewed articles, delivered over 150 presentations, and co-authored policy and guiding documents, namely addressing workplace discrimination and systemic inequities. They co-founded Let Science Connect, a consultancy for inclusive communication. An active volunteer and community leader, Mic Liu has served as a board member for Professional Engineers Ontario, co-chaired the Equity Task Force for the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, mentored with the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, and supported over 50 initiatives for 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion in law and engineering. They co-created and co-fund the Liu-Kennington Award for the 2SLGBTQ+ Engineering Community at the University of Waterloo and the Liu-Kennington Award for the LGBTQ2S+ Law Student Community at the University of Ottawa.