A life-changing diagnosis didn’t stop Kelly Serbu from excelling on the ice and in the courtroom

A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE

A life-changing diagnosis didn’t stop Kelly Serbu from excelling on the ice or in the courtroom

BY ELEANOR BRAMAH

One might think that a lawyer who played competitive junior hockey would see things in black and white—you either win or lose on the ice and in court.

But that’s not how Kelly Serbu (’96) sees the world.

His perspective is entirely unique. At the age of 18, Serbu was diagnosed with Stargardt, an incurable genetic disease where the centre of the retinas degrade over time, eventually leading to blindness. “At the time of my diagnosis, I didn’t even know what legally blind meant. But I knew it’d change everything for me.”

Suddenly, Serbu couldn’t be the teammate others could rely on for drives to and from practice. He lost his license. He could no longer see the board during his first university classes. But what might have stalled someone else, only fuelled his drive. Determined not to be perceived as different, he kept playing hockey and kept pursuing an added passion: Law.

NAVIGATING A NEW WORLD When considering his professional path, Serbu was initially attracted to the law because it spoke to his fiercely independent spirit. “I thought about being a teacher, but for me, the big reason I picked Dalhousie and law over education was the ability to work for myself. I could be more independent and open my own business.” The law was a sphere where he could drive his own success.

Today, when he’s working with young players as a part of his association with Canadian Blind Hockey, they always ask him incredulously, “Wasn’t law school a lot of reading?”

“I never thought about it,” he says, laughing, “I just did it.” Throughout his time at law school, Serbu says his professors and fellow students were incredibly supportive, making accommodations when needed or sharing notes. After a pause, he adds, “The team at the print shop made a real difference for me. They went above and beyond, always making sure I had enlarged notes and class materials.” Serbu’s experience as a part of Dalhousie Legal Aid in his final years of university helped reinforce the sense of community at the school, and provided important on-the-ground experience until his graduation. “It was amazing to have real client work and cases through things like Dalhousie Legal Aid,” he remembers.

“In university and outside it, I think my experience was different from visually impaired people who were diagnosed earlier than I was,” Serbu says. “I had a sense of self-sufficiency, driving my friends around, playing on sports teams.” So where others may have seen challenges, he simply kept moving forward, never letting his diagnosis stop him.

Even now, he says many clients often have no idea that he’s visually impaired when they first meet and work with him. “I used to be more guarded about it than I am today,” Serbu says. He’d gloss over reading things when clients were in his office and make sure to know the case and relevant documents before they arrived. “I didn’t want people to think I couldn’t represent them because I’m blind.”

JUSTICE FOR ALL Serbu’s sense of justice has helped shape his career for decades, even while he was in criminal court as a defense attorney.

“The law isn’t about stats,” he says. “I don’t ‘win’ or ‘lose’ in court, which is the way some people see it.”

Serbu sees his job as providing the relevant information the court needs to make a decision. If the court sees the information he presented in a different way, he doesn’t believe that’s a loss. “It just means the court interpreted it differently. And it’s important for everyone to have representation so our legal system operates efficiently.”

Justice and championing the causes of others became an even greater theme in his career as it evolved. From 2009 to 2019, he was part of the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat, traveling to Indigenous communities across Canada and helping to tell the stories of survivors.

PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN KEALY/SPORTSNET

“I didn’t always feel connected to my Indigenous background,” Serbu says, who has Métis heritage. But with an aunt who attended a residential school, that work was especially meaningful for him. “It was incredible,” he says. “And unique because of the way it was structured, where only adjudicators could ask questions to claimants, so it was a really interesting experience.”

As that work was wrapping up, he moved on to another important cause, conducting interviews as a part of the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children case. Then in 2017, in the span of two days, Serbu received both his Q.C. from the Minister of Justice for Nova Scotia and was selected by Michel Bastarache C.C., Q.C. to join his Merlo-Davidson team to help assess claims submitted by females under the class action suit against the RCMP for gender-based workplace discrimination and harassment.

“I’ve always liked standing up for people,” says Serbu. “Even as part of my hockey team or as a kid, I didn’t back down from a fight.”

That desire to stand up for others continues to shape his career today.

FROM COMPETITIVE SPIRIT TO COMMUNITY SPIRIT Serbu’s work has helped give a voice to those whose voices might be silenced or diminished. But his work to bring awareness to important issues within society does not end in the courtroom. Alongside his professional work, today he also gives an immense amount of time to those in the visually impaired community, particularly as the new president of the Canadian Blind Hockey Association. “Until I started working with Blind Hockey, I wasn’t really open about being visually impaired,” Serbu confides. “But working with them was— for lack of a better word—eye-opening.” Never having spent a lot of time with other visually impaired people, he began to hear how few had the educational or athletic experiences he’d had access to when he was young.

The independence and confidence he gained from those experiences is something he wants to pass on to others. “I’m an advocate for Blind Hockey and for the visually impaired community because I know how tough it is being the only kid who can’t see the board and not wanting to tell anyone.” His mission is to make sure any visually impaired child feels like they can participate in sport, all they need is the opportunity.

Serbu’s work with the Blind Hockey Association also perfectly captures his advice to young lawyers and law students. A self-professed workaholic, he’s found a better balance in life by committing time and energy to a community and sport he is passionate about. “Whatever your passions are, or however you identify your community, take the time to give back,” he says. “It can be great to step away and do something completely different.”

It’s how Serbu keeps his perspective fresh, no matter what arena he’s in, on the ice or in the courtroom.