Biography

Dr. O’Regan was born in Dalhousie, NB, and grew up in the Kennebecasis Valley outside Saint John, NB. A graduate of St. Thomas, Karla obtained a law degree and a Masters in Criminology at the University of Toronto before serving as a law clerk for the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. She was called to the Ontario bar in 2002. Her Masters in Law, completed at Dalhousie, focused on sexual assault law and feminist theory. She completed a PhD from the London School of Economics in 2014 on the legal doctrine of consent.

Karla is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and has worked for the Federal Department of Justice, Ontario's Office of the Children's Lawyer, and the private legal sector. She served as a Complaint Officer under St. Thomas University's Harassment & Discrimination Policy for five years and chaired the University's Research Ethics Board from 2014-2018. She regularly acts as a project supervisor for Pro Bono Students Canada and was a (faculty-elected) member of St. Thomas University's Board of Governors between 2017-2019. Dr. O'Regan is a member of the NBCC Research Ethics Board and has served on a variety of community boards, including the Fredericton SPCA, Dialogue NB, and the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission. She is currently collaborating with the Fredericton Sexual Assault Centre to develop trauma-informed education materials on sexual consent.