IQALUIT - No one ever said law school was easy, but Nunavut's newest family lawyer got through it while raising her young son on her own.

Naomi Wilman in her office at Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik. - Gabriel Zarate/NNSL photo

Naomi Wilman of Iqaluit had her first day of classes for Akitsiraq Law School the same day her son Isaac started kindergarten.

"You might not feel you can put in your time and effort into four long years, but there are ways," Wilman said. "The support that can come out of the woodwork is incredible."

That support included co-operation by young Isaac, who quickly learned to help out when his mother was busy studying.

"It's just so worth the struggle and the hardship of the four years of law school and the two and a half to three years of preparation for the bar (exam) and the statutes exam," she declared.

Wilman is now one of only a few lawyers in Nunavut who practice family law, dealing with divorces, custody disputes and child support, and also family situations where Child and Family Services have gotten involved because of concerns of child welfare.

However, Wilman's original plan in law school had been to pursue a career as a criminal defence lawyer, especially for young offenders. Before law school Wilman worked in Nunavut's court system and saw many young people in court who did not understand the legal process of what was happening to them.

"Some of them were unilingual and did not know what happened in court that day," she said.

But a practice term of family law with Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik and her empathy for other single moms made that aspect of law a natural choice.

"I can see everyday that I can help people," she said. "The results are starting to surface now. I am starting to close cases."

Wilman has practised in Nunavut since March, after being called to the Nunavut Bar Association in a private hearing. Wilman had a public ceremony with her friends, family and colleagues in October.