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22 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m Cross EXaMinEd 'Comedy can be a very effective form of advocacy,' says Jessica Salomon. Worlds apart Prosecuting war crimes helped mould the dark comedy of stand-up comedian Jessica Salomon. by eliZabeth thoMPSon S itting in a courtyard next to Yuk Yuk's comedy club in Ottawa, Jessica Salomon was reflecting on the dif- ferences between her old career and her new one — how help- ing prosecute war criminals in The Hague is easier than stand-up comedy. "I wish I could say that facing war crim- inals head on has made me immune to hecklers but it really hasn't," Salomon laughs, her blue eyes twinkling. "Even war criminals aren't going to yell 'Show us your tits,' in court." At first glance, Salomon's two careers appear worlds apart. Mastering the intri- cacies of international human rights law at the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia is very different from mastering the art of comedy. But as Salomon moves seamlessly back and forth between talking about comedy and human rights law, it is clear the two very different careers are joined by a common thread — Salomon's passion for human rights. "As crazy as the two careers sound, as disconnected as it might seem when you hear war-crimes-lawyer-turned- comedian, comedy can be a very effective form of advocacy," she explains. "The great thing about it is you can reach a more mainstream audience that's not plugged- in to politics and law." While she is a rising star on Canada's comedy scene, Salomon is the first to admit her background isn't exactly typical. She grew up in the wealthy Mon- treal suburb of Westmount attending exclusive private girls schools, first The Study Academy then Miss Edgar's & Miss Cramp's School, with Jewish classes after school. Her father was in real estate. Her Peruvian-born, stay-at- home mother volunteered for various charities and school events. "I have been really fortunate. It's not really like a typical Canadian story. 'Hey every- body, I haven't had any issues in life — now relate to me,'" Salomon jokes. At Tufts University in Boston, Salo- mon did a BA in international relations; a semester in Ecuador studying the bor- der conflict with Peru; and a final semes- ter in the Education for Public Inquiry