WHAT WAS YOUR PATH INTO LAW AND ONTO THE BENCH?

I have been asked a few times, why law? I am not totally certain as neither I, nor my family, had any contact with the legal system as I was growing up. My earliest memory of the law is hearing about Willie Littlechild becoming the first Indigenous lawyer in Alberta in 1976. Douglas Cardinal was also in the news in the 1970s for designing the Grande Prairie Regional College. I was in junior high in 1976. Hearing about their achievements may have inspired me to either become a lawyer like Willie Littlechild or an architect like Douglas Cardinal. I decided to pursue the law when I was in high school, soon after determining I was not a capable “artist”. And I have never looked back.

I started my articles with Catherine Twinn on the Sawidge First Nation, in Slave Lake, and completed my articles with Tony Mandamin on the Enoch First Nation, near Edmonton. Both articles gave me an understanding of and appreciation for attending court. I attended court throughout the province of Alberta as a sole practitioner, over a span of twenty-five years. I truly enjoyed being in court. Being a judge was not something I had considered, until driving home from court in Grande Prairie one day. During my drive I was thinking about a recent decision on a child welfare/private guardianship matter. I was not a party in that matter, but I was aware of the decision. I respected the decision but did not agree with it. That day I decided that I would like to be in the position to make decisions and have my voice heard. I applied to be a Provincial Court Judge shortly thereafter.

What advice do you have for counsel who appear before you?

Be prepared. Know your file and matter. And don't be afraid to negotiate with the other side before coming to court, as self-determination is a powerful tool for clients. And if parties cannot resolve their disputes outside of the formal court system – the court is here to “get to the merits as fast, efficiently, inexpensively and fairly, as possible”.

Hiy! Hiy!