Aria Laskin
Partner
She/Her/Hers- alaskin@jfklaw.ca
- P 604-687-0579 ext 103
- C 604-351-8441
- Legal Administrative Assistant Chelsea Powers 604-687-0549 ext. 124 cpowers@jfklaw.ca
- 260 - 200 Granville Street Vancouver, BC V6C 1S4
Aria Laskin is a partner at JFK Law LLP in Vancouver. Her practice focuses on Aboriginal, administrative, and constitutional law, and on advancing Indigenous jurisdiction.
As a litigator, Aria specializes in public law issues concerning the rights and powers of Indigenous clients, including Aboriginal and Treaty rights, division of powers (including Indigenous, Canadian, provincial, and territorial governments), and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. She has appeared before all levels of court in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Nunavut, as well as the Federal Court, the Supreme Court of Canada and various administrative forums and arbitral panels.
Outside litigation, Aria supports clients on complex negotiation and governance matters. She has expertise on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and Indigenous self-determination and law-making in the sectors of gaming, education, and child welfare.
Aria is also committed to learning and teaching. She presents podcasts and writes on emerging Aboriginal and public law issues. Among other topics, she has provided commentary on the application of the Charter to Indigenous laws, the application of UNDRIP in Canada, and the role of the Canadian legal system – and lawyers – in actively advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Aria is originally from Vancouver and clerked at the BC Court of Appeal in 2014-2015. Outside of work, when her nose is not buried in a book, Aria can be found on the soccer field or in the woods, inexpertly identifying edible mushrooms.
Education and Professional Affiliations
- JD, Hons – University of Toronto, 2014
- MPhil – University of Cambridge, 2009
- BA, Hons – Harvard University, 2008
- Law Society of Ontario – 2015
- Law Society of BC – 2018
- Law Society of Nunavut – 2020 (Restricted Appearance Certificate)
Publications and Presentations
Beyond Autonomy: A Transnational Comparison of End-of-Life Decision Making by Mature Minors (Aria Laskin, Noah Dolgoy, Professor Gregg Bloche, and Han Limei), Michigan State University Journal of Medicine and Law, Vol. 18, 2014
National Strategy to Change the Immigration Detention System and Protect Children (with Rachel Kronick and Hanna Gros), Opening the Doors to Refugees, McGill University, November 2016
Highlights
Co-counsel to three First Nations intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada with respect to the application of federalism principles to proposed environmental legislation.
Co-counsel to the Tsilhqot’in Nation in litigation with Taseko Mines Corporation and its proposed New Prosperity mine.
Acted as counsel for First Nations organizations in legal proceedings against multiple provincial governments.
Represented respondent on a successful statutory appeal before the Divisional Court of Ontario.
Represented applicant in a successful application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Wrote a report for a Canadian policy development group on the future of Canadian policing, with focus on Aboriginal policing and constitutional issues associated with private police forces.
Publications
We are incredibly proud to announce that Aria Laskin is a Lexpert Rising Stars
Decision Overview On October 31, 2024, the Ontario Superior Court released an important decision ordering the review by the