Aria joined the firm in 2018 after clerking at the BC Court of Appeal, and starting her litigation law career at Torys LLP in Toronto.
Since joining JFK Law, Aria has consistently demonstrated her passion and commitment to the mandate of our clients and the firm. She has worked on a number of ground breaking cases across Canada. For example, she acts as counsel, along with Karey Brooks KC, for Beaver Lake Cree Nation in their case to stop the governments of Alberta and Canada from taking up more land within their traditional territory, which has significantly impeded their ability to meaningfully exercise their Treaty 6 rights. She also has a lead role in a similar case brought by Duncans First Nation with Jeff Langlois. On behalf the Inuit of Nunavut, Aria, along with Tim Dickson, seek to ensure that Inuit language education is taught in grade schools in Nunavut, and have brought a s.15 Charter claim to enforce the equal language rights of the Inuit of Nunavut. Aria also acts for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and Sand Hills Casino Resort, along with her former colleagues at Torys LLP, to force the Government of Manitoba to prioritize First Nations gaming. Finally she acts, on a pro bono basis, for Mandy Gray, a defendant in a high-profile multi-defendant defamation lawsuit brought by author Steven Galloway, which will define the limits on public disclosure of sexual misconduct allegations.
As an advocate, Aria is smart, energetic, reflective, and compassionate. Her advocacy reflects a deep understanding of the evolution of aboriginal law, and how to expand and apply it to the issues faced by our clients. At the same time, her submissions are sensitive to and reflect the fact that behind technical legal issues are often painful lived experiences of the ongoing impacts of colonization. Aria is extremely client-oriented and works to develop genuine relationships that go beyond the provision of legal services.
Additionally, Aria is a valued member of the JFK Law team. She regularly provides mentorship to her peers and new lawyers and has recently assumed the role of co-chair of the Dispute Resolution Group. Many of our new lawyers consider Aria to be a go-to resource when working through complex legal issue or if they have a question about advocacy.
JFK Law is made better by having Aria on our team and we are excited to see her advance to this next stage in her legal career.