She has practiced law as a solo practitioner, and taught jurisprudence to undergraduate students at Algoma University, after being an Associate for a well-known Anishinaabe-led law firm in Ontario. In 2014, Sara was elected Chief of Couchiching First Nation after her friend, mentor, and long-term Chief had suddenly passed away. She returned to law in 2016 by joining a national law firm in Toronto, becoming partner in 2018.  Sara has been honoured to work with the Chiefs of Ontario in creating First Nation Sovereign Wealth LP and assisting leadership in understanding emerging legal issues such as the UNDRIP Act.  Sara has worked on cannabis law with First Nations in many different provinces, her focus is on creating a legitimate and pragmatic legal framework that protects customers and respects Indigenous sovereign approaches to economic development and trade. Sara has been Lexpert® ranked as “Most Frequently Recommended” in Aboriginal Law since 2018, as one of the Best Lawyers in Aboriginal Law in Best Lawyers in Canada in 2021 and 2022. Sara has been a friend of JFK Law and is happy to join this prestigious law firm in 2022.

Publications

• Sara Mainville, Hunting Down a Lasting Relationship with Canada—Will UNDRIP Help?, (2021) 57.1 Osgoode LJ 57.1 (2021) 98-126 https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/ohlj/vol57/iss1/3/
• Sara Mainville, “Treaty Councils and Mutual Reconciliation under Section 35,” (2007) Indigenous Law Journal 142.
• Sara Mainville and Renee Pelletier, “UNDRIP, Decision Making, and the Role of Indigenous Peoples” Meinhard Doelle; A. John Sinclair (eds) The Next Generation of Impact Assessment A Critical Review of the Canadian Impact Assessment Act (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2021) link:https://irwinlaw.com/product/the-next-generation-of-impact-assessment/