Education


Osgoode Hall Law School, LL.B.
                    
University of Saskatchewan
Master of Arts, Clinical Psychology (Forensic)
Thesis:    Perceptions of Dominance in Pedophilia

Acadia University
Bachelor of Science, Honours Psychology
Thesis:    Defendant Characteristics Affecting Jury Decisions

College of Geographic Sciences
Diploma, Scientific Computer Programming

Acadia University
Bachelor of Science, Biology



Experience post call to the Bar


Freeman Criminal Litigation

Head of Litigation, May 2005 to present

Appear in Provincial and Superior Courts and the Court of Appeal on Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act matters. Conduct bail hearings and bail reviews. Conduct preliminary hearings and trials. Represent clients in high profile  cases. Prepare opinions for matters at various appellate levels. Conduct certiorari matters. Practice includes numerous extremely serious criminal matters, many of which are high profile and many of which have  numerous and/or complex pretrial motions.


McLachlan Winter Freeman
Partner, 2003 to 2005

 

McLachlan Winter
Associate, 1999 to 2003

Responsibilities as set out above. In addition, performed Managing Partner role including managing firm schedule, supervising employees, and overseeing firm finances.
 

Integrated Proceeds of Crime Unit (IPOC)

Department of Justice, Canada
Counsel, 1998 to 1999

Provided legal advice to police officers, investigators, and other members of the IPOC Unit in the course of criminal investigations. Prepared complex affidavits and other documents for Applications such as Managements Orders, Restraint Orders, Search Warrants, Access to income tax returns, and the Applications to intercept private communications. Was appointed as a Wiretap Agent and oversaw the preparation of numerous Applications to intercept private communications. Carried out research incidental to the giving of legal advice and the preparation of cases for court applications. Prepared memoranda and correspondence on legal matters to the police and other counsel in the Department of Justice. Supervised the preparation of investigative documentation for disclosure purposes. Liaised with counsel and police services in other countries on international criminal cases.


Sole Practitioner, 1996 to 1998

Appeared in Provincial and Superior Courts as well as the Court of Appeal on Criminal Code and Narcotic Control Act/Controlled Drugs and Substances Act matters. Conducted numerous preliminary hearings and trials on matters ranging from minor offences such as Failing to Appear to more serious offences such as Aggravated Assault, Robbery, and Conspiracy to Traffic Narcotics.
 

Ontario Legal Aid Plan
Duty Counsel, 1994 to 1996

Assisted defence counsel and unrepresented accused persons to set trial/preliminary hearing dates or seek adjournments. Assisted unrepresented accused persons with guilty pleas, sentencing submissions, bail hearings, minor bail variations, obtaining disclosure from the Crown and obtaining the various types of diversion available from the Criminal Courts. Provided legal advice by telephone to persons detained in custody and to others seeking advice about upcoming criminal law matters they were facing.


Experience prior to call to the Bar

 

Ontario Ministry of the Attorney-General
Crown Law Office Criminal

Articles, 1992 to 1993

Drafted facta for the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Conducted extensive legal research and wrote legal memoranda based on that research. Provided legal advice to trial crowns and other branches of government on Charter issues. Acted as a Provincial Prosecutor in Provincial Offences Court including arguing constitutional motions.
 

Professor Alan Young, Osgoode Hall Law School
Research Assistant, 1991 to 1992

Conducted extensive legal research in criminal law topics and wrote legal memoranda based on that research for cases including R. v. Pan and R. v. Marc Emery.

 

Ontario Ministry of the Attorney-General
Crown Law Office Criminal

Summer Student, Summer 1990

Drafted facta for the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Conducted extensive legal research and wrote legal memoranda based on that research. Provided legal advice to trial crowns and other branches of government on Charter issues.

 

XVIth International Congress of Law and Mental Health                                        
Treatment of Sexual Offenders: New Developments

Organizer and Moderator, Summer 1990

Selected and organized panel members and prepared biographies and written materials for inclusion in the conference package. Introduced the speakers and moderated the panel at the conference.

 

Richard Rogers

METFORS, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry
"Mental Health Experts and the Criminal Courts"

Research Associate, 1989 to 1990

Conducted research and prepared memoranda for the author to rely on in writing this book. The research topics included jury selection procedures, fitness to stand trial issues, insanity and intoxication defences, sentencing assessments, dangerous offenders, and young offenders.
 

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
Reasearch Associate/ Managing Editor,

1989 to 1990

Received academic articles and distributed them for international peer review. Recruited and managed Reviewers. Edited the papers approved for publication by the peer review process.  Oversaw the publication process and ensured that publication deadlines were met.

 

Correctional Service Canada
Regional Psychiatric Centre (Prairies)

Psychology Intern, 1987 to 1989

Conducted assessments (including Comprehensive Risk Assessments for the National Parole Board) and provided therapeutic treatment of convicted criminal offenders in a federal penitentiary.

 

Battlefords Mental Health Centre, and            
Saskatchewan Hospital, North Battleford

Psychology Intern, Summer 1988

Provided treatment and assessment of community outpatients, involuntarily committed and voluntarily hospitalized mentally ill patients, sex offenders on probation and parole, and Lieutenant Governor's Warrant inpatients (including attending and presenting information at Review Board hearings).



Community and civic activities



Criminal Lawyers' Association
Toronto Director, 2013 to present
Member, 1996 to present

The Criminal Lawyers' Association is one of the largest specialty legal organizations in Canada, with more than 1,000 members. The organization is consulted by all levels of government and the judiciary on issues relating to legislation and the administration of criminal justice. It also assists it's members in every aspect of the practice of criminal litigation. In 2013, I was elected by my peers to the position of Toronto Director for the organization. I sit on the Legal Aid Committee, the Legal Aid Major Cases Committee, the Legal Aid Guns and Gangs Committee, the Education Committee, and the Mentoring Committee. I am the Criminal Litigation Representative for the Superior Court in Toronto where I sit on a number of committees.


West Toronto Community Legal Services Clinic
Chair, 2007 to 2009

Vice Chair, 2006 to 2007

Board member, 2004 to 2009

West Toronto Community Legal Services Clinic is a community legal clinic, funded primarily by Legal Aid Ontario, that provides poverty law services to residents in it’s catchment area. The role of the Clinic’s Board Members is to oversee the operation of the clinic. When I first joined the clinic, I sat on the Programs Committee which is responsible for drafting policy relating to the general operation of the clinic. I later moved to the Management Committee which is responsible for dealing with employment and financial issues as well as drafting policy and by-laws to deal with these issues. In June of 2006, I was elected to the position of Vice Chair. Pursuant to policy at the clinic, I assumed the position of Acting Chair when a person serving as Chair of the board resigned. I was subsequently elected to the position of Chairperson.


Arts and Letters Club
Chair - Membership Committee, 2007 to 2009
MAL - Executive Committee, 2008 to 2009
Member - Finance Committee, 2009 to 2009

Member, 2005 to 2009

The Arts and Letters Club is a club for professionals in the Arts and for Arts enthusiasts.


Exhibition Therapeutic Riding Academy,  

2008 to 2009

The Exhibition Therapeutic Riding Academy, housed in the Horse Palace on the CNE grounds, provides therapeutic horseback riding for children and adults with cognitive and/or physical impairments. I was directly involved with the clients of the riding program during the riding sessions.


Legal Aid Ontario
Area Committee Member, 2001 to present

The Area Committee is comprised of a panel of private counsel who meet in groups to preside over appeals of certificate refusal, appeals of refusal to grant a change of solicitor, and applications for coverage for appeals of conviction and/or sentence.


PASAN                                                      
Board Member and Treasurer, 1995 to 1996

PASAN (Prisoners with HIV/AIDS Support Action Network) is a community-based network of organizations and individuals that provide advocacy, education, and support to prisoners on HIV/AIDS and related issues.



Professional Affiliations

 

Law Society of Upper Canada,
Member since 1994

Nova Scotia Barrister's Society,
Member since 1996

Toronto Lawyers’ Association
Member since 2001

Criminal Lawyers' Association,
Member since 1996



Teaching/Speaking Engagements


LAWS, 2015
Mock Trial Coach                                                      
 

LAWS Alumni Reception, August 2014
Keynote Speaker
 

CLA Spring Conference, May 2014
Arguing against the Status Quo
Moderator                                                     
  

 
Women in Criminal Law, April 2014

How to run a Homicide Practice

Speaker                                                          
 

LAWS Youth Summer Program, 2010 to 2014
Mock Trial Coach                                       
 

Ontario Justice Education Network, May 2010
Sentencing Demonstration

Demonstrator                                                    


Ontario Justice Education Network, 2009 to 2010
Mock Trial Coach
 

Law Society of Upper Canada, October 2009

Preserving/Protecting Your Client's Confidentiality
Panelist
 

Young Barrister's Society, July 2008

Three Things Every Young Female Barrister Should Know
Panelist



Publications
 

 

How to prepare for and conduct a Crown pretrial (2008),

How-to briefs,

Education materials for the Law Society of Upper Canada

 

Spousal Testimony in Criminal Matters (1991) 3 Crown's Newsletter 64.