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Christie A. McLeod

Associate | Vancouver

604.628.3689

Portrait of Christie A. McLeod

Overview

Christie is a member of Miller Thomson’s Advocacy Group, where she regularly advises Indigenous communities and companies on environmental, Indigenous, administrative, and regulatory law matters, as well as ESG issues. She has appeared before the Federal Court, the BC Court of Appeal, the BC Supreme Court, the BC Provincial Court, the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, the Territorial Court of Yukon, and the Nunavut Court of Justice.

Christie joined Miller Thomson as a student in 2019 and concluded her articles in 2020. She completed the joint JD/Masters in Environmental Studies program at Osgoode Hall Law School and York University, with the latter focusing on Canadian climate accountability. During her education, Christie also worked with Human Rights Watch in New York City and Toronto to research the impact of climate change on food security in Indigenous communities in Canada, and with West Coast Environmental Law as a summer student and legal researcher.

Christie appeared before the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development as a witness regarding Bill C-12 (The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act). In this role, Christie authored and submitted a brief which nearly 200 youth and youth-led organizations signed onto, as well as co-authored a brief submitted by Lawyers for Climate Justice.

In 2022, Christie traveled to Greenland to take part in the UNLEASH Regional Innovation Lab, where she worked alongside other young professionals from the global Arctic and Nordic region to develop innovative climate solutions.

Prior to law school, Christie served as the Executive Director of a non-profit organization devoted to children’s education and healthcare in East Africa. She concurrently founded Human Rights Hub Winnipeg, an initiative that raises awareness about local human rights issues and promotes events and opportunities in Winnipeg’s vibrant human rights sector. Christie continued to manage and grow this initiative through law school, and remains a Director of the organization today.

Christie regularly writes and speaks about human rights and environmental issues, including the climate crisis, and undertakes climate advocacy efforts in her spare time. She also serves as a Director of Lawyers for Climate Justice and a Policy Advisor for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.

Professional achievements & leadership

  • Environmental Law Institute, Emerging Leaders Initiative, 2022
  • Corporate Knights: Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leader, 2019
  • Osgoode Hall Law School Upper Year Award of Excellence, 2018
  • Gowling WLG Award in Climate Change Law, 2018
  • Victor Internship Award in Environmental Law, 2017 & 2018
  • The University Women’s Club of North York – Lee Robertson Memorial Award, 2017
  • Centennial Entrance Scholarship for the Prairie Provinces, 2016
  • CBC Manitoba: Future40 Award, 2016
  • Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, and the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties: Sybil Shacks Human Rights Youth Award, 2015
  • The Winnipeg Foundation: Emerging Leaders' Fellowship, 2015

Notable matters

  • Successfully argued in Federal Court in the case of Trophy Lodge NWT Ltd. v. Canada (AG) (2024 FC 218) that Parks Canada breached the rules of fairness in its handling of Trophy Lodge’s business licence application. The Trophy Lodge is a commercial tourism and sport fishing lodge that has been operating since 1965. It is located within Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve which was created in 2019. When the lodge was sold and the new owners applied for a licence the application was supported by the local Łutsel K’e Dene First Nation. Parks Canada had denied the licence based in part on the management board’s recommendation.
  • Assisted Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation in carrying out an independent Indigenous-led assessment of the proposed Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension Project.
  • Successfully argued in the Territorial Court of Yukon that a warrantless search of a commercial property carried out by the Crown violated rights under section 8 of the Charter, and that evidence obtained during the search was to be excluded from future proceedings pursuant to section 24(2) of the Charter.
  • Successfully challenged the Inspector of Mines’ permit amendment to increase production in the McAbee Quarry on the basis that the amendment was unreasonable and failed to adequately discharge the honour of the Crown regarding the consultation process with the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation (Ignace v. British Columbia (Chief Inspector of Mines), 2021 BCSC 1989).

Thought leadership

Interviews: Selected blog articles: Op-eds and articles: Academic publications: Presentations & speaking engagements:
  • “Indigenous Rights and Climate-Change Litigation: A Day in the Life of an Indigenous Rights Lawyer”, Peter A. Allard School of Law – Business Law Clinic, 2024
  •   "Greenwashing Litigation and Trends", Miller Thomson panel, 2023
  • "ESG and the Mining Industry", Miller Thomson panel, 2023
  • "Learning from Parallels and Precedents: Lessons for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty", Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Symposium, Sept. 2022 (London)
  • "International Efforts to Address the Global Climate Crisis", BC CLE Climate Law Conference, 2022
  • "International Climate Litigation & its Applicability to Canada", Osgoode Hall Law School - Climate Litigation Panel, 2021
  • "Climate Litigation Trends", National Environmental Law Group 2021 Cross Country Seminar, 2021
  • "Climate Legislative and Policy Updates", Environmental Litigation and Project Development, Miller Thomson seminar, 2021
  • "An Overview of Bill-C12", Divest Canada Coalition, 2021
  • "Advocating for Climate Change", Humans, On Rights (podcast), 2021
  • "The Weaknesses of Regulating Highly Hazardous Pesticides in International Law", Guest Lecturer, Osgoode Hall Law School - International Environmental Law class, 2020; 2019
  • "Climate Change & Child Marriage", Columbia Law School Climate Justice Symposium, 2018

Community involvement

  • ESG Advisory Committee Member, Mondetta Clothing, Present
  • Board Member, Human Rights Hub Winnipeg, Present
  • Board Member, Lawyers for Climate Justice, Present
  • Legal Working Group Member, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, Present
  • Delegate, Leading Change Canada, 2018 & 2020
  • Editor, Osgoode Hall Law Journal, 2016-2018
  • Volunteer, Justice Corporate Accountability Project, 2017
  • Commissioning Clinic, Parkdale Community Legal Services, 2017
  • Board Member, Institute for International Women’s Rights-Manitoba, 2016-2017
  • Resolutions Committee, Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba, 2015-2017
  • National Council of Women of Canada Delegate, UN Commission on the Status of Women, 2015
  • Founding Member, Friends of Shoal Lake 40, 2015

Professional memberships

  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Law Society of British Columbia
  • Law Society of the Yukon
  • IUCN Climate Crisis Commission
  • IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law Climate Change Law Specialization Group
  • Global Network for Human Rights and the Environment

Bar admissions & education

  • Yukon, 2022
  • British Columbia, 2021
  • Osgoode Certificate in ESG, Climate Risk and the Law, 2022
  • JD/Masters of Environmental Studies, Osgoode Hall Law School/York University, 2020
  • BA (Human Rights & Global Studies; International Development Studies), University of Winnipeg, 2014