Services
Legal Services
Tailored legal advice and agreements
My legal career has involved working across numerous business areas of a large municipal corporation, including enforcement, business licensing, operations, emergency management, and regulatory compliance. I bring a holistic and practical approach to my work, understanding that sustainable systemic change requires understanding and appreciating the reasons for the existing structure. Project specific work could include, but is not limited to:
- environmental regulatory compliance advice;
- providing legal review of climate plans, policies, governance, climate reporting, and budgets;
- constructing and advising on financing and grant programs;
- drafting bylaws, policies, or agreements with community groups, corporations, and academic institutions.
Municipal Climate Impact Strategy
Plan and prepare for specific local impacts
Municipal administrators are well aware of growing difficulties with infrastructure funding gaps, response to extreme weather and emergency events, growing municipal climate liability, and the undermining of local democracy. However, drawing connections between these risks, communicating the ultimate impact, and integrating these decision points can be challenging. I provide legal and risk strategy advice to administrators on how to frame and prioritize these concerns for Councils and decision makers in reports, presentations and other strategic communications. This work draws on my experience in updating municipal governance systems, providing legal advice in front of City Council meetings, and advising on the launch, operation, and closure of various municipal climate programs.
Workshops
Courses and presentations
I am skilled at providing training sessions and education materials to in house counsel, administrators, and municipal councillors. Previous topics have included emerging municipal liability risks, specific municipal climate impacts, risk mitigation strategies, bylaw drafting, new waste regulations, bylaw enforcement, and peace officer use of force.
I continue to present regularly at conferences and workshops on municipal environmental law topics, including at the International Municipal Lawyers Association Conference, the Alberta Municipal Legal Advisors Conference, and the Canadian Bar Association (AB). I have also been a guest lecturer at the University of Alberta and University of Calgary on topics including bylaw drafting and municipal environmental law.
