She/Her
Throughout Michelle’s career, she has worked exclusively for Indigenous peoples to achieve their goals, including the protection of their rights. Michelle’s practice spans assisting Indigenous peoples with drafting and implementing laws and policies; governance matters; specific claims; consultation and accommodation with industry and government; negotiation; and litigation.
Michelle regularly advises clients on the Crown’s duty to consult and accommodate and the Crown’s fiduciary obligations. She endeavors to hold the Crown to the highest standard of conduct, and to ensure meaningful protection for Aboriginal and treaty rights, Aboriginal title, and reserve lands.
Michelle works with clients to develop, negotiate and litigate specific claims. She is also experienced in negotiating, developing and implementing the legal and administrative structures to support self-governance.
Prior to joining Woodward & Company in 2020, Michelle practiced at another Aboriginal law firm for 8 years, clerked at the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, and served as the editor for the Australian Indigenous Law Review. She has appeared in all three levels of court in British Columbia, the Federal Courts, the Supreme Court of Canada and various administrative tribunals, including the Nunavut Impact Review Board, the National Energy Board and the Specific Claims Tribunal.
Michelle obtained a Bachelor of Arts in International Development and English with distinction from McGill University. She then went on to attend law school at the University of New South Wales, graduating with honours. She was called to the bar in British Columbia in 2013, the Yukon Bar in 2020, and the Northwest Territories Bar in 2022.