Riley Brennan joined Woodward & Co. as an articling student in 2023 and returned as a lawyer in 2024. She holds a JD from the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law (2023) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern British Columbia (2019), where she majored in political science with minors in environmental studies and business. Riley is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia (2024), the Canadian Bar Association, and the Victoria Bar Association.
A settler who grew up on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh (Prince George, BC), Riley brings a community-centered approach to her work. During law school, she served on the executive of the Environmental Law Club, volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada, and completed a clinical term at the UVic Law Centre, where she represented an Indigenous client in a four-day family law hearing. She is also passionate about youth engagement and sustainability, having served on the Youth Advisory Committee for the Fraser Basin Council and co-developed the Rivers Clinic for Empowered Youth—a five-day canoe journey for youth in the Nechako watershed.
Riley’s legal interests are rooted in her background in political science and public policy, including a co-op term with the British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General’s Justice Services Branch. She is particularly motivated by the ways in which laws and systems of power shape the lives of her clients and is committed to addressing systemic injustices. Her practice is grounded in supporting Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination, with a focus on the revitalization of Indigenous laws and sustainable economic development as a means of decolonization.