I am pleased to announce that our first associate Leslie Anne St. Amour was Called to the Ontario Bar this past week and will be joining Durant Barristers shortly.
Leslie first caught my attention when she was invited to speak at a Law Society of Ontario CPD. It is rare for articling students to be invited to speak in front of such large (virtual) audiences. Leslie blew me away with her passionate remarks and advocacy on behalf of articling students. Those students have struggled during the pandemic and she did a fantastic job speaking on their behalf.
I was beyond pleased when within a few days of watching that event that Leslie Anne's CV appeared in my email inbox unsolicited. I quickly did some further research into Leslie Anne. A quick google search taught me that as a first year student at the University of Toronto Law School she organized a "teach-in" on the systemic issues faced by indigenous people in the justice system in the wake of the Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine cases. I am very proud to welcome her to our team.
Leslie Anne was born and raised in eastern Ontario, primarily the Ottawa Valley and Kingston areas. She is a member of the Bonnechere Algonquin First Nation and has mixed Algonquin and settler heritage. She attended McGill University where she received a Bachelors in political science with a minor in Indigenous studies. She was a member of the 2016-2017 Oceanpath Fellowship cohort run by the University of St. Francis Xavier which focused on asset-based community development.
While a law student, Leslie Anne joined the Board of Directors of Aboriginal Legal Services and received two student leadership awards: the Dean’s Leadership Award in 2018 and John Willis Student Leadership Award in 2020. She also practiced her litigation skills in both the Callaghan and Kawaskimhon Moots.
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Leslie Anne joins Durant Barristers after articling with the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks where she had the opportunity to participate in litigation, regulation drafting and prosecutions of environmental offenses. During articling, she joined the Board of Directors of the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station, an organization which is focused on providing a space for and support for conservation and ecological research in Ontario. If that wasn't enough, she became a co-host of the podcast "Rebalancing Act" that features interviews with experts and discusses climate solutions in an accessible way for young people.
Leslie Anne will be working with me on my professional liability, investigations and sports practice. She will be particularly beneficial in my efforts to promote equity and diversity in sport and with conducting interviews during complex investigations. Leslie Anne intends to pursue her own interests in law including both indigenous and environmental law.
Please join me in providing Leslie Anne with a warm welcome!
Erin Durant