Walker has worked as a criminal lawyer for over a decade and is a member of the Nunavut Law Program’s Advisory Committee, the Criminal Lawyers’ Association of Ontario, and the Chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the Canadian Bar Association’s Nunavut Branch. She most recently held the position of Senior Criminal Lawyer with Nunavut Legal Aid and taught as a sessional lecturer for the NLP earlier this year.
“We are delighted to welcome Lana back to the Nunavut Law Program as we prepare to deliver the final year of classes,” said Martin Phillipson, dean of the College of Law. “Lana is passionate about access to justice issues and has dedicated her career to assisting individuals navigate the criminal justice system. I look forward to working with her to continue to provide our students in Iqaluit with the academic and practical skills that will enable them to succeed in the practice of law.”
Originally from Kamloops, British Columbia, Walker studied Criminology at Simon Fraser University earning her Bachelor of Arts in 2003 and went on to obtain her Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University in 2006.
Lana completed her articles at a large criminal defence firm in Toronto and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2008. After working for several years as an associate, she opened her own practice, focusing exclusively on trial litigation. She has a passion for trial work and has conducted numerous judge-alone and jury trials for serious indictable matters, many of which have involved complicated evidentiary issues and Charter litigation.
In 2014, she was admitted to Nunavut Legal Aid’s private panel and became a member of the Law Society of Nunavut, eventually relocating to Iqaluit to work as a staff criminal lawyer for Nunavut Legal Aid. For two years she travelled frequently around the Qikiqtaaluk Region for court circuits, and then took on a leadership role within her office, administering the criminal dockets for the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit.
“I am honoured to take on the Director’s role for the Nunavut Law Program,” said Walker. “The NLP students are an energetic, bright, and motivated group who will have an incredibly positive impact on the future of the legal profession in Nunavut. I look forward to working with the students, the College of Law, and our partners, as we prepare the students to embark on their journeys as practicing legal professionals”.
The Nunavut Law Program is a partnership between the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan, the Government of Nunavut and the Nunavut Arctic College. The College of Law began delivering the four-year law degree program in Iqaluit in September 2017.
Walker’s appointment follows the departure of Stephen Mansell after he was named Deputy Minister of Justice for Nunavut earlier this year.