Jesse Abell

Jesse is an associate at OKT. She is a litigator whose practice focuses on upholding section 35 rights, protecting human rights, and advancing Indigenous jurisdiction.

She represents Indigenous clients across the country in court and in negotiations on a range of issues, including:

• Aboriginal and Treaty rights claims;
• Consultation and accommodation claims;
• Human rights and discrimination complaints;
• General civil litigation matters; and
• Claims and interventions on the status of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

She has appeared before administrative tribunals and courts across the country, including the Ontario Superior Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, the British Columbia Court of Appeal, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court.

Jesse’s writing has been published in the Supreme Court Law Review, on the status of UNDRIP in Canada.

Prior to joining OKT, Jesse completed her articles as a judicial law clerk at the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

Jesse received her J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School, where she won awards for academic excellence. While at Osgoode, she participated in the Kawaskimhon Aboriginal Law Moot, and worked as a research assistant with the Indigenous Environmental Justice Project, and on duty to consult issues. During law school, Jesse also worked as a legal caseworker at community legal aid clinics. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts (History and English) from the University of King’s College.

Jesse is called to the Bar in Ontario and in Newfoundland and Labrador.