Rhea is an Associate in our Toronto office. She returns to the firm after completing a clerkship with the Superior Court of Justice, where she assisted with a number of high-profile cases as well as the Court’s first Indigenous sentencing circle.
Rhea received her J.D. from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. During law school, she completed the Certificate in Aboriginal Studies under the supervision of Professor Kent Roach, was a Senior Editor of the Indigenous Law Journal, and participated in the Kawaskimhon Moot and Anishinaabe Law Camp.
Rhea has previously worked at the Legal Clinic of Aboriginal Legal Services and recently served on its board as a Shadow Director. Her involvement in Indigenous community work dates back over ten years, and includes experience with organizations such as Chiefs of Ontario, De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre, and the Indigenous Rematriation Collective.
Before pursuing law, Rhea completed a Bachelor of Arts & Science at McMaster University, where she also co-chaired the McMaster Indigenous Health Movement.
Rhea is particularly interested in issues related to Indigenous criminal justice. Her paper entitled, “The Sentencing of Indigenous People in Canada: Where We Are Two Decades After Gladue” was published in 2023 and studied the courts’ role in the over-incarceration of Indigenous peoples. She has also written on issues such as Mi’kmaq fishing rights and the criminalization of Indigenous land defenders.
