Karen Drake

Karen Drake, H.B.A., M.A., J.D.

Year of Call: 2008
Areas of Practice: Labour and Employment Law, Aboriginal Law, Civil Litigation
Virtual Business Card
Email: kdrake@erickson-law.com

Karen recently completed a clerkship at the Ontario Court of Appeal, where she gained a rare inside perspective on both written and oral advocacy. At the Court of Appeal, she worked closely with a number of judges and assisted with judgements concerning a wide range of issues.

Karen is a proud citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario, and a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law. During law school, she organized various Aboriginal initiatives, serving not only as an active member of the Aboriginal Law Student’s Association, but also as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the University of Toronto’s Indigenous Law Journal.

An avid writer, Karen has written numerous articles for legal publications, including the Ontario Bar Association’s Aboriginal Law Section Newsletter and the Australian Indigenous Law Review. She has also been quoted in the Globe and Mail on the constitutional rights of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Most recently, her article advocating on behalf of the proposed law school at Lakehead University appeared in Precedent magazine.

Prior to joining the firm, Karen completed her articles at Cassels Brock and Blackwell LLP, a full service law firm in Toronto, where she focused on labour and employment law, along with corporate and commercial litigation.

Awards:
Roger Carter Scholarship
National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation Award

Memberships:
Law Society of Upper Canada
Indigenous Bar Association
Thunder Bay Law Association

Community Involvement:
Member, City of Thunder Bay’s Racism Advisory Committee
Vice Chair, Thunder Bay Métis Council
Volunteer, Thunder Bay Law Association’s Law Day Committee
Member, Thunder Bay Business Women’s Network
Team Member, Thunder Bay Synchro Club Masters’ Team
Member, Lakehead University's Research Ethics Board