Leah McDaniel

Leah is a Barrister & Solicitor with the Constitutional and Aboriginal Law team at Alberta Justice. She is a graduate of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, where she was the recipient of the Horace Harvey Gold Medal in Law for the highest standing in her graduating class. Following graduation, Leah clerked with the Alberta Court of Appeal, before commencing her legal career in private practice. She joined Alberta Justice in 2019.

Leah is also a sessional instructor at the Faculty of Law, University of Alberta, and has taught courses in Canadian Human Rights Law and Constitutional Litigation. Before law school, Leah obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialization in Finance, and worked as a Management Consultant with a large national consultancy firm.

Nate Whitling

Throughout his legal career, Nate has carried out a diversified practice in a wide array of subject matters, but now focuses primarily upon Criminal Law and human rights. Nathan has appeared before appeals courts across Canada, including many appearances as lead counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada. Nate has also acted as counsel in the United States, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Nate is listed as counsel in more than 150 reported decisions.

Read Nate Whitling’s full profile here. Mr. Justice Thomas G. Rothwell

Justice Rothwell is a graduate of the University of Alberta and holds degrees in economics and law. Immediately following graduation from law school he clerked for the Honourable Mr. Justice Major at the Supreme Court of Canada. Justice Rothwell began his career in private practice and joined Alberta Justice and Solicitor General (JSG) in 2004. Prior to his appointment, Justice Rothwell held a number of positions with JSG and held the position of Assistant Deputy Minister, Legal Services Division when he was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta. Justice Rothwell co-instructed Constitutional Litigation at the Faculty of Law for 7 years and has previously sat on the board of the Alberta Law Foundation, St. Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of Northern Alberta, and the Edmonton Police Foundation.

Judy Piercey

Judy Piercey is a former journalist and retired Managing Director of CBC Edmonton who is now a partner in Pen and Lens Communications. She has had a lifelong interest in human rights and spent most of her career writing stories about marginalized Canadians. As a reporter, Judy specialized in stories about Indigenous issues, natural resources and conflict over land use. Her interest in Indigenous people took her to CBC north, where she reported on-air and produced stories from around the Northwest Territories.

As Managing Director of CBC Edmonton and Northern Alberta, Judy was CBC’s senior manager for Radio, TV and Digital. A talented community leader, Judy brought diverse groups into CBC to engage in crucial public policy discussions. She is also an advocate for human rights and female empowerment, serving on the Alberta chapter of Think Equal (http://www.thinkequal.com). She was the driving force behind Building Empathy, Conquering Apathy, an annual human rights conference in Edmonton that she chaired in 2016 and 2017.

Judy has just completed her first novel and is currently writing her second book of non-fiction.

The Honourable Madame Justice Anna Loparco

Justice Loparco obtained her Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta in 1995,and graduated from McGill Law School with degrees in Common Law and Civil Law (with great distinction) in 2002. She obtained her MBA from McGill University in 2003. She articled at FMC LLP in Montreal and Edmonton, and became a member of the Alberta, Quebec and New York bars. She continued to practice with the successor firm Dentons LLP, where she worked for 15 years and was a partner.

As a civil litigator, she practiced in a broad range of areas of law including intellectual property, constitutional, education, administrative, professional liability, corporate commercial, insurance, and privacy. She has appeared before every level of court and authored various publications, including on the topics of the role of expert witnesses and the role of child’s counsel. Justice Loparco has represented numerous children as well as individuals with mental illnesses in protection proceedings, child and sexual abuse claims.

Justice Loparco has been involved in the community as past Chair of the Mediation and Restorative Justice Centre and the CBA Intellectual Property North section, as well as with numerous other organizations including Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Alberta, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, University of Alberta Hospital Foundation, University of Alberta Centre for Constitutional Studies, Alberta Trial Lawyers’ Legal Women’s forum, and the CBA Anti-counterfeiting and Trade Offences Committee. She regularly volunteers as Pro Bono Alberta duty counsel and amicus counsel.

She is the daughter of Italian immigrants and is fluent in French and Italian. Justice Loparco spends her free time with her family and close friends and has two teenaged daughters with her husband, Gary.