Andrea Menard
I am a Métis legal scholar, public intellectual, and federal adjudicator whose doctoral research redefines the terms of professional legitimacy in Canadian law through Indigenous jurisdiction and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). My work traces how self-regulating legal bodies—particularly the Federation of Law Societies of Canada—undermine reconciliation when they legislate “Indigenous competence” without Indigenous consent. Drawing from legal pluralism, decolonization theory, and social- dominance analysis, I bridge high-level scholarship with actionable policy tools that realign legal regulation with the obligations of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action #27. I deliver keynote addresses that challenge institutions to confront colonial practices in rule-making and rebuild legitimacy through jurisdiction-first governance and Indigenous regulatory co- authorship.
Indigenous Connect
CIO Times, Top 5 Lawyer
Canadian Lawyer Magazine, Top 25 Most Influential Lawyer
