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Year of call: Quebec Bar, 2000

Elisabeth Patterson joined Dionne Schulze law firm in 2010. She advises mostly First Nation and Inuit governments and organisations in Québec on a broad range of subjects, including Aboriginal, commercial and international law, specific claims as well as governance, environmental assessment, and the duty to consult and accommodate.

Elisabeth Patterson also assists clients by negotiating agreements, often in the context of social economy projects or economic development on Indigenous lands. She also advises concerning research ethics, privacy, and the protection of Indigenous culture, data and knowledge through contractual and intellectual property tools.

Elisabeth Patterson frequently presents on the above subjects in a professional or community context. She is involved in legal education and human rights trials in Latin America with Lawyers without Borders Canada.

She speaks and writes fluently in English and French and is proficient in Spanish.

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Education

  • LL.B., McGill University, 1999
  • B.C.L., McGill University, 1999
  • B.A. Honours in Political Science and International Development Studies, McGill University, 1994

Professional and volunteer activities

  • Quebec Bar
  • Mount Royal Cemetery, member of the board of directors (2021-…)
  • Lawyers Without Borders Canada, member since 2003 and volunteer (2009-…)
  • Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement, member of the board of directors (2015-…)

Awards and honours

  • Included among the leading practitioners in Aboriginal law in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory since 2016
  • Named as one of the “Best Lawyers” practicing Aboriginal law in Canada by Best Lawyers in Canada each year since 2020
  • Voted the 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” for in Aboriginal Law / Indigenous Practice in Montréal

Publications and papers

  • « Démystifions la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones », presentation given in French in Gatineau at the Great Gathering 2023 of the First Nations and Municipalities of the Province of Quebec, 23 March 2023.
  • « La consultation des peuples autochtones et les processus d’évaluation environnementale/des impacts », presentation given in French in Montreal at the 23rd internationalcolloquium et 22nd training workshop of Secrétariat international francophone pour l’évaluation environnementale (SIFÉE), 30 March 2023.
  • « Mise en œuvre en 2022 de la déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples Autochtones : un pas vers le consentement ? », presentation given in French in Montreal at the Forum on Consultation and Accommodation with Indigenous Communities, Open Forum Ouvert, 5 Decembre 2022.
  • « La fiscalité des Premières Nations ? », presentation given in French as part of Prof. Sam Singer’s tax law course, University of Ottawa, February 2021.
  • « La preuve des droits ancestraux de type commercial dans le contexte d’espèce menacée », online presentation to members of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Sustainable Development Institute, 2020.
  • « Où en sommes-nous avec la mise en œuvre de la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones (DNUDPA) ? », conference given in French in Quebec city at the Forum on Consultation and Accommodation with Indigenous Communities, Open Forum Ouvert, 8 November 2019.
  • « Intégration des cultures autochtones dans les systèmes judiciaires étatiques en droit international et comparé », conference given in French at Université de Sherbrooke, 28 May 2019.
  • « La consultation des peuples autochtones et les processus d’évaluation environnementale », conference given in French at Université de Montréal, February 2019.
  • « Les défis de la protection des cultures autochtones en droit canadien », presentation given in French, Montreal (UQAM), April 2018.
  • “The Indigenous Cultural Aspects of the Sepur Zarco Trial for Sexual Violence in Guatemala” (in French), LWBC Symposium, March 2017
  • “Social Economy Partnerships: Legal Issues”, presentation given at the Nunavik Social Economy Round Table, Dorval, 13 April 2016.
  • “Does the duty to accommodate reach its objectives: a comparative perspective in international and Canadian law”, Colloquium at the Faculty of Law of the University of Montreal, 18 June 2015.
  • “FPIC and Canadian Law”, Panel discussion, Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Convention, Montreal, 12 May 2015.
  • « Comment négocier et rédiger des ententes de partenariat autochtones / non-autochtones dans l’environnement juridique, politique et social actuel », presentation given in French at the Canadian Institute, strategic workshop, Montreal, 9 February 2015
  • « L’Obligation de consulter les autochtones en Amérique Latine: à quoi doivent s’attendre les minières (et les diplomates) Canadiens?”, presentation given at the Canadian Council on International Law, Ottawa, Ontario, 15 November 2013
  • “Aboriginal antidiabetic plant project with the James Bay Cree of Québec: An insightful collaboration », Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in Global Economy, Vol. 6 n° 3, 2012
  • “The duty to consult in Québec: Towards a reconciliation of Aboriginal rights with the right to sustainable development?”, Saskatoon, 14 June 2012
  • « La consultation des peuples autochtones dans le cadre de projets : perspectives autochtones », Canadian Bar Association, Montreal, November 17, 2011 and Sept-Iles, 13 October 2011
  • « La consultation des peuples autochtones dans le secteur minier: perspectives internationale et québécoise », Insight conference, Montreal, 29 September 2011
  • “El derecho a la consulta previa de los Pueblos Indígenas de Canadá”, presentation given in Bogota, Colombia, July 12 & 13, 2011
  • “The Protection of Indigenous Knowledge and related Intellectual Property Rights: The example of the Cree Diabetes Project”, presentation given at the Nagoya Protocol meeting, Montréal, 9 June 2011
  • « Protection du savoir traditionnel associé aux ressources génétiques : Mise en œuvre au Canada », presentation given at the Canadian Council on International Law, Ottawa, Ontario, 29 October 2010
  • “The obligation to consult and accommodate Indigenous peoples in Canada”, published in Spanish in Cuadernos de Difusion, CEUIC, Santiago, Chile, 2010 at 57
  • « La déclaration des Nations Unies dans le contexte canadien et québécois », presentation given at the Training Day, organized by Québec Native Women, on the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples, Indigenous Rights Coalition, Kahnawake, 20 September 2010
  • “El derecho a la consulta de los Pueblos Indígenas de Canadá como ejemplo de la valoración actual de los Derechos Humanos”, presentation given at the International Studies Center of the Catholic University of Chile, sponsored by the Embassy of Canada, Santiago, Chile, 29 March 2010
  • “La obligación de consultar pueblos indígenas en Canadá”, Presentation given at the Organización nacional indígena de Colombia, November 10, 2009, as well as at a USAID-organized Workshop on “La coordinación entre la juridicción especial indígena y las instituciones del Estado”, Bogotá, Colombia, 19 November 2009
  • “Derecho proprio en Canadá”, presentation given at a workshop on customary education, organized by a Columbian indigenous organization (UNIPA), Gran Sábalo Reserve, Nariño, Colombia, 15 November 2009
  • “Research and benefit-sharing agreement concerning a CIHR research project on medicinal plants used by the Cree of Eeyou Istchee”, Meeting of the Working Group on Article 8(j) of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Montréal, 3 November 2009
  • “The Duty to consult Aboriginal People  in Canada”, Class given in the Aboriginal Law course of Professor Bernard Duhaime, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, 29 April 2009
  • « Les lignes directrices des Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada en matière de recherche chez les peuples autochtones », presentation given at a workshop organized by the National Council on Ethics in Human Research, Québec City, 26 March 2009
  • « L’importance croissante des peuples autochtones en droit international et son impact en droit canadien », Canadian Council on International Law, presentation at the 37th annual conference, Ottawa, October 17, 2008
  • « L’adoption de la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peoples autochtones », Canadian Bar Association International Law Section Bulletin, February 2008
  • “The Use of Indigenous Knowledge in Mining Projects”, presentation given at the Canadian Institute of Mining, Annual Conference, Toronto, 26 April 2005
  • “Filling The Void: Contractual Solutions for Protecting Indigenous Knowledge In Canada”, paper presented at the Pacific Business and Law Institute Aboriginal Law 2004 conference, Ottawa, 17 November 2004
  • Book review of La libre circulation des travailleurs dans la Communauté européenne, J.Y. Carlier et M. Verwilghen, (éd.)” (1997) 10 Revue québécoise de droit international 231
  • « Le vote des algériennes pour le Front Islamique du Salut » (1994) 13 McGill J. of  Political Studies 1
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