Michelle Lawrence

Michelle Lawrence is an Associate Professor and Director of the Access to Justice Centre for Excellence (ACE) at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law. Her research focuses on criminal law, evidence, and how legal systems may create barriers to justice for vulnerable populations, particularly in cases involving substance use/mental health disorders, police misconduct, and sexual violence. She has published in leading journals such as the Canadian Bar Review and Canadian Criminal Law Review.

Education:

• BA, Western Ontario (1994)
• LLB, UVic (1998)
• LLM (Pegasus Scholar), University of Cambridge (2002)
• MA & PhD (Trudeau Scholar), Criminology, Simon Fraser University (2009/2014)

Research & Leadership: Dr. Lawrence leads ACE's applied research initiatives and contributes to Canada's first open-access criminal law casebook. She sits on the B.C. Review Board and previously served as Associate Dean, UVic Senate Appeals Committee Chair, and Associate Director of the FREDA Centre on Violence Against Women and Children.

Awards:

• Twice recipient of the Terry J. Wuester Teaching Award
• Trudeau Scholarship for doctoral studies

Practice & Service: Former litigation partner at a national law firm specializing in criminal litigation, regulatory proceedings, and civil disputes. Current roles include Alternate Chair of the B.C. Review Board and involvement in the National Centre for Indigenous Laws (opening 2025).