Nicole Schabus

Nicole Schabus is an Associate Teaching Professor at Thompson Rivers University's Faculty of Law. She holds an LLM and MBA from the University of Vienna and is a PhD Candidate. Her expertise spans constitutional, criminal, Aboriginal, and environmental law, with a focus on Indigenous rights, environmental negotiations under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and intersections of trade law with indigenous resources. She has contributed to landmark cases like the Tŝilhqot'in Nation v. British Columbia, advocating for Aboriginal title recognition.

Education:

• LLM and MBA, University of Vienna
• Studies at Universities of Sydney and Ottawa

Research Interests: Nicole’s work emphasizes Indigenous traditional knowledge, biodiversity governance, and the legal dimensions of international trade agreements affecting Indigenous communities. She co-leads a SSHRC-funded project on community participation in biodiversity and traditional knowledge management in British Columbia.

Grants & Collaborations: Recipient of SSHRC funding for research on Indigenous control over biodiversity. Active in international projects, including a European Union initiative on multicultural autonomy in Latin America.

Awards:

• Prestigious Scholarship from the Austrian Academy of Sciences
• Additional scholarships for research contributions

Practice & Advocacy: Over 10 years of legal practice focusing on Indigenous and environmental law. Represented Indigenous groups in high-profile cases like the Cohen Commission and the Tŝilhqot'in Supreme Court intervention. Drafted amicus curiae submissions for Indigenous rights at international tribunals.