Scott Franks

Scott Franks is an Assistant Professor at the Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia. He holds an LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School and is pursuing a PhD at the University of Ottawa, focusing on Métis legal identity in Alberta settlements. Previously, he clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada for Justice Andromache Karakatsanis and practiced Indigenous rights law with Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP. His research centers Canadian Aboriginal law, Indigenous legal theory, and criminal law's intersection with Indigenous-settler relations.

Education includes a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall, Political Science from McGill University, and early studies at Lester B. Pearson College. Before UBC, he was part of the inaugural faculty at Toronto Metropolitan University's Lincoln Alexander School of Law.

• Key Research Areas: Métis legal identity, TRC implementation, Indigenous governance, and decolonizing legal education
• Awards: SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship, CBA Viscount Bennett Scholarship, York University Graduate Fellowship
• Professional Affiliations: Indigenous Bar Association, Canadian Bar Association, Law Society of Ontario (non-practicing)

Franks emphasizes practical legal education through courses like 'Indigenous Settler Legal Relations' and 'Aboriginal and Treaty Rights,' integrating archival methods and ethical legal practice. His work addresses systemic barriers in Indigenous legal representation and reconciliation initiatives.