The Team

Lynn Buschemeyer is a second-year law student at the University of Windsor. Prior to entering Law School, she received her Bachelor of Arts from Western University where she completed an Honours Specialization and subsequently worked for the Ontario Disability Support Program. Lynn enjoys utilizing her research, academic, and interpersonal talents to contribute to meaningful community work such as volunteering with the Windsor Youth Centre and conducting tutorials for first-year Windsor Law students. Lynn was introduced to the project through her Social Justice Fellowship as a Debwewin Summer Law Intern and continues this work as a research assistant. Lynn is interested in practicing family and criminal law, continuing her research on health justice partnerships, and potentially teaching in the future.

Jamie Holmes is Haudenosaunee from Six Nations of the Grand River on her maternal side, settler descent on her paternal side. She grew up in Sarnia, Ontario which is surrounded by three unique Anishinabek communities. She is an active member in Anishinabek ceremonies.

Jamie is currently an articling student with the Indigenous Services Department at Legal Aid Ontario focusing on the most recent federal child welfare legislation impacting First Nation, Inuit and Metis communities across Canada. She is also a Master of Law (LLM) candidate at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law where her research focuses on Indigenous child protection and legal education.

Jamie has a decade of past experience in social services focused on Indigenous justice, criminal justice and access to justice for Indigenous communities. She was a native court worker, she assisted in and was successful advocating for separate Gladue case worker and writer funding for Lambton County that was managed and directed by the local First Nations, and managed a legal office on Walpole Island First Nation prior to attending law school. She assisted in instituting the John Howard Bail Supervision Program in Sarnia and later the Indigenous Bail Supervision Program in Lambton-County. She is an active volunteer in various organizations throughout Sarnia-Lambton.

Professionally, Rebecca has been with Legal Aid Ontario for 10 years, first as a Family Law Duty Counsel in Hamilton and then as Policy Counsel for the Aboriginal Justice Strategy. Currently, she is the Policy and Legal Counsel in the Indigenous Services Department.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French, a Masters of Arts in Canadian Studies, and a Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Policy and Management from Carleton University. She is also a graduate of Robson Hall Law at the University of Manitoba.

She sits on various community focused groups, including Hamilton’s Indigenous Child Protection Working Group and the Professional Aboriginal Advocacy and Networking Group (PAANG) of Hamilton. She also sits at the Sisters in Spirit table, a working group focused on addressing the crisis of murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls and Two Spirit people in Hamilton.

She has two adorable pups, Scout and Dottie. You’ll often find all three of them exploring the sights, sounds and ice cream stands in and around Hamilton and Sudbury.

Janice Makokis

Gemma Smyth (she/her) is Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Windsor, on the territories of the Three Fires Confederacy. Professor Smyth manages and teaches in several experiential programs: she created and now directs the Externship Program, the Judicial Internship Program and is also the Academic Clinic Director for the Class Action Clinic.

Professor Smyth has held various positions over her career including Law Foundation Chair at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan, Associate Dean (Academic), Academic Clinic Director and Associate Professor and Externship Program Director and Director of University of Windsor Mediation Services. She has taught Clinic Seminar, Class Action Clinic Seminar, Learning in Place (an Externship Program seminar), Dispute Resolution, Trauma- and Violence-Informed Lawyering, Access to Justice, Mediation Clinic, and Research Methods. Professor Smyth researches and writes in the areas of clinic law, dispute resolution, lawyering skills, and legal education. Professor Smyth is the co-author of the first text on clinical legal education in Canada, with Professors Sarah Buhler and Sarah Marsden. Professor Smyth has written and annually published updates to an online, open source book, “Learning in Place: A Living Landscape of Practice”, now in its third edition. This text is freely available to clinical, internship, externship, co-op and other work-informed learning programs.

Professor Smyth hosts an open-access Youtube channel with materials on law practice with a focus on clinical law skills and a website on clinic supervision for lawyer-supervisors and law students in work-integrated learning environments. She is Past President of the Association for Canadian Clinical Legal Education, a national collaborative working on issues related to clinical and experiential legal education in Canada. Professor Smyth’s papers and other publications can be found on the University of Windsor’s digital repository. Professor Smyth is also a member of the Judicial Advisory Committee (West and South), a Board member for the Canadian National Negotiation Competition, and a member of the ADR Institute of Canada.

Victoria Bucic is a second-year law student at the University of Windsor, where she is completing a Juris Doctor and the French Common Law Certification Program (CCLF). She completed a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Law and Legal Studies with a minor in History from Carleton University. Victoria brings a refined skill set in investigative research and evidence collection from her experience as a Property Standards Bylaw Student. As a fully bilingual researcher, Victoria’s proficiency is rooted in a complete French language education, prior to her post-secondary studies. Her interest in this specific research project was ignited after assisting during a case briefing event, where she recognized the need for legal analysis across both official languages.

Madeline Jones recently graduated with her Juris Doctor from the University of Windsor (Class of 2025) and is currently articling with Christopher Knowles, Barrister and Solicitor. She plans to pursue a career in family law. Madeline contributed to the Bill C-92 Project during her Winter 2025 externship. Madeline analyzed case law, extracted key quotations and ratios, and helped with early designs of an accessible database for users with limited knowledge of the Federal Act.

Madison (‘Maddy’) Motyka is a 2L student in the MSW/JD program at the University of Windsor. Born in Niagara Falls and raised in St. Catharines, Maddy has always had a passion in working with, and advocating for, children. This passion has led her to numerous years working at supervised access centres, volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and most recently, securing a 2L summer position with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer. Maddy is currently completing her second term working with the housing team at Legal Assistance of Windsor, helping to represent vulnerable tenants at the Landlord Tenant Board. Maddy hopes to include legal aid work into her future practice in the realm of family and child protection law. In her free time, Maddy likes to read, bake, and play board games with friends and family.

Danae Nicholson is a first-year Juris Doctor candidate at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, she brings a different perspective shaped by two years at Ranch Ehrlo Society, where she developed a deep-seated passion for youth advocacy and community support. After assisting with a case briefing event, Danae was inspired to join this project as a way to merge her frontline experience with legal theory. She contributes to this project by analyzing cases and their application of
An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families
, SC 2019, c 24.

In her free time, Danae likes to lift weights and spend time with her dogs, Nala and Reign.

Camila Paez is a third-year JD candidate at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. She earned an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University. During law school, Camila has worked as a student research assistant on projects examining the implementation of Bill C-92 in Canadian case law and conducting empirical research on punitive damages across Canada. She also completed an externship at the Windsor-Essex Bilingual Legal Clinic, assisting temporary foreign workers and conducted client intake in both Spanish and English. After graduating this spring, Camila will complete her articles with a full-service firm in Norfolk County.

Jessica Rachel Cook is an Oji-cree whose family is from Constance Lake First Nation and Bkejwanong First Nation member and is from the wolf clan. Jessica is a formerly trained fine artist who works with traditional and contemporary mediums, photography and multimedia to create original works of art. She also is an educator who enjoys outreach initiatives with local communities and group art projects.

Fallon is of mixed settler and Anishinaabe ancestry and is a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. Her maternal grandparents are the Fox and King families both from Wiikwemkoong, located on Mndioo Mnising. Fallon is the Associate Vice President, Indigenous Services at Legal Aid Ontario and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2011.

Rebecca Hammond is originally from Sudbury but now lives in Hamilton and is a proud and active member of the Hamilton urban Indigenous community.

Professionally, Rebecca has been with Legal Aid Ontario for 10 years, first as a Family Law Duty Counsel in Hamilton and then as Policy Counsel for the Aboriginal Justice Strategy. Currently, she is the Policy and Legal Counsel in the Indigenous Services Department.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French, a Masters of Arts in Canadian Studies, and a Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Policy and Management from Carleton University. She is also a graduate of Robson Hall Law at the University of Manitoba.

She sits on various community focused groups, including Hamilton’s Indigenous Child Protection Working Group and the Professional Aboriginal Advocacy and Networking Group (PAANG) of Hamilton. She also sits at the Sisters in Spirit table, a working group focused on addressing the crisis of murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls and Two Spirit people in Hamilton.

She has two adorable pups, Scout and Dottie. You’ll often find all three of them exploring the sights, sounds and ice cream stands in and around Hamilton and Sudbury.

Alphonse Aquash is a Anishinaabe traditional knowledge holder and carrier from Bkejwanong Territory (Walpole Island First Nation), he is a community member of Aamjiwnaang First Nation. He is a son, a father, a grandfather, and a brother. He is a pillar in his community, upholding a traditional way of life. He has been in recovery for 12 years and is a graduate Sundancer. He carries the language, songs and sings on the big drum.

Alphonse currently works for Aamjiwnaang Health Centre as an Addictions and Recovery worker in the Outreach program and has played a pivotal role in establishing and the ongoing development of a mental health hub on the Aamjiwnaang First Nation that operates as a shelter during the winter months. He attends Sarnia Lambton’s Indigenous Persons Court weekly to support Aamjiwnaang members involved in the criminal justice system.

He is a knowledge carrier for an ongoing project with Windsor Law and Indigenous Services Department at Legal Aid Ontario, assisting in ensuring the work is grounded in traditional teachings and a decolonial lens.