Our Team
CELL is a new kind of legal non-profit on the Canadian environmental law landscape.
Our goal is to train and mentor tomorrow’s environmental defenders in the litigation skills they will need to advocate effectively for the public interest. They will acquire these skills by working on strategically selected and closely supervised public interest environmental cases that promote access to justice and the rule of law.
To oversee and run CELL’s operations, a talented and committed team has been assembled from the worlds of litigation practice and academe. Our board and staff will work closely together to deliver our innovative litigation and education programs.
Board of Directors
President of the Board — Jocelyn Stacey is an Assistant Professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on Canadian environmental and administrative law. She has a doctorate in law from McGill University, an LLM from Yale Law School, and an LLB from the University of Calgary. She was called to the Bar in Ontario in 2010. Her research focuses on the relationship between the rule of law and environmental issues. Her current work explores the potential implications of understanding environmental issues from the perspective of an ongoing emergency. A profile of her current work can be found on the Research Portal. Jocelyn has been the recipient of numerous academic awards including a SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her doctoral work. Prior to her graduate work, Jocelyn clerked for the Honorable Justice Marshall Rothstein at the Supreme Court of Canada.
Vice President of the Board — Mark G. Underhill, K.C. is a partner at Arvay Finlay LLP (formerly Underhill, Boies Parker, Gage & Latimer LLP). He graduated from UVic Law in 1995 and was called to the Bar of the Law Society of British Columbia in 1996. He practised with a leading litigation boutique for ten years before establishing his own firm in 2005. His areas of interest include administrative, environmental, aboriginal and constitutional law. He also maintains a broad general civil litigation practice. Mark has appeared at all levels of court, including as lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Canadian Federation of Students v. Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority in the Supreme Court of Canada. He has taught environmental law at the University of Victoria and is a regular speaker at legal educational conferences in his practice areas. Among other community activities, Mark is the former President and chair of the board of directors of the West Coast Environmental Law Association. Mark has been selected by his peers to be included in Best Lawyers in Canada in the areas of aboriginal law, administrative and public law, and environmental law.
Secretary — Jason Gratl founded and practices at Gratl and Company in Vancouver. He received his law degree at the University of Toronto Law and was called to the bar in BC in 2001. Before law school, he obtained an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Waterloo. He is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer regularly appearing in all levels of Court. Jason was counsel in a number of leading Supreme Court of Canada matters including on Charkaoui v. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, SWUAV v. Attorney General of Canada, Carter v. Canada (Attorney General), and R. v. Smith. He served as Independent Counsel at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry representing the interests and perspectives of affected individuals and organizations within the Downtown Eastside. From 2005 to 2008 he was President of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Pivot Legal Society, the East End Food Coop, Frank Paul Society and Radix Theatre Society. Since 2005, Jason has been appointed as Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia, where he teaches a seminar in Public Law. In 2009, the Canadian Association of Journalists presented Jason with the President’s Award for his work in defence of free expression. In 2014, he was nominated for the Canadian Lawyer Magazine’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers.
Director at Large — Reidar Mogerman, K.C. is a partner at Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman. He was called to the bar in 1997. Reidar’s practice is currently focused on class actions, product liability and aviation law. Reidar has worked as counsel and as an advisor on major public and private law litigation in all levels of court in British Columbia. He also has acted as counsel before the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, the Federal Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada. Reidar has been involved in precedent setting Supreme Court of Canada cases in the areas of aboriginal law (the Haida, Taku, Osoyoos, and Okanagan cases), product liability (A.G. British Columbia v. Imperial Tobacco Canada and others), constitutional law (Law Society of British Columbia v. Mangat), and executive privilege (Babcock v. A.G. Canada). He also has significant exposure to cases involving public and private international law, trusts and pensions, administrative law, fraud, professional liability, and environmental law. He is presently involved in a number of multi-jurisdictional competition law class actions. Away from work, Reidar skis, mountain bikes and surfs.
Director at Large — Dr. Jason MacLean is an Assistant Professor at the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) at the University of Saskatchewan. Before his current appointments, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law and the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University. His research focuses on climate change law and policy, sustainability processes and pathways, including Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and Indigenizing Canadian environmental laws, and transnational corporate law and accountability (his research is available via Google Scholar and ResearchGate). Jason holds a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Alberta, B.C.L and LL.B. degrees from McGill University’s Faculty of Law, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in Anthropology and Sociology from St. Francis Xavier University and the University of Toronto. Jason began his career as a litigator, first at Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York and Paris, and then at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in Toronto, and also clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada for Madam Justice Marie Deschamps. He is called to the bar in New York and Ontario, and has appeared at all levels of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Staff
Chris Tollefson is the founding Executive Director of CELL, a Professor of Law at the University of Victoria, and the Principal of Tollefson Law. He has degrees from Queen’s, University of Victoria and Osgoode Hall Law School, and clerked at the BC Court of Appeal for Justices Lambert and Macdonald. Chris combines teaching and research on environmental issues with counsel work for various public interest environmental clients. This counsel work has included appearances before all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and various environmental regulatory boards and tribunals. He was counsel to BC Nature and Nature Canada during both the Enbridge Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline hearing processes. His publications cover a range of environmental and natural resource topics including environmental assessment, eco-certification, and access to justice. He is co-author (with Meinhard Doelle) of a leading environmental law textbook. Chris is a former President of Ecojustice and founding executive director of the UVic Environmental Law Centre. He has won various awards for his teaching and research, and in 2014 was the recipient of Nature Canada’s Conservation Partner Award for his work leading their legal team during the Northern Gateway pipeline hearings.
ctollefson@pacificcell.ca
Current Students
CELL is currently accepting applications for enrolment into our 20th cohort for the 2025 Spring (January-March) term! Applications can be accessed here, and will remain open until December 30, 2024. For more information about our program and how to apply, email our Program Coordinator at mnorthcote@pacificcell.ca.
Former Students
2023 Spring Cohort
Avery Letkemann (UVic Law)
Brigid Martin (UNB Law)
Elizabeth Collins (uOttawa Law)
Emma Jacobs (McGill Law)
Johan Muyal (Queens Law)
Kyra Graham (UVic Law)
Margaret Williams (UVic Law)
Nathan Murray (U of C Law)
Raina Young (McGill Law)
Rares Minecan (Allard Law, PBSC placement)
Spencer Williams (McGill Law)
Sydney Fougere (Schulich Law)
2022 Fall Cohort
Allison Bilenkey (UVic Law)
Avery Pasternak (Allard Law, PBSC placement)
Caitlin Wardrop (Allard Law, PBSC placement)
Drew Yewchuk (Allard Law)
Emma Camicioli (UVic Law)
Grace Bryson (Schulich Law)
Hannah West (U of T Law)
Kathryn Humphries (UVic Law)
Kolawole Aibiri (Schulich Law)
Patrick McDermott (UVic Law)
2022 Summer Cohort
Abigail Tennant (UNB Law)
Brenna Krause (UVic Law)
Daniele Zerbo (UVic Law)
Emma Pandy-Szekeres (UNB Law)
Indigo Smart (UVic Law)
Moira Kelly (UVic Law)
Samantha Andison (UVic Law)
Sofia Watt Sjöström (McGill Law)
Victoria Flaherty (McGill Law)
Wynona Klemt (Allard Law)
2022 Spring Cohort
Aimee Huntington (uCalgary Law)
David Balzer (Allard Law, PBSC placement)
Elizabeth Benoy (Queens Law)
Emma Smyth (Allard Law, PBSC placement)
Eric Shapiro (UVic Law)
Harrison Myles (uToronto Law)
James Mager (UVic Law)
Kaeleigh Phillips (Allard Law)
Michaela Aeberhardt (UVic Law)
Peyton Carmichael (UNB Law)
Sarah Lundy (UVic Law)
Will Andrews (graduated Oxford Law, UK)
2021 Fall Cohort
Adele DesBrisay (UVic Law)
Aimee Huntington (uCalgary Law)
Austen Erhardt (Allard Law, PBSC placement)
Elise Burgert (uToronto Law)
Iris Fairley-Beam (UVic Law)
Jade Dumoulin (Allard Law)
Jakob Sanderson (Allard Law, PBSC placement)
Kaitlin Cook (TRU Law)
Keira Lewis (Dalhousie Law)
Kristen Makokis (Allard Law)
Lydia Young (UVic Law)
Marina Saporito (Queens Law)
Michaela Aeberhardt (UVic Law)
Sean Price (UVic Law)
Will Andrews (Oxford Law, UK)
2021 Spring Cohort
Corrine Tansowny (McGill Law)
Courtenay Jacklin (UVic Law)
David Gill (UVic Law)
Gabriel D’Astous (McGill Law)
Joe Braun (UVic Law)
Julia Fyfe (Allard Law)
Kat Ying (uOttawa Law)
Larissa Parker (McGill Law)
Laura Bullock (UVic Law)
Lydia Young (UVic Law)
Michaela Aeberhardt (UVic Law)
Nico Rullmann (UVic Law)
Sean Price (UVic Law)
2020 Fall Cohort
Alisa Koebel (1-yr call)
Andrew Spear (UVic Law)
Erika Richards (UVic Law)
Evan Morrow (USask Law)
Gabriel D’Astous (McGill Law)
Joe Braun (UVic Law)
Julia Roe (Allard Law)
Larissa Parker (McGill Law)
Laura Bullock (UVic Law)
Michaela Aeberhardt (UVic Law)
Russell Chiong (UVic Law)
Victoria Kacer (UVic Law)
Will Andrews (Oxford Law, UK)
Zakary Anderson (USask Law)
2020 Summer Cohort
Erika Richards (UVic Law)
Jacquie Miller (UVic Law)
Jamie Fikeris (UVic Law)
Joe Braun (UVic Law)
Julia Roe (Allard Law)
Larissa Parker (McGill Law)
Laura Bullock (UVic Law)
Lisa Harris (UVic Law)
Macinly Fram (UVic Law)
Russell Chiong (UVic Law)
Travis Smith (USask Law)
Victoria Kacer (UVic Law)
Will Andrews (Oxford Law, UK)
2020 Spring Cohort
Andrew Denhoff (UVic Law)
Erika Richards (UVic Law)
Frances Ankenman (UVic Law)
Jacquie Miller (UVic Law)
Jamie Fikeris (UVic Law)
Joe Braun (UVic Law)
Julia Roe (Allard Law)
Laura Bullock (UVic Law)
Lauren Mar (UVic Law)
Xean Xu (Allard Law)
Victoria Kacer (UVic Law)
Will Andrews (Oxford Law, UK)
2019 Fall Cohort
Amrit Rehlan (UVic Law)
Cate White (UVic Law)
Ellen Campbell (UVic Law)
Erika Richards (UVic Law)
Jacquie Miller (UVic Law)
Jamil Kabani (Allard Law)
Julia Roe (Allard Law)
Lauren Mar (UVic Law)
Sean Xu (Allard Law)
Will Kendon (UVic Law)
Yousap Hanna (Allard Law)
2019 Summer Cohort
Adrian Levine (McGill Law)
Andrew Denhoff (UVic Law)
Christine Parsons (UVic Law)
Danielle Toth (UVic Law)
Ellen Campbell (UVic Law)
Erika Richards (UVic Law)
Grace Hermansen (Osgoode Hall)
Gurkiran Dhillon (UVic Law)
Margaret Monteith (UVic Law)
Morgan Watchorn (TRU Law)
Owen Pachal (UVic Law)
Richard Wagner (UVic Law)
Selina Wall (UVic Law)
Will Andrews (Oxford Law, UK)
Tyson Acoose (USask Law)
2019 Spring Cohort
Allison Sproule (UVic Law)
David Schecter (UVic Law)
Graham May (UVic Law)
Jason Fitzpatrick (UVic Law)
Lauren Mar (UVic Law)
Liam McGuigan (UVic Law)
Owen Stewart (UVic Law)
Sebastian Maturana (UVic Law)
Will Kendon (UVic Law)
2018 Fall Cohort
Alexander Wheele (UVic Law)
Allison Sproule (UVic Law)
David Schecter (UVic Law)
Jason Fitzpatrick (UVic Law)
Lauren Mar (UVic Law)
Liam McGuigan (UVic Law)
Marina Goodwin (UVic Law)
Owen Stewart (UVic Law)
Ruben Tillman (UVic Law)
Ryan Beaton (UVic Law)
Sebastian Maturana (UVic Law)
2018 Summer Cohort
Amanda Spitzig (Osgoode Hall)
Morgan McGinn (McGill Law)
Rory Shaw (Queens Law)
2018 Spring Cohort
Chya Mogerman (UVic Law)
Emanuela Bocancea (UVic Law)
Laura Edwards (UVic Law)
Linette Lubke (UVic Law)
Marina Goodwin (UVic Law)
2017 Fall Cohort
Andrew Mendelson (UVic Law)
Catherine Higham (Allard Law)
2017 Summer Cohort
Christina Clemente (uOttawa Law)
Madeline Macdonald (Queens Law)
Rory Shaw (Queens Law)
2017 Spring Cohort
Ashley Thomas (UVic Law)
David Machat (UVic Law)
Jeff Drozdiak (UVic Law)
Mark Kimmich (UVic Law)
Matthew Palmer (UVic Law)
Michael Schryver (UVic Law)
Schuyler Roy (UVic Law)
2016 Fall Cohort
Alexandre Vincent Cicone (UVic Law)
Caitlin Stockwell (UVic Law)
Kathryn Gullason (UVic Law)
Leila Hartford (UVic Law)
Roark Lewis (UVic Law)
Taylor Dignan (UVic Law)