Legal Aid BC (LABC) promotes mentoring within our roster of lawyers. To facilitate this, we offer a few mentorship opportunities. These opportunities are available to lawyers actively taking LABC contracts with less than five years of call or who have been practising in the relevant area of law for less than five years.
Case-specific support
For cases with complex elements, lawyers may apply for one of two options — mentoring assistance or apprentice counsel. This provides our lawyers with valuable learning experience on LABC cases.
- Mentoring assistance is requested by the mentee and, if authorized, grants up to 10 hours of mentorship on the mentee’s case.
- Apprentice counsel is requested by the mentor and, if authorized, grants up to 75 hours for the apprentice on the mentor’s case.
For more information and guidelines, see Mentoring counsel (PDF).
General mentorship
LABC has launched a new mentorship program to offer general mentorship support for our new lawyers.
Below are lists of lawyers who have limited funding to provide support for less experienced lawyers. These mentors have significant experience in their areas of law as well as working with LABC. Mentors can help with a range of support including case discussions, skills development, and in-depth support. You do not need to be in the same geographic location as a mentor, as you will be meeting virtually.
You may reach out to these lawyers directly; however, please be respectful of their time.
Fai, David N. – North Vancouver
604-649-2500 / davidfai@telus.net
Called to Bar June 13, 1986. 40 years of experience as a Criminal Defence lawyer working primarily in Vancouver. Have been to Supreme Court of Canada twice; once as lead counsel in R. v. Lloyd and once as an intervenor in R, v, Zora. Appeared in all levels of BC Courts on a wide range of Criminal Charges from theft under to homicide. Former President of the BC Civil Liberties Association. Winner of the 2016 Pivot Legal Access to Justice Award. Founding Board Member of Association of Legal Aid Lawyers.
Gadey, Sandy – Abbotsford
604-744-9520 / sandy@lionlit.ca
Sandy’s commitment to family law was shaped long before she entered the legal profession. From a young age, she volunteered with organizations supporting victims of crime, gaining experience in navigating the complexities of the justice system. This inspired her commitment to providing effective legal representation.
Sandy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, followed by a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Leicester. She completed her accreditation through the University of Victoria in 2012, before beginning her legal career as an associate.
Since founding Gadey Law Corporation in 2016, now operating as Lion Litigation, Sandy has dedicated over a decade representing individuals and families throughout the Fraser Valley. She regularly appears before the Provincial Court and Supreme Court of British Columbia, advocating for clients in a broad range of family law matters.
In addition to her private practice, Sandy is a roster lawyer with Legal Aid BC, serves as Duty Counsel, and is a participant in the BWSS-LABC pilot project. She also represents children through the Society for Children and Youth of BC. This work reflects the same commitment to access to justice and advocacy which has defined her career from the start.
Gaudette, Alan – Vernon
250-545-3132 / amgaudette@shaw.ca
DOB: July 4, 1954. Married to Shelley Gaudette (Paralegal, Assistant) for 25 years. Called to the B.C. Bar July 13, 1982. Sole family law practitioner.
In my spare time I enjoy golf, motorcycle riding, biking, playing guitar and traveling.
For the past 30 plus years I have practiced mainly family law, with extensive litigation and court room experience dealing with complex family law matters concerning every possible family law and CFCSA issue(s). I also have many years’ experience both as a family law Mediator and counsel for clients in numerous family law mediations.
I have practiced at all levels of court in British Columbia including the Provincial Court, Supreme Court of British Columbia and The Court of Appeal.
I am one of the LABC Local Agents for Vernon / Salmon Arm and am also currently an LABC Family Law Mentor.
Nelson, Andrew – Vancouver
604-688-8338 / andrew@johnsondoyle.com
Andrew Nelson has been practicing criminal law for 16 years. He has been a counsel on several complex criminal cases at BC Supreme Court, dealing with unique evidentiary pre-trial applications including hearsay, prior discreditable conduct, Third Party Records applications, and s.278 applications. He also has experience in mental health law - particularly fitness and NCRMD. He is generally available with a few hours’ notice to help counsel seeking mentorship.
Nudel, Fred – Abbotsford
604-746-3374 / fred@mpeaklaw.ca
Fred Nudel has been a family lawyer for over 30 years, with extensive experience in family and child protection law. He has represented clients at all levels of court in Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and has worked with individuals from diverse and often vulnerable communities.
In addition to his legal practice, Fred is an accredited family law mediator, arbitrator, and parenting coordinator. He has a long-standing commitment to mentorship, having supported articling students, junior counsel, and sole practitioners throughout his career.
As a mentor with Legal Aid BC’s New Lawyer Mentoring Program, Fred asks that counsel provide party names in advance to allow for a conflict check. He offers timely, practical support by reviewing materials, arranging phone consultations — typically within 48 hours — and often providing follow-up written guidance. Fred values the opportunity to support new lawyers and enjoys helping them navigate the complexities of practice.
Paquette, Chantal F – West Vancouver
604-764-7154 / chantal@cfplaw.ca
Chantal Paquette is a criminal defence lawyer with 10 years of experience conducting jury trials and representing clients in complex and high-stakes matters across the Lower Mainland. In addition to her defence practice, she regularly acts as Complainant’s Counsel for 276/278 applications and as ad hoc Crown counsel, providing her with a broad and balanced perspective on the criminal justice system.
Chantal is on the board of CDAS and is the Chair of the Legal Aid Tariff Committee. She is actively involved in mentorship and legal education within the criminal bar. She works closely with many junior counsel and articled students to support the development of practical advocacy skills, trial strategy, and ethical practice in criminal law.
Selamaj, Nelson – Kelowna
250-899-7769 / nelson@selamajlaw.ca
My criminal defence experience spans all levels of court and includes conducting trials, contested hearings, and managing complex files involving Charter issues, evidentiary disputes, and expert evidence. I regularly engage in cross-examination and pre-trial advocacy, and I have developed a practical, experience-based approach to litigation that I would bring to mentoring junior counsel. In the child protection context, I have represented parents in a wide range of proceedings, often involving family violence, trauma, and overlapping social challenges.
A central focus of my practice is representing clients from equity-denied and marginalized communities, including Indigenous, Black, and racialized clients, as well as individuals who are disabled or identify as sexually or gender diverse. I regularly assist clients facing systemic barriers such as poverty, homelessness, addiction, trauma, and significant mental health challenges. In particular, I have in-depth experience representing clients with mental illness. This includes appearing before tribunals to challenge mental health certifications and representing clients before Review Boards in Not Criminally Responsible proceedings.
These matters require careful navigation of both legal and medical frameworks, as well as a trauma-informed and client-centered approach. This experience has strengthened my ability to support vulnerable clients while managing complex legal issues — skills I would actively pass on to mentees.
Sim, Stephanie – New Denver
236-818-1980 / stephanie@stephaniesim.ca
Prefers mentee reach out to her via email.
Stephanie practiced in the area of family law and child protection law from 2009-2016 at PGS Law in New Westminster. She then spent five and a half years at the Independent Investigations Office of BC 2016-2021 investigating police-involved incidents of serious harm or death.
Stephanie was director’s counsel from 2021-2024 in the lower mainland, and has been practicing primarily in the West Kootenays since May 2024. Stephanie also maintains many files in the Okanagan, Northern BC, and the East Kootenays, and has demonstrated a strong commitment to Legal Aid work for the duration of her career.
Tyo, Richard – Prince George
672-983-5770 / tyolawpg@gmail.com
I have been a family lawyer for over 35 years (called to the bar in 1989), primarily serving Prince George and surrounding communities. I practiced extensively in the Provincial and Supreme Courts of British Columbia, covering important areas like child protection, family violence, parenting time, property division, and Indigenous family matters.
At the beginning, my practice included a significant amount of legal aid work. The law firm I was with (Hope Heinrich) firmly believed in contributing to persons who could not afford lawyers. In turn, I gained valuable legal experience. I transitioned to private practice while continuing some legal aid work.
After retirement at the end of 2022, I returned part-time at the end of 2023, driven by a desire to give back to the community, particularly through legal aid who gave me a strong start. Since then, I have focused solely on work with legal aid and mentoring, continuing to support the next generation of lawyers.
Wallace, Meghan – Masset
250-626-7026 / mwallace@meghanwallacelaw.com
Prefers mentee reach out to her via email.
Meghan Wallace is a lawyer practicing in Masset BC at Meghan Wallace Law Corporation. She practices primarily in family law, and does some child protection and civil litigation. She takes legal aid and private files in Northwest BC. She has two lawyers that reside in Vancouver that work with her who also take files in Northwest BC.
Meghan is the supervising lawyer at the Law Foundation funded Haida Gwaii Legal Project Society, and is a lawyer on the family law line and also circuit duty counsel on Haida Gwaii.
In her spare time Meghan enjoys hanging out with her family, surfing, and playing hockey.