As the leader of a body that oversees nearly 140,000 lawyers in 14 jurisdictions across the country, newly elected president of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada Sheila MacPherson has had a busy few months.

SA国际影视传媒淪ome days SA国际影视传媒� I feel like I live on an airplane,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

But when MacPherson lands SA国际影视传媒� it's Yellowknife she calls home.

The longtime lawyer, constitutional litigator, and current NWT Legislative Assembly law clerk was elected on Nov.15, 2017 to head the federation SA国际影视传媒� a national organization that promotes and develops uniform standards and practices for its 14 law society members.

In a few short months as president, MacPherson said she's already bringing Yellowknife SA国际影视传媒� and her experiences in the North SA国际影视传媒� to her new role as president.

SA国际影视传媒淎 Northern perspective is important because we regulate lawyers and when we are making policy, when we're coming up with recommendations SA国际影视传媒� we need to make sure we're taking into consideration the challenges faced by all of the law societies including the very smallest jurisdictions,SA国际影视传媒� said MacPherson.

From Ontario's 40,000 lawyers to the 100 resident lawyers in NWT, she said, the makeup, needs and challenges of each jurisdiction vary widely.

By living and working in the North, MacPherson said she understands the needs of small jurisdictions SA国际影视传媒� especially ones like NWT.

SA国际影视传媒淭hat allows (me) to bring something to the table, a bit of insight into different challenges, because (I'm) in the North serving a predominantly Indigenous clientele,SA国际影视传媒� said MacPherson.

While MacPherson's storied legal career brought her to practice in Yellowknife, MacPherson's Northern lens was shaped much farther North.

Born in Nova Scotia in the 1960s, MacPherson moved to Inuvik SA国际影视传媒� where her father taught SA国际影视传媒� when she was just 11 months old. She then settled in Iqaluit, or Frobisher Bay as it was then known. It was there, attending elementary and high school, that MacPherson's love for law began to bloom.

SA国际影视传媒淭here wasn't a particular moment, but more an evolution,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淧art of that evolution was watching lawyers like Dennis Patterson and watching the good work he had done in Frobisher Bay at the legal aid clinic there.SA国际影视传媒�
Patterson SA国际影视传媒� now a Canadian senator SA国际影视传媒� took MacPherson under his wing.

SA国际影视传媒�(He) ended up being quite a mentor to and making me believe that even as a Northern kid from a small community, there's absolutely no reason why I couldn't go on to law schoolSA国际影视传媒� said MacPherson.

And go the Northern kid did.

MacPherson attended law school at Dalhousie University, but home was never far from her mind, and when the North beckoned, and she answered, returning after she graduated. But with few lawyers and the inability to article in the small community of Frobisher Bay, MacPherson instead relocated in Yellowknife, thinking she'd return home eventually.

SA国际影视传媒淏ut you make a life and I made a life here in Yellowknife,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Her previous life, however, was never forgotten. If Yellowknife was her home, Nunavut was her heart.

SA国际影视传媒淚 still have strong emotional connections to Nunavut. I am never more comfortable in my feet and the way my soul sits then when I'm over there.SA国际影视传媒�

A connection no doubt strengthened by the work MacPherson did in Nunavut during the 1990s.

Leading up to the creation of Nunavut in 1999 MacPherson worked as the NWT Legislative Assembly law clerk, dealing with legal issues arising from the division of the territory. MacPherson made contributions to the establishment of new courts in Nunavut, an undertaking she was SA国际影视传媒減rivileged to be a part of.SA国际影视传媒�

While MacPherson gained intellectual satisfaction in a political environment, nothing compared to the sense of fulfillment she received from being in the courtroom, representing parents and children alike in child protection cases in Nunavut and throughout NWT.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou want to fix their family, you wish you could, but you can't,SA国际影视传媒� MacPherson said. SA国际影视传媒淚t's gritty, it's difficult, but it is tremendously satisfying emotionally if you're able to SA国际影视传媒� help shape a process that will provide some structure and reunification of parents and the children.SA国际影视传媒�

Now, three months into her position as president of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, MacPherson said she's applying her experiences in the North to make real-world contributions in the field of law.

As president, MacPherson cited the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada calls to action SA国际影视传媒� including ensuring lawyers are SA国际影视传媒渃ulturally competentSA国际影视传媒� through education on the experiences of Indigenous people, including inter-generational trauma and forced relocation SA国际影视传媒� is a personal priority.

SA国际影视传媒淭hese are significant calls to action across the country, but they're really significant in the North because of the significance of our Indigenous population,SA国际影视传媒� said MacPherson.

But now, following the acquittal of Gerald Stanley in the shooting death of Colten Boushie, calls to action SA国际影视传媒� on justice reform SA国际影视传媒� are coming from the public, too.

While MacPherson maintains the Canadian justice system's strong structures and consistent application of law make it the envy of other countries, she said there's still room for improvement SA国际影视传媒� and reform.

SA国际影视传媒淚t's not broken, but it sure needs work,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e all have a part to play in ensuring the justice system operates in a way that is fair to all people, and part of reform is likely going to include looking at how jurors are selected.SA国际影视传媒�

A step towards reflecting Indigenous experiences within the justice system, MacPherson said, means having more representation in the courtroom through Indigenous judges and lawyers.

SA国际影视传媒淚t'd be a remarkable thing if we were in Nunavut and the entire court party was able to conduct trials in their first language. That would be an amazing thing to see SA国际影视传媒� and it will happen.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淲e see more calls for transparency about decision making, the importance of check your bias at the door. I think we're definitely in a period where we're answering for answers about how to make our justice system better.SA国际影视传媒�

This November, MacPherson will assume the role of the federation's past president. Calling her current role SA国际影视传媒渞ight up thereSA国际影视传媒� in a long line of achievements, MacPherson puts being a mother to her 17-year-old daughter at the top.