Ellen Sutherland

I am a Criminal Defence lawyer at Strategic Criminal Defence’s Edmonton affiliate office, Sutherland Criminal Defence. Strategic Criminal Defence is a collaborative association of criminal defence lawyers with central offices across Western Canada and Toronto.

My litigation style is client-focused. I begin each file with an in-depth meeting to understand my clients’ unique personal circumstances, concerns, and thoughts before we ever step foot into a courtroom. Regular meetings and updates ensure that my clients always know what is occurring in their file and fully understand the court process.

I received my Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in English Literature with a minor in History from the University of Alberta. During my degree, I worked as an Editor-in-Chief for the History department’s undergraduate research magazine and guest lectured in the department of History and academic conferences.

I received my Juris Doctorate from the University of Calgary, where I was the Education Executive for the Student Legal Assistance program.

During law school, I received several awards including:

• Scholarship of Merit,
• Student Legal Assistance Caseworker of the Year Award for Client Advocacy, and
• Donnel O. Sabey Q.C. Prize in Advocacy Law for Superior Oral Advocacy.

As a law student, I summered with the Edmonton Rural Prosecution office, gaining valuable experience in how Crown Prosecutors approach charges. I continue to leverage this experience to my client’s advantage in reviewing files and using my positive working relationships with the Prosecution to negotiate and obtain excellent results for my clients.

I articled and launched my practice at a high-calibre Alberta defence firm where I assisted on serious trial matters including murder, sexual assault, trafficking, and fraud in preliminary inquiries, trials, and jury trials.

I presently hold membership on a number of boards and committees, including the Criminal Trial Lawyer’s Association (CTLA), the CTLA Indigenous Overincarceration Committee, and the CTLA Gladue Report Committee. I am on the board of director’s of the Old Strathcona Youth Society, which offers harm reduction to at-risk youth in Edmonton.

As a lawyer I have garnered an impressive track record safeguarding the interests of clients across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia in their legal battles. I have successfully defended clients in Provincial Courts, Superior Courts, and the Court of Appeal of Alberta. I have also appeared extensively at various tribunals, including the Parole Board of Canada, SafeRoads Alberta, and Edmonton District Soccer Association. My practice continues to encompass all areas of criminal law, traffic offences, civil protection applications, and quasi-criminal tribunal matters.

I have represented clients in the following practice areas with a high degree of success:

• Domestic assaults and Violent Crime
• Murder, attempted murder, and manslaughter
• Sexual Assault and Interference
• Child Pornography
• Fraud
• Firearms and Weapons Offences
• Drug trafficking and Simple Possession
• Impaired Driving and Provincial (IRS) Appeals and Judicial Review
• Fraud and Property Offences
• Young Offenders
• Emergency Protection Orders and Restraining Orders
• Parole Board Hearings

Whatever the circumstances you find yourself in, I am pleased to offer a personalized approach to your charges.

If you have been charged with an offence, expect to be charged, are seeking independent legal advice, or are simply unsure of what your legal options are, contact me for a free and flexible legal consultation, be it by video, over the phone, or in person.

• Domestic assaults and Violent Crime
• Sexual Assault and Interference
• Child Pornography
• Fraud
• Firearms and Weapons Offences
• Trafficking and Simple Possession
• Impaired Driving and Provincial (IRS) Appeals
• Fraud and Property Offences
• Young Offenders
• Parole Board Hearings

• Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in English Literature with a minor in History from the University of Alberta.
• Juris Doctor (JD) at the University of Calgary