She spearheaded LAO's Aboriginal justice strategy
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) has announced the appointment of Fallon Melander as the associate vice president of the newly formed Indigenous Services Department.
To address the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in the justice system, LAO has formed a new Indigenous Services Department. This department will consolidate existing organizational initiatives into a unified strategy to enhance services for Indigenous clients. LAO appointed Melander to lead the initiative, effective April 8.
Melander, of mixed settler and Anishinaabe ancestry, hails from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation. With a background in advocating for Indigenous rights, Melander has spent over a decade working towards fostering relationships between settler institutions and First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Peoples and communities.
A member of the Ontario Bar since 2011, Melander has a rich history with LAO, where she spearheaded the Aboriginal justice strategy. Following her tenure at LAO, Melander contributed to establishing Metrolinx’s Indigenous Relations Office, part of Ontario’s regional transportation plan through Indigenous engagement.
Before joining LAO in her new role, Melander served as the special advisor to the president and vice-chancellor on Indigenous engagement at Sheridan College. Melander completed her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Ontario and her law degree at the University of Ottawa.
According to LAO, the Indigenous Services Department is at the forefront of LAO's reconciliation efforts, working within the organization's mandate to reach and serve Indigenous clients more effectively. By bringing together various lines of work, the department is expected to take a more strategic and holistic approach to service delivery, aligning with recommendations from the Aboriginal justice strategy and LAO's action plan on truth and reconciliation initiatives.
In January, Legal Aid Ontario announced a service agreement with Aboriginal Legal Services. ALS is an Indigenous legal services organization under the Legal Aid Services Act 2020 that has provided legal and justice-related services, funded partly by LAO, since 1990.
