Indigenous Legal Studies Speaker Series: Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson

Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, K.C. Principal and Senior Legal Counsel A citizen of, and General Counsel, to the Haida Nation, Terri-Lynn has practised in Indigenousenvironmental law since 1995 when she began representing the Haida Nation at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. She was lead counsel in litigation to protect the old growth forests of Haida Gwaii in the Haida case, the leading case on consultation and accommodation of Indigenous rights. She is counsel for the Haida Nation’s aboriginal title case and related reconciliation negotiations—which have resulted in innovative agreements with British Columbia and Canada—as well as other litigation including successfully challenging the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project, and injunctive relief for herring. 

Terri-Lynn serves on the Law Society of BC Truth and Reconciliation Advisory Committee, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s Indigenous Advisory Council, the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the Centre for Business Law at Allard School of Law, and a co-principal investigator with the Canada Climate Law Initiative. Terri-Lynn has been honoured with awards, including the Peoples’ Choice Andrew Thompson Award for lifetime contributions to environmental protection and sustainability (2014); Courage in Law Award from UBC Indigenous Law Students Association (2018); Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers, “Changemakers” category (2020); Maclean’s “Power List”, ranking 21 of 50 Canadians breaking ground in their field (2021); designated as King’s Counsel (2021); one of 500 most influential business leaders in BC, General Counsel category (2022); and the Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award (2023). 

Terri-Lynn is also a multi-award-winning performer, an artist, dancer, and author and is currently a PhD student at Allard School of Law, UBC