Faculty / Supervising Lawyers / Staff
Jessica Buffalo - Academic Director
Jessica is from Samson Cree Nation/Nipisikohpahk, and her Cree/nehiyawak name is Maskwa Iskwêw, meaning Bear Woman. Before law school, she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Simon Fraser University, majoring in political science. Jessica obtained her Juris Doctor from Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC in 2016 and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2017 after completing her articles at Calgary Legal Guidance.
Salima Samnani - Co-Legal Services Director
Member: Law Society of British Columbia
Salima is a Kenyan Indo-Canadian Muslim immigrant. Her experience as a litigator and as a lecturer focuses on public law and civil law including family, child protection, and employment law. Salima’s research, areas of expertise, and advocacy focus mainly on access to justice, anti-racism, clinical legal education, and education for self-represented and underrepresented litigants. As a lecturer, she is passionate about implementing clinical legal education pedagogies that focus on trauma-informed, skills-based legal training from a feminist, anti-racist and decolonization perspective.
Morgan Jacko - Legal Assistant
Morgan is of Dene Ancestry from the Cold Lake First Nation in Alberta and has been residing in the unceded traditional territories of the Kwantlen, Semiahmoo, and Katzie First Nations for the past decade. Passionate about serving Indigenous community, she is committed to supporting Indigenous communities in academia and advocating for decolonization. Morgan strives to create pathways for Indigenous voices in academia, challenging colonial structures and fostering inclusive policies, curriculum development, and community-centered research initiatives.
