Kathleen Nielsen

Associate

Practice Description

Kathleen assists senior lawyers with administrative and municipal law matters.

Background

Kathleen joined Shores Jardine from a small Edmonton litigation boutique.

She came to the practice of law by a circuitous route spanning many years and three continents.

Toward the end of her time at the University of Alberta, Kathleen travelled to Northern Ireland to serve as an international observer of sectarian marches, and wrote her honours thesis on the then-fledgling Northern Irish peace process.

After graduation, she went to Japan, and while working there, she had the opportunity to travel to North Korea. That experience led her to get involved with a Tokyo human rights NGO working with North Korean refugees, serving as Director of International Relations for many years. Her advocacy work took her to Geneva twice, where she led the Japanese delegation at the UN Human Rights Council’s periodic review of North Korea’s human rights record, and drafted stakeholder reports for North Korea and China. During this time, it occurred to her that having a legal background would be a powerful tool for advocacy. During her legal studies, Kathleen was living and working in Tokyo when the magnitude-9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake struck and caused a triple-nuclear meltdown a few hundred kilometres away. She continued preparing for law school exams amid rolling blackouts, train stoppages, Geiger counter readings, and nightly missions to find food and water to send to friends in the disaster-hit areas. Being rather preoccupied with the real-world effects of national and international policy, she used her LLB dissertation to examine international third-party liability governing nuclear power.

After completing two Masters degrees, one in US Law and one in Canadian Law, Kathleen worked for several lawyers in Toronto before completing her training with the Law Practice Program and then a midtown Toronto law firm, before returning to Edmonton to practice law.

Professional Activities

2024 – present – Edmonton Community Legal Clinic, Volunteer
2022 – University of Toronto Pre-Law Society, Volunteer Moot Judge, U of T Cup
2019 – 2020 – Elizabeth Fry Society (Toronto), Volunteer
2019 – 2020 – Don Valley Community Legal Services (Toronto), Student Caseworker
2019 – 2020 – Willowdale Community Legal Services (Toronto), Student Caseworker
2019 – 2020 – Tenant Duty Counsel Assistance Program (Toronto Landlord and Tenant Board), Student Caseworker
2019 – 2020 – Pro Bono Students Canada Legal Research Assistant, University of Toronto Institute of Islamic Studies
2019 – Law in Action Within Schools, University of Toronto, Workshop Facilitator
2019 – Indigenous Law Journal, University of Toronto, Associate Editor

Education & Call to the Bar

2022 – Admitted to Law Society of Alberta
2020 – Global Professional LLM (Canadian Law), University of Toronto
2019 – LLM (US Law), Temple University (Japan Campus)
2013 – LLB, University of London
2000 – BA (Honours), University of Alberta

In Her Own Words

The law can often seem arcane and impenetrable. But at its core, the law is about real people and real issues. The rule of law is the backbone of our society, and is what protects us against attacks on our democracy. Underpinning this is our commitment, as lawyers, to uphold the highest ethical standards – a commitment Kathleen takes very seriously.

Away from the Office

Kathleen has been known to spend all her time and money travelling, doing community theatre, and sparring with her karate sempais. These days, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and exploring closer to home.