When Ron Maurice founded Maurice Law in 2002, his goal was to support Indigenous communities and help them advocate for their rights.Supplied
When Ron Maurice graduated from law school three decades ago, he didn’t follow the well-paved path to Bay Street.
Mr. Maurice did relocate to Toronto from his hometown of Saskatoon, but instead of taking a job at one of the city’s private firms, he opted to work at the Indian Claims Commission of Canada (ICC). It was a role that placed him at the frontlines of justice for Indigenous peoples at a time when the country was only beginning to reckon with its past. As a Métis lawyer from Saskatchewan, he wasn’t fueled by ambition alone.
“I was motivated to go to law school by my mother, who I viewed as my role model and my mentor,” he says. “She worked tirelessly as a single parent to make ends meet, making mukluks and moccasins in the evenings. She suffered a lot of discrimination.”
At the ICC, Mr. Maurice quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Director of Mediation in 1994 and Senior Commission Counsel the following year. He later served as an advisor to the Assembly of First Nations–Canada Joint Task Force on Claims Policy Reform, helping draft the legislation that would later shape the Specific Claims Tribunal.
When Mr. Maurice returned to Western Canada in 1998, he stepped into private practice, first practicing at the Calgary firm Rooney-Prentice before founding Maurice Law in 2002. As Canada’s first and only national Indigenous-owned law practice, the firm was built with a vision to give Indigenous peoples a stronger voice within a legal system that has too often worked against them. It was both a professional milestone and a personal mission, not only reshaping his career but also providing a way communities could advocate for their rights.
“The one thing that struck me both then and now is that I think governments have been able to avoid dealing with their outstanding legal obligations,” he says. “The public isn’t really aware of it; they’re not aware of the history.”
To his knowledge, Maurice Law remains the only national Indigenous-owned law firm, with associates across the country representing cases in a number of jurisdictions. Sometimes these cases are what he characterizes as “David and Goliath fight[s] between a First Nation, which has limited resources, and the government, which has a small army of lawyers and virtually unlimited resources to fight these claims.”
Part of Mr. Maurice’s mission with Maurice Law is to not only hire, but also retain, other Indigenous lawyers.Supplied
For example, Mr. Maurice and his team have been working with the Missanabie Cree First Nation in their litigation with both the federal government and the Province of Ontario. Some of that litigation is ongoing, but the firm has already helped the Nation reach a settlement on its Treaty Land Entitlement claim which includes $150 million in financial compensation and the ability to acquire land for a new reserve.
“Over the years, Maurice Law has demonstrated a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Indigenous communities,” says Missanabie Cree First Nation Chief Jason Gauthier. “Their team has consistently worked with integrity, dedication and respect for our values, history and traditions. They have been strong allies in advancing our rights, protecting our lands and supporting our governance.”
Chief Fabian Ironeagle and the Council of Pasqua First Nation #79 speak equally highly of Maurice Law, which has helped secure a total of roughly $320 million in financial compensation for the Nation across three major claims: the Flood Claim ($20.6 million), the 1906 Specific Claim ($145 million), and the Agricultural Benefits Claim ($155 million).
“These settlements represent more than financial redress; they are critical milestones in our Nation’s ongoing journey toward justice, recognition and the restoration of our rights and lands,” says Chief Ironeagle, who also notes that beyond specific claims, Maurice Law continues to provide strategic legal counsel on a range of complex issues, including environmental matters, land-related litigation and constitutional rights.
In all his work, Mr. Maurice’s priority is to build the legal system by supporting clients and assembling a team with the knowledge, passion and cultural understanding of the cases they’re taking on.
“I’ve tried, wherever possible, to recruit and retain Indigenous lawyers, and I’ve managed to bring on some very good people over the years,” he says. This includes partner Brad Regehr, the former president of the Canadian Bar Association and the first Indigenous person to hold that role.
“I have seen the impact that settlements have made,” Mr. Regehr says. “In many cases, they are game changers for the communities, allowing them to expand and develop their economies as well as making improvements to the lives of their members.”
Maurice knows his time in practice won’t last forever, but when it comes to legacy, his focus, rooted in Indigenous culture, is firmly on the bigger picture.
“On a personal level, I want people to know that I’ve fought the fight – and sometimes against all odds,” he says. “I want younger lawyers to know that there is cause for optimism. There’s a lot of hope that the federal government will come to the realization that you can’t have a just society until you’ve accounted for the loss of millions of acres of First Nations land in this country, until you embrace the concept of sharing that really the treaties were premised on. That’s what First Nations are about.”
One in a regular series of stories. To read more, visit our Indigenous Enterprises section. If you have suggestions for future stories, reach out to IE@globeandmail.com.