Join us for the Lunch and Learn Series
Who? Aaron Leakey
Aaron Leakey is a Research Fellow at the BC Access Justice Center for Excellence and instructor in law, dispute resolution, and legal design at the University of Victoria (UVic). His interdisciplinary PhD research is focused on the way that legal design activity and legal institutions can be responsive to the needs and justice visions of persons with lived experience of violence. Previously, Aaron held the role of Instructor (Family Justice) at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC), and is the current Manager of Training at Mediate BC. Aaron holds an MA theology (Regent College) and an MA in dispute Resolution (Uvic), in addition to certifications as a Registered Roster Mediator (RRM) with Mediate BC and as a Family Relations Mediator – Advanced (Cert. FMC) with Family Mediation Canada. His forthcoming publications include Methodological Considerations for Safe and Equitable Engagement with Persons Affected by IPV (2026) and Participatory Legal Design in Circumstances of Intimate Partner Violence: Introducing the Responsive Legal Design Framework (2026). Additionally, Aaron collaborates with Kelly Douglas of syilx Nation located in the BC Okanagan Valley on a ‘two-eyed seeing,’ decolonial approach to mediation practice. Aaron resides in beautiful, Victoria, British Columbia, the traditional and unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples.
What? Trauma-Informed Family Mediation
How should legal professionals, including lawyers and family mediators, provide service to individuals and families in a way that is consistent with trauma-informed practice? At all stages and touchpoints of engagement with a legal system, there is an opportunity to provide preventative, responsive support to persons with adverse life experiences. This includes consideration for the way that Western legal institution risk imposing a colonial worldview and continuing a legacy of harmful interactions with Indigenous communities. There is a need, therefore, for legal practitioners who are aware of the dynamics of institutional trauma, and who can provide legal service in a way that reflects the diverse needs of persons and communities in a legally pluralistic society. Finally, consideration is given to the way that trauma impacts legal service delivery, with a specific concern for the delivery of family mediation services to persons whose lived experience includes intimate partner violence (IPV). In this session, focus is placed on how to design and implement mediation or similar programs in a way that prioritize both the safety and agency of those affected by and are at risk of further violence. In this webinar you will learn:
- How to weave trauma-informed principles into all aspects of legal service delivery, with a focus on family mediation;
- How to provide legal support in a legally pluralistic society, with attention to the engagement between Western and Indigenous legal systems;
- How to support persons impacted by intimate partner violence (IPV) in a variety of legal processes, that prioritizes both their agency and safety;
- How to address both the structural and intrapersonal dimensions of trauma, as it affects persons who engage in the legal system;
- How to proactively address a myriad of power imbalances in the delivery of legal services;
- How to practice a posture of critical reflexivity, and the critical importance of such a posture, when providing service to persons affected by violence;
- How to co-design family mediation, with attention to screening for violence (SFV) and situated safety practices.
When? November 12, 2025 from 12-1 pm ET Online
How? Register Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IWqMexq3QWSr5M-w8vc8_Q
Recognised CLE hours: 1 hour of cultural comptency / Live or On-Demand Programs / Courses