THE ADVOCATE 593
VOL. 79 PART 4 JULY 2021
A former colleague at Blakes recalls the discussion she had with Jodie
when she was considering the 180-degree change from commercial litigator
to Crown counsel at this early point in her career. When asked why she
would consider changing her trajectory at a time when her commercial litigation
career was developing so well and on track for a successful and
lucrative career at one of the top firms in Canada, and when she was a regular
participant in the high-profile Canadian commercial litigation space,
Jodie did not hesitate. She wanted a career that allowed her to focus on public
service. The Crown, she thought, would meet that criterion. It also
helped that a number of her friends had reported their personal happiness
in making similar career moves. Armed with the experience from a successful
early career, and having decided to make the leap, Jodie took a fifty percent
pay cut and joined the Crown. Jodie embarked on a career that would
allow her to achieve her public service goals and be a criminal trial lawyer.
Jodie worked for the Crown in Surrey, with a couple of stints at the New
Westminster Supreme Court office right up to her appointment. In that role,
Jodie was involved mostly in trials, with some time in remand court and as
administrative Crown in the youth department. Jodie quickly excelled as a
barrister and was regularly assigned increasingly more serious and complex
prosecutions. In recent years, her practice largely consisted of prosecuting
homicides and other fatalities. She was a skilled, prepared and fair prosecutor
who maintained positive relationships with defence counsel and all
other participants in the criminal justice system. Whether prosecuting a
theft under or a murder, Jodie practised with compassion for both victims
of crime and those accused of crime. Jodie had particular skill in successfully
prosecuting files involving vulnerable victims and witnesses.
In addition to carrying a significant load of serious, complex and highprofile
trial files, Jodie contributed to the BC Prosecution Service and the
community in numerous ways. She recognized the importance of mentoring
junior lawyers, whether formally or informally, by leaving her door
open, keeping her candy jar stocked and making herself available to anyone
who wanted to seek her advice or input. She volunteered on several BC
Prosecution Service committees, including the Articling Subcommittee and
the Advisory Group on Gender Equity and Advancement, and made herself
available to assist Crown colleagues across the province as part of the Digital
Evidence Resource Counsel Group and Disclosure Resource Counsel
Group. She taught police officers at local detachments and the Pacific
Regional Training Centre and also taught the Forensic Nurse Examiner
course at BCIT. She delivered guest lectures at PLTC and presented at
numerous “lunch and learns” and at the annual Crown Conference.