Ellen Sutherland

About Ellen

Ellen Sutherland is the founder and lead counsel of Sutherland Criminal Defence, serving clients across Western Canada in criminal and quasi-criminal matters ranging from mischief and assault to sexual assault, drug trafficking, and first-degree murder. She has extensive trial experience in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, appearing in the Court of Justice, the Court of King's Bench, and the Alberta Court of Appeal, and has represented clients before the Parole Board of Canada and the SafeRoads Alberta tribunal. She graduated with distinction from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Calgary. Sutherland began her career at an Edmonton criminal defence firm focused on high-complexity criminal matters and is a member of Legal Aid Alberta's Major Cases Panel, which handles clients charged with serious or complex offences or subject to dangerous/long-term offender designations. Sutherland Criminal Defence also partners with the Strategic Criminal Defence team as its Northern Regional Partner.

Education & credentials

Law school

University of Calgary

Undergraduate

University of Alberta, B.A. English Literature (with distinction)