About Melinda
Melinda is Ratcliff's managing partner, having started with the firm as an articled student. She advises First Nations governments on governance, litigation and regulatory matters, with a focus on implementing self-governance through the development of law and policy that reflects client communities' cultures and values. She has appeared in all three levels of court in BC and was counsel on Thomas and Saik'uz First Nation v. Rio Tinto Alcan, which established that Aboriginal rights provide standing to sue in tort. She serves as treasurer of the Pacific Centre for Environmental Law and Litigation and is a past board president of the Georgia Strait Alliance. She earned her J.D. from the University of Victoria in 2007 and was called to the British Columbia Bar in 2008.
Education & credentials
- Law school
- University of Victoria
- Undergraduate
- University of Victoria, B.A. (with Distinction), Anthropology, 2000
Listing compiled from public sources in July 2026. Confirm Melinda J. Skeels’s licence and standing in the Law Society of British Columbia directory ↗