Administrative Assistant
Gracie Chiu (she/her) was born and raised as a settler on the unceded Coast Salish Territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ nations, also known as Victoria, BC. She brings experience as a legal assistant and limited education in Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria to her role at the ELC. Gracie enjoys applying her organizational and administrative skills to assist students, clients, and the overall operations of the ELC. She is grateful to contribute to the field of public interest environmental law, particularly through an intersectional lens.
Contact: elc.adminassistant [at] uvic.ca
Executive Director
Deborah Curran is a Professor at the Faculty of Law and the School of Environmental Studies. A public interest environmental lawyer for over 25 years, Deborah supervises students in cases relating primarily to water law, watershed health, land use, Indigenous legal instruments, new environmental governance arrangements and green bylaws. As Executive Director, Deborah facilitates the connections between the whole ELC Team of staff, students, clients, supporters and UVic. (See Deborah’s UVic Law Biography.)
Contact: dlc [at] uvic.ca
Articled Student
Adele DesBrisay (she/her) grew up in Victoria, on the traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən People. Adele just wrapped up her JD at the University of Victoria. She has a bachelor’s degree from McGill in environmental science and environmental studies, with a focus on hydrology and water resources. During law school, Adele completed co-op terms for the ELC and the Canada Water Agency Transition Office. She is particularly interested in legal research around healthy water systems, sustainable development, and the intersection of environmental and social justice issues. In her free time, Adele spends as much time as possible on or around the ocean. Throughout law school, she worked part-time for BC Sailing and for the Royal Victoria Yacht Club teaching kids how to sail/race and how to coach sailing.
Contact: elc.articledstudent [at] uvic.ca
Director of Operations and Communications
Holly Pattison joined the ELC in 2006 after years of working in law firms and working as a freelance writer and photographer. As the hub of the ELC wheel, she teaches file management in the clinic, manages day-to-day operations and communications, maintains the Society’s records, organizes events, and edits and desktops various reports, publications and applications. Part of her role is to share information about public interest environmental law issues with the general public, which she especially likes to do through writing, photography and film.
Contact: elc [at] uvic.ca
Clinic Lawyer
Patricia Weber is a settler originally from Tkaronto, also known as Toronto, which is situated on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas, Haudenosaunee, and Huron-Wendat peoples (among other Nations). Patricia graduated from the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law, where she also had the opportunity to study at the Environmental Law Clinic. Patricia gained valuable legal experience working as a summer student at a legal aid clinic in Northern BC and articled at Pivot Legal in Vancouver. She has a decade of experience as a civil litigator in Williams Lake, where Patricia honed her skills in navigating complex legal matters. In 2020, Patricia decided to return to graduate school, where she is actively engaged in academic research. Leveraging her multidisciplinary background, she delves into the intricate issues surrounding Canadian democracy and political identities, and her research aims to shed light on Canada’s approach to land governance and sovereignty.