Today there are about 80,000 Canadian Native people alive in Canada who attended an Indian Residential School in their childhood. Many Aboriginal children suffered physical, sexual and psychological abuse at the hands of teachers, supervisors and even other students as part of their residential school experience.

Individuals who suffered sexual abuse, serious physical abuse or serious psychological harm while attending a residential school, may be entitled to compensation under the Independent Assessment Process ("IAP"). The IAP is a complicated legal process. It usually involves a hearing before a decision-maker. Field Law’s experienced lawyers and staff in the Indian Residential Schools Group understand that dealing with memories of residential school abuse can be difficult. We are committed to protecting our clients' dignity while serving as their guide and advocate through the IAP. We help with the completion and submission of the IAP application form, the collection of documentation to support IAP claims and preparation for and assistance through the IAP hearing.

Field Law has considerable experience dealing with Indian Residential Schools claims and the IAP. We represent individuals who attended residential schools in Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Field Law is also a member of the National Consortium of Residential School Survivors' Counsel. Our Indian Residential Schools Practice Group is supervised by two of Field Law's senior litigators, Dan Carroll Q.C. and Jon Faulds Q.C., both of whom played leading roles in the negotiation of the national Settlement Agreement and its approval by the Courts.