Melanie Smith is team lead and corporate paralegal in our Yellowknife office. She enjoys working with the complex challenges that our clients send to us to review and complete on their behalf. She is organized and has a strong attention to detail and a passion for customer care and service to our clients.

She has always wanted to work in a role representing law. Any work experience she has had in her travels has always come back to either law enforcement, courts or law firms. She started her legal experience working with law firms in Yellowknife before moving to the RCMP then to the Courts until a law firm called her back.

She has had several roles in the Courts that have helped her gain experience including working in the Civil Court Office with the Northwest Territories, a Judicial Clerk with Vermilion Courts in Alberta, and receiving her Senior Court Officer title. She has worked with the Provincial Hearing Office and as a Senior Judicial Clerk with Calgary Criminal Courts.  

One of the main issues that she faces in her role at Field is the remoteness of the registries in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. Building relationships with our counterparts at the registries and passing this information on to our clients is very important to her. 

Value to Clients

“I want to ensure that our clients receive the best client care that they expect.  I want our clients best informed as to what the expectations and guidelines are so they are not surprised or caught off guard at the outcome.  I feel a sense of accomplishment when clients recommend me to other law firms for our services as they are receiving the kind of client care that they should be receiving.  I want our department to be the best that it can be with clients being able to trust and speak highly of our department to others in the community and throughout Canada.”

Outside the Office

Melanie loves to hike. While living in Kananaskis, she started hiking and completed her first summit climb and the bug bit her. Since moving, she has another passion of outdoor running to add to her repertoire of skills.