The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society is pleased to announce Jennifer Cox, KC, as the 2025 recipient of the Society’s Award for Mi’kmaq & Indigenous Peoples Excellence in the Legal Profession (AMIE).
Co-Chairs of the NSBS Truth and Reconciliation Committee, Tina Northrup and Armand Paul, had the following to say:
Jennifer is an incredible Mi’kmaw lawyer who has been a strong leader and advocate for the Mi’kmaq and for Indigenous peoples across Canada. She has made significant contributions throughout her career to Indigenous communities across the country, including through her leadership in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and her work on amendments to the Children and Family Services Act and associated regulations and policies. Her work to advance justice for Indigenous women and girls and her work to advance Indigenous jurisdiction for child welfare are just two examples of the impact she has made through her impressive career.
Jennifer’s work has led to law and policy reforms that benefit the Mi’kmaq Nation, Indigenous Peoples of Canada, and the legal profession. She has shown dedication in her work for the Mi’kmaq and other Indigenous communities, and she has demonstrated the positive impact that Indigenous lawyers can make for their communities and in the legal profession more broadly. Her trailblazing work has forged a path for others in the legal profession and shows that positive change is achievable. Her actions embody the spirit of the AMIE Award.
The AMIE Award recognizes outstanding Mi’kmaq and Indigenous lawyers within Nova Scotia who have contributed to their community, their Nation, the legal profession, and to the Society.
Congratulations, Jennifer!
Further information about the AMIE Award and the nomination criteria is available on the NSBS website.
About Jennifer Cox, KC
Jennifer Cox, KC, received a Bachelor of Arts in 1991 and Bachelor of Laws in 1994, both from Dalhousie University. She has been a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society since 1995 and the Law Society of Saskatchewan since 1996 and received her Kings Counsel in 2021. In addition to practising law for the past 30 years, Jennifer has raised two children and is now a proud grandmother [Gigi].
Jennifer has spent most of her career litigating cases mainly in the areas of family and criminal law in both Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan and has appeared in all levels of Court. She has also worked on three Public Inquiries: the Mass Casualty Commission, the Saskatchewan Inquiry into the wrongful conviction of David Milgaard, and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. She also has dedicated a lot of time to reform to child welfare in Nova Scotia and participated in the legislative process at both the federal and provincial levels.
Jennifer is currently the Managing lawyer at the Nova Scotia Legal Aid office located in Sipekna’katik, Nova Scotia, and assisted Nova Scotia Legal Aid to start up their first Legal Aid office on reserve. She is also a board member for the Colchester East Hants Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, while volunteering her time to present at legal education conferences as well as speak about violence against women.