Naomi Sayers is a fierce trailblazer who always leaves an impression (consensually, of course). She is a prolific advocate for vulnerable and marginalized parties, she writes about her experiences as an Indigenous woman and the law and is often invited to speak about her work to large audiences. Naomi’s time spent as a young sex worker caught in the justice system gave her an intimate knowledge of the trauma that criminalized people experience, having so much done to them without their consent by the systems designed to protect people like Naomi – young Indigenous women and girls. This led her to adopt a trauma-informed approach to lawyering, which requires a deep understanding of the importance of client consent. Naomi is a board member on Realize (HIV rehabilitation and advocacy)’s board, an executive member of the Ontario Bar Association’s Human Rights and Constitutional Law, and Aboriginal Law sections and runs a Certified Aboriginal Business by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. She keeps an up-to-date blog on her website, her pieces have been published by media outlets like the Globe and Mail and she is called to comment on stories by the Law Times and CBC, for example. Her accomplishments are almost too many to list and although many writers try, it is hard to do her and her work the justice she deserves in any article.
Naomi was engaged in advocacy and law reform prior to law school, but a legal education helped give her the tools needed to advocate for change. Prior to law school in the summer of 2014, Naomi testified in Parliament against Bill C-36, which is now law that claims to protect sex workers but one that Naomi believes causes more harm than good, especially in the lives of Indigenous women. Naomi articled and subsequently worked as counsel for Hydro One, Ontario’s largest electricity transmission and distribution service provider. Immediately before she left Hydro One, CBC called her to speak about the leak of the National Inquiry Report into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Later that same year, she wrote a letter of support to Jody Wilson-Raybould that was published in the Huffington Post.
Naomi loved working at Hydro One for reasons as she was able to learn about the practice of law in a collaborative team environment and her love for real estate grew. Surprisingly, she found a love of easements and a passion for environmental law there. The job set her on the right path, but she wanted to grow her litigation practice and gain different type of experience working for herself.
Naomi is now a full-time sole-practitioner. She practices in several areas including Criminal, Indigenous and Environmental law and works in her hometown of Sault Ste Marie. She started writing a business plan and successfully applied for a small grant to get started in 2020. The grant allowed her to buy a much-needed new laptop and as it turned out, this was one of only a few pieces of office equipment she needed. Naomi had planned to find office space, but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, she was relieved to not have to spend money on space and began working almost entirely virtually.
With the pandemic also came new problems for her clients and those she advocates on behalf of. Naomi represented Work Safe Twerk Safe, an advocacy group promoting the rights of strippers in Ontario, in the Ontario Supreme Court in February 2021. The group is challenging regulations under the Reopening Ontario Act that require strip clubs, other than those that meet narrow exceptions, to remain closed during the pandemic.
Aside from the administrative and more practical parts of starting a practice, Naomi has also continued to learn in different ways that benefit her work. For example, she got her restricted and unrestricted firearms licenses, which taught her the logistics of firing a handgun. The process gave her first-hand understanding of what it takes for a gun to accidentally go off. Working as a criminal defence lawyer, this can be helpful in unfortunate situations.
As a relatively new sole-practitioner, Naomi may not be making the same kind of money she made in Toronto working for a big organization, but the pay cut is worth it in so many ways. When Naomi needs a day off, she can book it without having to fill out a vacation request and await approval. She loves getting to work with people to help solve their problems and has the freedom to choose the files that she takes on. Her days can still be long and hard, but she appreciates having the ability to work with co-counsel on a lot of matters, bouncing ideas back and forth and supporting each other through difficult files. Working in a smaller region, Naomi also appreciates the trusting relationships she’s been able to form with her clients, whom she is happy to give her cellphone number to; a decision they always respect. Naomi is also glad to have a chance to work in criminal law, as she truly understands the struggles her clients face and speaks out on how the prison system is a new iteration of residential schools.
Naomi hears a lot of senior practitioners advise new lawyers not to take files in areas of law they’re inexperienced in, instead of offering them advice on how to take those files on. This resistance often shames new layers and prevents them from asking for help. Naomi encourages lawyers interested in changing up their law careers not to be shy to try new things and to find mentors who will help them along the way.
If you don’t already follow Naomi on Twitter or read her website’s blog, you are missing out. As a lawyer, Naomi does a lot to help her clients. As an advocate, speaker and writer, she does a lot to help and inspire a much bigger audience. Naomi is a trailblazer, and she is also a change maker. Her voice is one that our country desperately needs to listen to and the power she wields with it is captivating.