Statement

My name is JC Rees. I was called to the Alberta bar in 2015. I am currently a Crown Prosecutor in the Bail Office, and have been for almost five years now.

I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. In 2014, I graduated from the inaugural Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. In my final year of law school I was a participant in the Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot, a valued and eye-opening experience.

During my studies, I worked as a summer student in regulatory law, assisting lawyers with administrative tasks. It was fascinating to have a behind-the-scenes look at utilities in Alberta – until then, it never occurred to me how much work goes into just flipping a light switch.

I secured articles in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and spent the first five years of my career there, mostly practicing family/divorce and child welfare litigation. A substantial part of my practice was representing children; I was on the Legal Representation of Children & Youth Roster with the Alberta Office of the Child Youth Advocate.

In 2015, I founded the Grande Prairie Pride Society, and ran it for the first four years as President. We were responsible for the city’s first large-scale Pride events, organizing functions with thousands of attendees, and handling a substantial budget.

In 2019, I returned to my hometown of Calgary to join the in-house legal team at a national insurance company, practicing insurance defence.

In 2021, I joined Alberta Justice, first in child welfare, but eventually transferred to my current Bail Prosecutor position. Since Bail hearings are mandatory within the first 24 hours of arrest, I work day and night shifts.

I have assessed and mentored for the Alberta bar admission course (CPLED) since 2020. I want to improve support and competency for students and junior lawyers.

I particularly care about improving Access to Justice. Overworked and underpaid lawyers are unable to adequately serve communities, especially remote areas. This leads to increased risk of children staying in foster care, or criminally charged individuals staying in custody, longer than they should.

I want to protect independence, and live in a society committed to authenticity and progress. I am proud to be a lawyer, and loved every moment of my career. Serving the public interest as a Bencher would be an honor. I not only have board experience, but can also bring unique perspectives, having worked in private practice, in-house, and government, both rurally and urban. If elected, as Bencher I will discharge my duties ethically and honorably, with balanced consideration of all required interests.

I am a champion for humanity. I believe in the proverb: “If everyone sweeps before their own door, the whole street is clean.” Even if the effort is small, I believe the world can, and does, improve when every person puts their best foot forward, chooses the more peaceful option, and takes every opportunity in their capacity to help a neighbor.