Melissa Serbin

Melissa Serbin is Litigation Counsel in the Winnipeg office. Her practice encompasses civil, criminal, and regulatory litigation, child protection, corporate and business law, and Indigenous law.

Called to the Manitoba bar in 2009, Melissa brings over 12 years of experience as a Crown Attorney with the Manitoba Prosecution Service, where she represented the Crown in serious and complex criminal cases at every level of court in the province.

A strong advocate for legal education, Melissa is a sessional instructor for the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law, teaching courses in Intensive Criminal Law and Indigenous Peoples and the Criminal Justice System. Throughout her career, she has delivered a wide range of lectures and workshops for various justice system participants, including the Manitoba Prosecution Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Manitoba Corrections, and the Winnipeg Police Service. Additionally, she has instructed the Senate of Canada Ethics Office, the CPLED bar admissions course, and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, providing training for new Judges of the Akwesasne Court.

Melissa has actively participated in various community initiatives, including serving on the Winnipeg Mental Health Court Joint Operations Committee, the Winnipeg Drug Treatment Court Operations Committee, the Downtown Safety Network, and the University of Manitoba Robson Hall Truth and Reconciliation Action Team. She is currently the President of the Board of Directors for the Community Legal Education Association. She has previously served on the Canadian Friends of Hebrew University board and the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund. Melissa also contributed to the early development of the Legal Help Centre, aimed at improving access to legal and social services for socially and economically disadvantaged community members.

Education

• University of Edinburgh, Comparative Criminal Law Program
• University of Toronto, Juris Doctor, 2008
• University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), 2005

Leadership, Membership and Achievements

• Sessional Instructor
• Lecturer and workshop facilitator for various governmental and legal organizations.
• President of the Board of Directors for the Community Legal Education Association
• Member of Robson Hall Truth and Reconciliation Action Team