Sherry Abotossaway – “Nimkii Kwe” – grew up on Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island, but has established roots in Thunder Bay over the past 18 years.  She graduated from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law in the fall of 2018 and was called to the Ontario bar in June 2019.

Prior to attending law school, Sherry attended Laurentian University and obtained an Honours degree in Native Human Services.  The impetus for her shift from social work into law was her desire for social justice advocacy and her compassion for the struggles of other Indigenous peoples.  Sherry has a desire to help anyone in need and recently committed two weeks of tireless work in the Ontario Court of Justice assisting defendants impacted by the onset of COVID-19 that otherwise wouldn’t have had timely legal assistance. 

Sherry practices mainly criminal defence law.  To date, most of her experience lies in the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice, representing clients in all of Northwestern Ontario, including remote First Nations.  Sherry has gained valuable experience assisting counsel on serious murder files and was an active team member on a recent Dangerous Offender Application.  She has also represented clients in provincial offences court, at the Landlord and Tenant Board, and with consent and capacity hearings.

Currently, Sherry is on a two-year term representing lawyers on the Criminal Lawyers Association – Recent Call Committee.  She is a member the Indigenous Bar Association, the Criminal Lawyers Association, the Defence Counsel Association of Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay Law Association.

Sherry proudly began her legal career as a sole practitioner operating Abotossaway Law.  Her law firm practises in association with Matthews Law.