Kanisha Acharya-Patel

Kanisha Acharya-Patel Staff Lawyer Kanisha Acharya-Patel (she/her) is a staff lawyer at LAND and a passionate advocate for intersectional environmental justice. Through her academic and professional experiences, Kanisha has developed a strong understanding of the social, political and legal aspects underpinning Canada’s approach to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and Indigenous rights. Kanisha is eager to build her career in public interest environmental law and shares LAND’s commitment to advancing environmental and Indigenous rights through law reform, legal representation and public legal education. Having done extensive research on the importance of intersectionality in environmental advocacy, Kanisha is mindful in ensuring that her advocacy is inclusive and amplifies the interests of those disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation. <span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span> Kanisha has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Conservation from the University of British Columbia, and a law degree from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, where she was awarded the Elizabeth May Prize for Environmental Service and graduated with specialized certificates in environmental law and Aboriginal and Indigenous law. Kanisha’s background in science and law allows her to analyze complex socio-environmental issues in a holistic manner. In studying the history of the Crown-Indigenous relationship at length during law school, Kanisha developed a strong understanding of Aboriginal and Treaty rights, the ongoing impacts of colonization and the importance of Indigenous-led conservation.