Olivia is a criminal trial lawyer practicing in Edmonton and Northern Alberta. Olivia has experience representing clients on a wide array of criminal matters including violent offences, sexual offences, drug offences, property offences and administrative offences in all levels of court in Alberta including the Court of Justice of Alberta, the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta and the Court of Appeal of Alberta. Olivia also has experience representing clients who have received aNotice of Administrative Penalty in relation to impaired driving through the AlbertaSafeRoads program. Olivia is passionate about advocacy and protecting her clients’ legal rights while assisting them to navigate the complex criminal justice system. Prior to co-founding Manzer Erickson, Olivia articled and practiced at Trach Law, a boutique criminal defence firm gaining years of experience in criminal defence practice.

Olivia was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia and movedto Alberta in high school. In 2010 she returned to Nova Scotia to attend AcadiaUniversity where she earned a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Economics and a minor in Sociology. She later moved to Edmonton, Alberta to attend theUniversity of Alberta, Faculty of Law. While attending law school, Olivia volunteered with Student Legal Services gaining practical experience in criminal and civil law matters and completed a work placement at the EdmontonCommunity Legal Centre assisting low-income Edmontonians navigate the legal process. Olivia also participated in competitive mooting which solidified her interest in litigation. Olivia was called to the Alberta bar on September 20, 2019.

Olivia practices in Edmonton, Slave Lake, High Prairie, Wabasca, Red Earth Creek, Peace River and surrounding areas. She offers a freeconsultation for any criminal law matter.

In her spare time, Olivia enjoys spending time with herhusband and daughter, travelling, downhill skiing and cooking.

Melissa is a criminal trial lawyer who strives to help clients navigate the legal system and ensure their voices are heard. Melissa defends clients who are charged with property-related offences, firearms and weapons offences, drug offences and matters involving serious violence. She also has experience in AlbertaSafeRoads Appeals for clients who have been given a Notice of AdministrativePenalty for driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Melissa offers a free consultation for any of these legal services.

Prior to co-founding Manzer Erickson, Melissa articled and practiced at Trach Law, providing legal services to the Northern Alberta circuit points. During her time with Trach Law, she gained invaluable experience in both trial and appellate defence work. Her practice was, and continues to be, heavily focused on mounting complex Charter challenges to ensure her clients’ constitutionally protected rights are respected by all state actors and enforced by the courts.

Melissa graduated from the University of Alberta in 2018 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, with Distinction. During her undergraduate degree, Melissa served as Chair of the Edmonton Native Youth Justice Committee, an extra judicial sanctions committee for Indigenous youth.  During law school, Melissa focused much of her time on competitive mooting. In her second year, Melissa competed in theAlberta Court of Appeal Criminal Law Moot. In 2020, Melissa tied for first place in the Brimacombe Moot, the Faculty of Law’s internal selection moot for upper-year students seeking to represent the school at regional and national moots. Due to this success, Melissa went on to represent the University of Alberta at the 2021 Wilson Constitutional Law Moot. 

Melissa has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Odishaw Family Prize in Aboriginal Law, the Aloneissi Gower Pro BonoCommunity Service Award, and the 2021 Law Society of AlbertaPresident’s Award. These awards were a result of Melissa’s work with StudentLegal Services, which offers legal services to low-income Edmontonians. Melissa was also an Executive Member of the Women’s Law Forum for all three years of law school, and was a founding member of the Digital Law & InnovationSociety. 

In her spare time, Melissa tries to get outdoors as much as she can, and enjoys camping, kayaking, and downhill skiing.