Lynn MacDiarmid

Lynn MacDiarmid was always interested in the law, and loved reading and research during university, so decided to become a lawyer. Following her passion for advocacy she got involved in student legal aid, which confirmed her love for the practical side of the law, and from there she decided to do legal aid work. In 1992, when legal aid in the Yukon mostly involved private lawyers working on contracts, Lynn began working with a small law firm that focused on legal aid work. She immediately began her role as duty counsel. In 2011, she left private practice and became a staff lawyer for the Yukon Legal Services Society. In 2020, she became the executive director. The office has 11 lawyers, all of whom share duty counsel responsibilities. “Duty counsel are all local here,” Lynn says. “It’s not like in bigger jurisdictions where you phone a number and get someone from a different city. It’s all local and personal. We know the clients and we know most of the people in the system.”