Canadian Lawyer

14 www.canadianlawyermag.com FEATURE CROSS EXAMINED "To say that all of this comes at no cost is really disingenuous. There definitely is a cost. It's just that for me, my clients are worth it." ADVOCATING FOR THE ELDERLY Miller is one of only a few lawyers in Canada focusing on nursing home litigation. In addition to her court work, she contributes to the: Osgoode Certificate in Elder Law program: graduate and faculty member Ontario Bar Association's Elder Law Section COVID-19 Working Group: member Ontario Trial Lawyers Association's Board of Directors: member-at-large In June 2020, she organized a demon- stration at Queen's Park to protest the Ontario government's intentions to protect nursing home owners from class-action lawsuits. Following the success of that event, in September 2020, Melissa and three like-minded clients co-founded the grassroots advocacy group Canadians4LTC to push for improved conditions in long- term care homes. At that time, she also heard Trudeau talk about national long-term care standards and potential amendments to the Criminal Code. "I thought, that's it. That's my angle. This is, in my opinion, an apolitical, bipartisan, moral and ethical issue, to have national standards for long term care." In November 2020, Melissa and C4LTC took their cause to Ottawa. The "Broken Hearts, Empty Shoes" demonstration was live-streamed from Parliament Hill. It featured heartfelt testimony from bereaved relatives, healthcare workers and politi- cians demanding that governments work together to implement meaningful change. Melissa's work attracted significant media attention and resulted in a meeting with Trudeau. Since then, Melissa and C4LTC have continued to advocate for change, hosting a weekly series of live-streamed town halls featuring a diverse coalition of stake- holders. Miller has continued to speak out into 2021, but, as a new partner, she also has a thriving practice. She is also open about the toll that balancing this all took on her. "I was on call 24/7; … it was incessant. And I didn't know how to separate what was happening in my own life." Her mental health was especially chal- lenged in January 2021, when Miller had to conduct a virtual trial and did so entirely from her home due to construction at her firm's offices. "That was the single most difficult thing I've ever had to overcome in my career…. If I have to do a virtual trial again, I will not do it from home. I will make arrangements to do it in the office." While Miller has spent the summer of 2021 taking time to herself, she is clear-eyed when talking about her work, which is just getting started, given her young age. "Because, to say that all of this comes at no cost is really disingenuous. There definitely is a cost. It's just that for me, my clients are worth it."

• Cover