Re-Imagining the Future of Family Justice with CREATE Justice

Family law encompasses a wide array of legal matters, including separation and divorce, child custody, and child support. But for many individuals, navigating the family law system can feel emotionally stressful and overwhelming. In this discussion, host Jen Quesnel sits down with Brea Lowenberger, Judy Jaunzems-Fernuk and Leah Howie to explore ways to evolve the family law system so that it supports families holistically and priortizes the well-being of children. They talk about how family justice reform requires collaboration from various community agencies, and professionals, not just those in the legal realm. They’ll also examine how the adversarial nature of the legal process can have a psychological impact on individuals and children. The conversation concludes with a discussion on how to transform the family law system to mitigate negative effects and promote healthier outcomes for everyone. About our guests: Brea Lowenberger, BA, JD, LLM is a lifelong learner and collaborator who hopes to leave the individuals and communities she interacts with a bit better than she found them. She is passionate about teaching and implementing design strategies that improve access to justice for Saskatchewan residents through her roles as Access to Justice coordinator, director of CREATE Justice, and sessional lecturer for the College of Law. When she isn't working, she enjoys adventures with family and friends, travelling, being active, nature, reading, and creating music and art. Judy Jaunzems-Fernuk, RTC, MTC, is the Well-being Coordinator in the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan. She is also a Lecturer and Researcher in the College of Education, bringing over two decades of educational expertise and clinical practice to her endeavours. Judy has a keen interest in the intersections of mental health, leadership, and education. Therapeutic and healing-centred practices are her current focus. Judy believes self-care and personal well-being are essential for strong leadership, especially for those in caregiving professions. Leah Howie, BEng, BSc, LLB, LLM lives in beautiful Saskatoon with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, and two cats. She loves reading, connecting people, travelling, and spending time outside on the prairies, in the mountains, by the river, and in the boreal forest. She enjoys thinking about ways to improve the law in her work in the area of law reform, and teaching and coaching law students as a sessional lecturer for the College of Law. Music Credits: Track Title: Glass Corridors Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: 1EHNESXSQQPWVGA5 Track Title: Full Prune Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: R6Q8OE2ADGD32Y1I Resources: Learn more about the research discussed in this episode: ​​https://law.usask.ca/createjustice/pr... Judy Jaunzem-Fernuk’s practice and research: https://drjudyjaunzemsfernuk.com/ This podcast was made possible by the Canadian Bar Association's Law for the Future Fund.