Dr. Sarah Marsden

Sarah first joined First United as a Staff Lawyer in early 2021, and later the same year, she gratefully accepted the opportunity to serve as Director, Systems Change and Legal.

Sarah has worked in the legal field for over 20 years, including work as an advocate, as a lawyer, and in legal research and education. She is passionate about understanding how legal systems affect the most vulnerable and seeking pathways to a more just society through law reform and advocacy. She approaches this work with hope that legal change can be a part of reconciliation in action.

In 2021, Sarah led the development of First United’s Eviction Mapping project, a British-Columbia wide initiative documenting the impact of evictions as part First United’s housing justice work. The results will be used to inform First United’s law reform work in the area of residential tenancy law and beyond.

Sarah has a degree in Philosophy from York University, a law degree and a Masters degree in law from the University of Victoria, and a PhD in law from the University of British Columbia. When she’s not reading legislation, she can be found running in the North Shore mountains or knitting colourful socks.