Lisa Smart

I am a Criminal Defence Lawyer at Oykhman Criminal Defence, Regina Branch. I have a unique criminal justice background, including time spent with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Public Prosecutions office. My familiarity with both policing and prosecutions procedures affords me unique insights into criminal law.  Most importantly, it enables me to better and more efficiently navigate the justice system as I work to achieve the best possible resolutions for my clients.

Throughout my career as a criminal defence lawyer, I have represented countless individuals charged with various Criminal, Drug, and Driving Offences in Provincial Court and the Court of Queen’s Bench, and have personally conducted hundreds of matters, including bail hearings, contested sentencings, preliminary hearings, and both traffic and criminal trials.

I am genuinely passionate about the work I do, and the people that I help. Being part of a whole team of lawyers who share my philosophy truly maximizes our ability to help our clients. Through our team-oriented firm, we are able to work collectively to ensure that our clients receive the best defence possible.  In most cases, I find a way to resolve my clients matters to their satisfaction without the need for a trial, but I am also highly adept at case preparation and courtroom litigation. Whatever strategy improves results for our clients is the path we’ll take.

My career path has shaped me into the well-rounded criminal defence lawyer I am today.

Long before law school, I was a telecommunications operator (‘dispatcher’) with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  As a dispatcher, I worked with a diverse range of clientele hailing from various socio-economic backgrounds, which afforded me the opportunity to acquire and develop effective interpersonal and communication skills. As an added benefit, it also helped me gain insight into some of the inner workings of the RCMP, including how they respond to emergency calls, assess unfolding situations, and deal with people in their custody. I believe that the skills I acquired while with the RCMP are invaluable, and that they have been a strong contributing factor to the successes I have experienced thus far in my legal career.

After 6 years with the RCMP Dispatch, I went back to school. In 2013, I obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance with distinction from the University of Regina. At the same time, I completed a certificate in Economics, qualifying for the Dean’s Honours List in both programs, and even received the Business Law Academic Achievement Award for the top grade in my Business Law class.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I went straight into Law School, receiving my Juris Doctor Law Degree from the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Law in 2016.  While at law school, I held a number of volunteer roles, including:

• working with Pro Bono Students Canada;
• producing the College of Law’s annual fundraiser variety show, ‘Legal Follies;’
• serving as a “big sister” or “mentor” to first year students when I was in my second and third years; and
• participating in the “Just Rights” and “Criminal Law Clubs”.

Along the way, I received the following distinctions:

• The Marj Benson leadership scholarship
• The G Murray Forbes Memorial Bursary (2015 & 2016)
• The Bernard Family Award
• The Honourable Judge William Ross Campbell Award
• The Honourable Justice Douglas Sirrs Memorial Bursary

One of my most formative experiences was as a student intern with File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council. While there, I participated in Tribal Council events and attended numerous strategic planning meetings with members of the eleven included First Nations communities.  I had the opportunity to interact closely with elders, knowledge-keepers, healers, and other respected members of the communities and am grateful for the life-long professional and personal relationships that I gained as a result. This experience has given me a unique insight into the issues and concerns faced by First Nations people, and has made me more attuned to the needs and concerns of our clients from various cultural backgrounds.

After Law School, I articled with the Ministry of Justice. My most notable experience there was with the Public Prosecutions office. Yes, I was a Crown Prosecutor. My brief time there was just long enough to accomplish two things. The first was to realize that I wanted to help individuals who have found themselves in trouble with the law, rather than send them to jail. The second was to gain invaluable insight into the innerworkings of the Public Prosecutions offices in Saskatchewan. This experience has helped me to understand how Prosecutors work, what they care about, and how best to approach each and every case with those things in mind. Coupled with my time spent at RCMP dispatch, I believe I now have experience looking at criminal law from virtually every angle.

There are many things I can do to help. I can listen to your story. I can explain the court process. I can offer hope and try to ease the stress of your ordeal. With the support of our Savage Oykhman Law network of lawyers across the country, there is no file too small or too large for me to handle.

If you have been charged with a criminal offence, contact me for a Free Consultation and give me the opportunity to explain what I can do to help.

• Bail Hearings
• Contested Sentencings
• Preliminary Hearings
• Traffic and Criminal Trials.

• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance from the University of Regina in 2013
• Juris Doctor Law Degree from the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Law in 2016