Joanna has done ground-breaking work on substantive equality and access to justice, including litigation to achieve spousal status for same-sex couples (M v H), equal marriage (Halpern), trans parenting (Forrester), birth registration (Rutherford), three parent recognition (AA v BB) and defining parentage (Grand). In relation to Indigenous families, Joanna’s work has addressed jurisdiction over Haudenosaunee family law disputes (Beaver v Hill), and the best interests of Indigenous children in parenting cases (E.Y. v B.A.). She is currently co-counsel in litigation seeking recognition of the tort of family violence before the Supreme Court of Canada (Ahluwalia).

Joanna has frequently acted as intervener counsel, representing The Advocates’ Society, the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, Family Alliance Ontario and the Sherbourne Health Centre. She has significant experience in family law reform, including the reconceptualization of parentage, and the availability of child support to dependent adult children with disabilities. She recently completed a report for the federal Department of Justice on child support and family violence and a report for Prince Edward Island on modernizing family law processes. She serves as a member of the Expert Advisory Committee on Child Support, the Legal Aid Ontario Family Advisory Committee, and as Public Affairs Liaison for the Ontario Bar Association.

Joanna is a frequent writer and speaker on family law and constitutional issues, and a former Adjunct Professor and McMurtry Fellow at Osgoode Hall Law School. She is editor of the book LGBTQ2+ Law: Practice Issues and Analysis (Emond Publishing), which won the 2020 Hugh Lawford Award for Excellence in Legal Publishing.