Headshot of Rodi-Lynn Rusnick-Kinisky

Rodi-Lynn Rusnick-Kinisky

Director, Community Legal Services
Director

Email: 
rlrusnic@lakeheadu.ca
Phone Number: 
+1 (807) 346-7815
Office Location: 
PA 1001
Office Hours: 
Mon-Fri 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Academic Qualifications: 

Proud to be an alumna, Rodi-Lynn received her HBA in Psychology (First Class Standing) from Lakehead University. She later obtained her LL.B. from Western Law at the University of Western Ontario, and was called to the Ontario Bar in early 2001.

Date joined Lakehead: 
September, 2015
Previous Teaching/Work: 

Rodi-Lynn has practiced law in her hometown of Thunder Bay for over 20 years. While her primary focus in early practice was in corporate law and commercial litigation, one of her main areas of expertise was assisting not-for-profit corporations with their annual legal obligations and assisting with applications for charitable registrations. Rodi-Lynn was always drawn to helping those in need. 

Rodi-Lynn's litigation experience includes researching, preparing and arguing cases before various levels of the judicial system and administrative tribunals including the Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court, the Small Claims Court, the Ontario Court of Justice, the Landlord and Tenant Board and the former Assessment Review Board.

Rodi-Lynn's legal teaching experience began while she was in her second and third years of law school as a teaching assistant to first year law students in Constitutional Law.  Since then, she has acted as a coach/mentor for Thunder Bay high school students participating in the Law Day moots and for several years had co-chaired the corporate program for the annual continuing legal education presented to members of the local bar. She continued to pursue her interest in leadership and teaching by being a part of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law in various capacities since 2013, including as a Tutorial Leader in Contracts, as a Clinical Instructor and Moot Trial Judge in Civil Practice, and as a Contract Lecturer in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Rodi-Lynn joined Lakehead University Community Legal Services (LUCLS) in 2015 as the Senior Review Counsel, where she developed and oversaw the civil law and administrative law aspects of the clinical curriculum. Rodi-Lynn was appointed the Director of LUCLS in May 2021.

Rodi-Lynn has a wealth of experience instructing and mentoring law students in providing legal services to clients.  She values the need for a clinical education program at the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law and the importance of providing access to justice to the community through that program. Rodi-Lynn's strong organizational skills, proven leadership qualities and wealth of legal experience contribute to the excellent services provided by Lakehead University Community Legal Services.