Management Consultant
Shelina Neallani works with a wide range of clients as a Management Consultant. She specializes in projects relating to family mediation, law and research. Recent consultancy examples include projects on justice transformation initiatives where Shelina developed, implemented and/or managed pilot projects related to cutting edge online dispute resolution platforms. Clients include:
BC Provincial Government (Child Support Eligibility Mediation Project, BC Civil Resolution Tribunal)
Mediate BC (Child Protection Practicum Program and Child Protection Mediation Scheduling Services)
Legal Service Society of BC (Mylawbc)
Writing
Shelina Neallani has been a contributing editor of web content for Legal Services Society as well to the British Columbia Family Practice Manual, as well a contributing author to the Canadian Journal of Woman and the Law, and to “Bar Talk” (the publication of the Canadian Bar Association of British Columbia). Select examples of her writing include:
Managing a Supersized Sandwich (February 2025)
https://bartalk.org/article/the-profession/managing-a-super-sized-sandwich?utm_source=IFZ&utm_medium=EM&utm_campaign=BC&_zs=0om7O1&_zl=8dqF3
Acting Against Racism: Talk Leads to Change North Shore News · Jan 1, 2017
Coping with Separation Handbook-Family Law (Dec 2015) Coping with Separation Handbook: Family Law in BC, Legal Services Society,
BC Violence Against Women Mediation Project Jan 2017 BC Law Foundation,
Acting Against Racism: Talk Leads to Change Sept 2017 North Shore News,
Mediating Family Law Cases, Bar Talk, August 2011
Women of Colour in the Legal Profession, Facing the Familiar Barriers of Race and Sex, Canadian Journal of Women and the Law. (1992) 5:1 page 148; [Reprinted in Women, Law and Social Change, 3rd Edition. (1998). Course Reader: Carlton University; and Gender in the Courts and Legal Profession. (2002). Course Reader: Simon Fraser University.]
Training
Shelina has extensive public speaking experience, having presented for and to diverse organizations over the past 34 years, including Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, Canadian Bar Association, Mediate BC, the Trial Lawyers Association, Peoples Law School, the ADR Institute of Canada, and the Law Courts Education Society. Her experience includes presentation in person, small and larger audiences, as well as using web-based video conference platforms (e.g. Zoom.
In addition, Shelina has taught at an academic level at UBC Law School, University of the Fraser Valley and Thompson Rivers University.
Shelina has provided specialized training for employees/managers/individuals on topics such as communication skills. These sessions included content to assist participants in listening empathetically, understand the power of acknowledgment and stress responses in conflict resolution, how to have difficult conversations, team building/improving the workplace environment and understanding/demonstrating respectful workplace culture. Some of these sessions have included discussions regarding the role of culture and race in relationships.
Her most recent presentations include:
Coach and Presenter at Continuing Legal Eduction of BC “Mediator Master Class” Nov 2024
Coach and Presenter at Continuing Legal Education of BC “Workplace Conflict Resolution Tools: Mediations, Investigations and More” Nov 2024
Panel Presenter at Lancaster House “Before and After the Investigation: Preventing Conflict, Restoring Relationships Apr 2024
Coach, Advanced Conflict Resolution Workshop Osgoode Hall Law School Mar 2024
Panel Presenter, Supporting Client Capacity at Conference Shared Path: Advancing Collaborative Decision-Making in Child Welfare Feb 2024
Panel presenter at People Law School webinar “Getting Along with your Ex” Jan 2023
Presenter various online webinars on topics such as “Lawyering, Parenting and Wellbeing”, “Boundaries”, “Managing Vicarious Trauma”, “Self Care and Resiliency”, and “Life’s Transitions” May-Nov 2022
Co-Presenter at CLEBC The Inaugural Northwest Collaborative Futures Conference “Borders, Barriers and Blinders—Stop Boxing It Up!” Oct 2021
Presenter at the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources Alberta Law Conference Feb 2020
Panel presenter of “ODR [Online Dispute Resolution] is it Mainstream yet?” and “Intercultural Competency, Road to Reconciliation,” Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Canada 2019
Panel presenter of “A2J: Legal Aid’s Digital Shift & Online Mediation,” Continuing Legal Education Society of BC’s Annual Conflict Resolution Conference Oct 2019
Panel presenter of “Online International Innovation and Collaboration in New Zealand and British Columbia,” Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, The Future of Family Justice: International Innovations 2019
Presenter BC Arbitration and Mediation Symposium (ADRBC) – “Mental Health and ADR” Oct 2020
Presenter at Kay Meek Theatre “Acting Against Racism” Sept 2017
Presenter BC Arbitration and Mediation Symposium (ADRBC) ) on panel “Diversity, Pluralism and ADR” and Family Violence in Mediation Project June 2017
Presenter CoRe (non profit conflict resolution group) “Islamaphobia” March 2017.
Presenter Peoples Law School “Holiday Blues-Having Difficult Conversations and Resolving Conflict with Family Members” Jan 2017
Presenter CLEBC on panel Webinar “Cultural and the Client Voice” May 2017
Presenter Mediate BC Webinar “Challenges Facing Mediators under the new Family Law Act Feb 2016
Presenter BC Arbitrators Association “Dispute Resolution, Culture and Credibility” May 2016
Developed and facilitated 6 part series webinar on Mediating under the FLA Mediate BC Jan-March 2013
Presenter Mediate BC Webinar Agreement Writing Dec 2014
Presenter 2 part series webinar Mediate BC Mental Health and Addictions for Child Protection Mediators April 2014
Panel Presenter at ADR Institute of Canada, “Mediation and Culture” Oct 2011
Co-Presenter International Conference Recovery of Maintenance in the EU and Worldwide, Heidleberg, Germany, March 5-8 2013 “Family Mediation, Distance Mediation, Intercultural Mediation – What does any of this have to do with Maintenance Enforcement?”
Presenter Honouring Culture in Mediation-Experiences from the Shia Muslim Ismaili Conciliation and Arbitration Board
Co-organizer and Presenter: Child Protection Mediation Conference: Moving toward Meaningful Engagement, Feb 6 and 7, 2012: “Cultural Shifts in Child Protection”
Academia
Shelina has taught academic courses at the University of the Fraser Valley, in 2011 was appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia and taught a one day workshop at Thompson Rivers University.