Hi, I'm Alanna!
Lawyer, Consultant, Coach & Educator
I've spent my career moving between the worlds of human rights law, organizational culture, consultation, and education, while navigating my own journey as a queer, neurodivergent lawyer in recovery from chronic illness.
Through a BA and JD (with Distinction), a judicial clerkship, practicing litigation at a private firm, and serving as an investigator and legal counsel with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, I've built a broad base of knowledge and developed deep empathy and thoughtful insight into how systems impact people every day.
Now, through Alanna Carlson Consulting, I help create workplaces (and lives) where both people and performance thrive.
Because when people thrive, organizations do too.
That is Workplace Alchemy in action.
Creating Workplace Alchemy
I know what it means to navigate systems that weren’t built for you. Many workplaces aren't just battling legal risk, they are struggling with retention, productivity, burnout, and cultures that leave people unfulfilled and unsupported.
I also know what’s possible when those systems are redesigned with intention.
My approach is realistic and actionable, while also being neuro-inclusive, trauma-informed, and grounded in ethics and land. I draw on nervous system frameworks and modalities that helped me recover from chronic illness, alongside my experience as a lawyer, consultant and educator, to design strategies that are not only effective, but compassionate, sustainable, and led by prairie practicality.
This unique perspective allows me to help leaders, high-achievers, entrepreneurs, and organizations with:
- Tailored consulting for complex workplace challenges (investigations, organizational reviews, management consulting).
- Custom internal training development on topics like psychological safety, neurodiversity, inclusion, and workplace culture.
- Targeted legal services for employers and lawyers based in Saskatchewan (workplace policy review & writing, compliance advisory, litigation support).
At it's heart, my work is centered around helping people move from conflict and burnout into resilience and success. Whether I’m consulting with an organization, training a leadership team, or supporting an individual through executive coaching, my mission is the same:
To help create systems and cultures where people feel safe, valued, and able to do their best work.
Education and Experiences
Employment Experience:
- Sessional Lecturer at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan. Developed innovative upper-year seminar on Trauma-Responsive Law
- Legal Counsel, Investigator, and Systemic Specialist at the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, 2019-2024
- Associate Lawyer, Stevenson Hood Thornton Beaubier LLP, 2017-2019
- Judicial Clerk, Court of Queen's Bench, 2016-2017 (clerkship)
- Former secretary of the Elizabeth Fry Society Board of Directors
- Experience in Human Resources, Law Enforcement, social science research, and entrepreneurship
Education:
- Juris Doctor with Distinction, Usask College of Law, 2016
- BA in Political Studies with Distinction, University of Saskatchewan, 2013
- Minor in Critical Perspectives on Social Justice and the Common Good, St Thomas More College, 2013
- Intermediate and Advanced training in both French and Spanish language
Memberships and Certifications
Memberships
- Law Society of Saskatchewan
Certifications
- Edwards School of Business Advanced Certificate in Professional Coaching
- Mental Health First Aid
- First Aid, Red Cross
Training and Speaking
Training Undertaken
- Edwards School of Business Advanced Certificate in Professional Coaching
- Māmawī Wīcihitowin: An Anti-Dominance Framework with Tamara Pearl Baldhead
- Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Care
- Justice as Trauma Conference with Myrna McCallum in 2024 and 2025
- Addressing Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Harassment
- Representing Clients who have Suffered Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
- Your Legal Practice - Skills to Thrive, Session Presenter
- Diversity and Inclusion: Working with LGBTQ+ Clients
- Mental Health and the Legal Profession: Improving Lawyer Well-Being
- Tools to Thrive in Stressful Professions, Presenter
- Introduction to Trauma-Informed Lawyering
- Hate Speech in the Canadian Context
- Creating Inclusive Workplaces for Transgender Professionals
- Barriers to Accessing Justice for Two Spririt, Trans, Non-binary and Gender Nonconforming People in Canada
- Good Business: Conversations for Healthy Workplaces, Enough Already
- Cultural Humility & Empathy Training, Level Justice
- Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession: Creating as Safe Workplace Environment
- Fighting Sexism in Negotiations
- What Can I Do to Confront Systemic Racism, Just Mercy and Access to Justice 2.0
Diversity and Inclusion
I am deeply committed to my community. Based in Saskatoon, Treaty 6 Territory, I partner with queer, trans, BIPOC, and disabled service providers, and I actively engage in learning and unlearning around the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization. I hold myself accountable to the principles of Truth and Reconciliation and the Seven Sacred Teachings in both my work and my partnerships.
Beyond the Resume
- I am a settler of French, Scandinavian and central European heritage
- I speak French and Spanish and love to visit other regions of the world
- I grew up on a grain and pulse farm not far from Saskatoon
- My husband and I live in Saskatoon. He belongs to a French Métis family.
- My husband and I spend time connected to the land through regenerative farming on his family farm, gardening, baking with local flour milled fresh (contact me if you want some!)
- I identify as queer and AuDHD
Lived Experience, Grounded Values.
Alongside my professional background, I bring the lived experience of being AuDHD and queer, as well as navigating a chronic illness recovery journey. I am a prairie settler woman with deep connections to land and community in Saskatchewan.
These identities and realities have shaped my work and grounded me in values of compassion, equity, and accountability.
I am particularly dedicated to developing and sharing trauma-responsive, neuro-inclusive strategies and resources for resilience and recovery, especially for high-achievers who have experienced chronic illness, trauma, or burnout.