Nathan Gorham, KC, SJD, LLM, LLB, BA
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Nathan Gorham, KC, SJD, LLM, LLB, BANathan Gorham KC is a criminal defence lawyer with offices in Toronto, Ontario and Saint John, New Brunswick. He regularly appears at all levels of court in Ontario as well as Atlantic Canada.
Much of Mr. Gorham’s practice is devoted to defending people charged in complex murder prosecutions, and he has successfully defended many high-profile homicide cases. Mr. Gorham also regularly defends professionals (i.e. doctors, lawyers, professional athletes, business owners, teachers) who are charged with a variety of serious alleged offences, ranging from sexual assault to fraud and more. Mr. Gorham also defends professionals facing regulatory prosecutions.
Mr. Gorham has a Doctorate of Juridical Science (the equivalent of a PhD in law) as well as a Master of Laws degree, both from the University of Toronto. He was appointed King’s Counsel in 2022.
Mr. Gorham also teaches, as an adjunct professor, at the University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law. Currently, he teaches the law of homicide in Canada (murder and manslaughter); in the past, he has taught criminal law, wrongful convictions, and legal ethics.
Education
EducationMr. Gorham grew up in several small towns in New Brunswick (Centerville, Doaktown, and Riverview), before attending St. Francis Xavier University. During his undergraduate studies, he was named Academic All-Canadian—a national intercollegiate award for achieving academic excellence while playing varsity football with the X-Men. He was later inducted in the St. Francis Xavier Hall of Fame as a member of the 1996 X-Men football team. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with a major in political science.
Following his undergraduate studies, Mr. Gorham began studying law at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario. In 2001, he was again named Academic All-Canadian, this time while playing varsity football for the Queen’s Golden Gaels. He graduated in 2003 with the law school’s award for the highest overall performance in criminal law courses.
From 2004 until 2014, Mr. Gorham practiced as a criminal trial and appeal lawyer at a downtown Toronto criminal defence firm. In 2015, he completed his Master of Laws, from the University of Toronto. He subsequently obtained his Doctorate of Juridical Science, from the University of Toronto, in 2022. His graduate research focused on miscarriages of justice in the Canadian bail system.
Teaching, writing & commentary
Teaching, writing & commentaryIn 2018, Mr. Gorham joined UNB Law as an adjunct professor, teaching Legal Ethics and Wrongful Convictions. He subsequently taught Criminal Law and coached the Gale Moot team. Currently, he teaches Prosecution and Defence of Homicide.
Mr. Gorham’s writing has been published in peer reviewed journals, professional periodicals, and national news papers. He co-authored a text book on prosecuting and defending drug offences. His insight and analysis is often sought out by members of the news media.
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