Two law offices in the Swan Valley will be combining practices to better serve and meet the legal needs of clients in rural and northern Manitoba. Ferriss Law and Oakes Law Office are working towards joining forces and working as one entity, starting June 1, 2026.
Rhodel Ferriss will be joining Oakes Law Office as an associate lawyer, helping ensure continuity and a smooth transition for all clients. Ferriss has been practicing law in the Valley for almost 30 years and remembers what drew her to practice law here.
“I decided that I wanted to be a lawyer early on in high school. I grew up in Ashern, which is a small town in the Interlake,” said Ferriss. “After high school, I attended the University of Manitoba and obtained an Arts degree with a major in political science and a minor in Canadian history. I worked several summers at the legislative building in Winnipeg in the Department of Justice office. This was shortly after the riots at the Headingly jail and it was a very interesting time to be in the Justice Department. I entered law school in 1995, also at the University of Manitoba, graduated in 1998 and received my Call to the Bar in 1999.