About

Proudly born and raised in Waitākere, Gabriella is of Ngāti Maniapoto, Samoan (Falefa) and Pākehā descent. As a junior solicitor, she currently specialises and is growing her skills in Treaty/Māori legal issues, criminal defense and family law. Prior to practicing law, Gabriella was employed as a researcher, teacher and rangatahi worker across schools in Tāmaki Makaurau. She has had her academic work published, notably contributing to the Borrin Foundation’s multi-year research project on ‘Pacific Peoples and the Criminal Justice System in Aotearoa New Zealand.’

Gabriella has recently returned to Aotearoa after completing her Masters in Law at the University of Arizona’s Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Programme, working with the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People. She was also a research fellow at the University of Arizona, contributing to an ongoing project on Indigenous human rights and violations in global models of fortress conservation.

She continues to bring an international lens to her legal work now grounded in her home community of Waitākere, focusing on delivering the best, practical outcomes for whānau while working towards a wider vision of Indigenous justice in Aotearoa and beyond.