The British American Security Information Council (BASIC) mourns the sudden passing of Joanne Skolnick, a valued member of our Board of Trustees since 2023. As a Trustee, Joanne provided vital legal counsel on cross-border matters including employment, human resources, and risk management, while also contributing to broader Board responsibilities such as Trustee appointments.
Joanne’s work with BASIC combined her legal expertise with passion for international affairs, where she started her career. She held an MSt in Modern History from St John’s College, Oxford, before obtaining a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University, and worked briefly as a journalist before pursuing an LLB and a BCL from McGill University’s Faculty of Law.
As her career progressed, Joanne would join the select ranks of lawyers who are triple-qualified: as a solicitor in England and Wales, an Attorney in New York and a solicitor and barrister in Ontario, Canada. Training at a leading national law firm in Toronto, Joanne practiced at top ranked boutique law firms in New York prior to becoming an Assistant Attorney General for the State of New York. On moving to London, she worked as a legal consultant and non-executive director specialising in risk management, strategic planning, and governance.
Besides her work with BASIC, Joanne also served as a Trustee of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (East London and Havering Branch), as an Editor of Legal Women magazine, and on the Steering Group of the St John’s College Women’s Network, as well as a number of previous voluntary appointments.
Joanne will be remembered for her generosity of time and spirit. Never one to occupy the limelight, Joanne committed many hours of dedicated work behind the scenes shaping BASIC’s legal affairs and protecting the organisation. Her loss will be deeply felt by BASIC and the other organisations she served. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.