YWL BLOG

On June 28^th YWL hosted one of our signature annual events, ‘Life After Hireback’. This year’s panel included our very own Sandra Buhain (In-House Counsel at Desjardins), Monica Goyal (Director of Legal Innovation and Lawyer at Caravel Law), Madori Sakamoto (Manager, Professional Recruiting at BLG) and Cheryl Biehler (Assistant Director, Recruitment and Student Development at Fasken). Panelists and participants had an open and honest discussion about how to navigate life after hireback and the first year of practice. I have gathered a few key points from our speakers to share with you here.

I wasn’t hired back – What is the first thing I should be doing?

Receiving some not so great news can be really disappointing and disheartening. It’s ok to take some time to process and accept that outcome. You should also use that time to reflect on your articling experience and do some self-evaluation in terms of better understanding what you liked and enjoyed about an employer or area of law and, just as importantly, what you didn’t like or would have changed. 

Rejection is often an opportunity to pursue a path better suited to you. Maybe the office culture wasn’t a great fit. Maybe you would rather practice in a different area of law. Or maybe you would excel in a different work environment. Now is the time to take stock of what’s going to work for you in your next career move. See the many opportunities that lie ahead of you once you start looking!

I’m starting as a First Year Associate. How can I make the most of this year?

You still have a lot to learn as a first year but potentially more control over your work than you did as an articling student. Use this time to ask partners and senior associates if you can sit in on things like mediations or cross examinations if you want more exposure to facets of practice you didn’t encounter while articling. While it is important to make time for committees and volunteering, your work product should be your number one priority and this is the time to build those foundational skills.

I’m thinking about changing my area of practice. How can I make the switch without any experience?

After articling and in your first year of practice, employers are less concerned with specific knowledge as they are with the soft and transferable skills you bring to the table. Drafting, managing timelines and workflows, research skills, communication and negotiation are all examples of skills you have probably developed that can be leveraged across a wide variety of practice areas.

If there is nothing on your resume or transcripts that provides evidence of your interest or aptitude in the area of law you wish to pursue, consider speaking with someone currently in that area and ask them to identify gaps in your experience and how to best fill those gaps. Ask them what they love about their job and what they wish was different. Be mindful of our habit of glamourizing certain areas of law—you may discover the work is not what you imagined it was.  

How do I network and build my brand?  

Networking will often start at your place of work. Foster the connections you made during articling and don’t forget about your law school classmates. Leverage those closer connections and ask to be put in touch with someone they know in an area of law or firm you are interested in. Connect on LinkedIn, attend networking and continuing legal education events and find volunteer opportunities. 

Your brand is best defined as how or what others think of you. In this way, your brand is often synonymous with reputation. Think about how your actions now will affect your reputation at your current employer and the reputation you would like to have for future employers and clients. Being true to yourself and showing others your authentic self is much more memorable and commendable than trying to fit a mold. Your brand can also be built on what others associate you with. Repost articles of interest, write a blog for a practice group or speak about a topic – these are all great ways to build your knowledge and reputation as an expert in your chosen area of law.  

Whether you are currently looking for your next role or not, remember to be kind to yourself and others around you. Congratulate yourself for the huge accomplishment of becoming a licensed lawyer! Almost no one has it figured out one year (or even 10) into practice, so give yourself some grace and compassion. If you are in a position to assist your colleagues and past classmates, consider how you can help connect others in your network. Finally, don’t forget to make some time for your physical and mental health, and enjoy the summer!

Marie obtained her Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Toronto and worked for a few years in financial services and investments before returning to school to obtain her J.D. from Western. She is currently completing her articles at a boutique estate litigation firm in downtown Toronto and expects to be called to the Bar in June 2023. During law school Marie was a member of the Western Business Law Clinic assisting local start-ups, Western's In Vino Veritas wine tasting club and participated in several moots and competitions including coaching the Walsh Family Law Moot in her third year. Outside of work Marie enjoys cooking, skiing, travelling and volunteering with Second Harvest.

If you're reading this you likely already know you are not being hired back by your current employer after articling or perhaps you don't yet have an offer for an associate/counsel position. 

I did NOT get hired back by my articling employer and this is a short account of my experience and what you NEED to do and think about at this time if you find yourself in a similar situation.

At this time in 2019 (which is when I completed my articles), I did not have an answer about whether or not I was going to be hired back. I articled in-house at a company that had historically extended associate positions to all of its articling students. To my surprise, I was one of three articling students that were NOT hired back.

I found this information out in April (a month or so prior to the end of my articles). Admittedly, I was ill prepared and was truly not ready for this. Here are my top tips about what to do if you find yourself in this situation and the things I did or wish I knew at the time. I ended up securing a job and I actually started the day after my call (no rest for the wicked I guess).

1. Start planning

My number one tip is to start planning NOW. This is so important. I wish I had started thinking about this earlier at the time. Half way into your articles or even two thirds into the way, you should begin to start making inquires about where you stand and the status of the hire-back decision if this topic has not yet been addressed.

If you don't have a response then start looking! Do not hesitate. I am a true believer in always looking, even when you at a job that you are happy with. It is so important to just be aware of who is hiring and what jobs are out there. Begin doing this early even when you do not know whether you will be hired back otherwise you will be scrambling later.

I am a planner so I find comfort in having various contingency plans. If you are articling, you are on a contract so you need to accept that things can change. When a company/firm historically hires its students back this just may not be the case for your cohort for whatever reason. Because of this, it is best to be prepared for not being hired back no matter what. 

2. Begin applying for jobs

This goes hand in hand with my first point. Begin updating your LinkedIn profile and cleaning up your social media accounts (if your accounts are a mess then you really need to get it together). It is no mystery that in today's day and age, employers WILL look you up. So if there is anything inappropriate on your online accounts this is the time to remove it. 

I highly encourage you to get LinkedIn and indicate that you are open to recruiters contacting you in your settings so that any job opportunities you qualify for will pop up in your feed. Places to look are: LinkedIn, Ontario Reports, Indeed, Neuvoo and Zip Recruiter. Diversify where you are looking and sign up for the alerts so you are always aware of what is out there. 

When you are applying for jobs makes sure you take the time to carefully review your application, cover letter and any supporting materials so that it is free of errors or inconsistencies/inaccuracies. 

3. Network your way out

Networking is so important, get started as soon as you can establishing your connections at your current place of employment. Make sure you attend any networking events (even on your way out). If you are not being hired back, I understand the tendency to be discourage and unmotivated. However I encourage to put your emotions and feelings aside and think of your future, networking is such a valuable skill especially in this field. Being able to connect and maintain relationships on your way out can lead to countless opportunities in the future. 

Going to events also allows you to network with people (that you may not necessarily even work with) which can also lead to a potential job opportunities. 

4. Approach people for references and letters

Remember those lawyers that assigned you countless tasks as student? That would go around your principal to give you tons of motions/assignments to do? You did the work and you did not complain, now is your time to ask for a favour. Go to that lawyer and secure a reference and/or a reference letter. I would opt for both. 

I suggest that you approach this request as professional as possible. First, ask your potential reference for a meeting (in person or by telephone) and then make sure you are asking verbally. Always ask whether there is anything that you can provide to assist him/her with the reference or reference letter (i.e. your resume). Once you have the confirmation that your reference is secured, send an email confirming and thanking this person for agreeing to be a reference and make sure you have their contact information and preferred method of contact. You want to make it simple and easy for your reference to do this for you.

5. Build your precedent bank

The last thing that you need to do is to gather your work! I am sure by this point you have done tons of motions and pleadings for different lawyers. The routine ones are usually not as important as motions that are more complicated and unique. Any opinions, mediation memos, reports, pleadings and motions you've done on complex files for other lawyers - you want to keep this stuff for your personal portfolio and for your own personal reference. 

When you begin looking for work you may be asked to provide a writing sample and I find that writing samples prepared in the course of your job are generally more compelling and effective than an academic paper. 

These are my top 5 tips and steps you need to take care of on the tail end of your articles to ensure that you are set up for success. For those reading this and are back on the job market, all the best and make sure you take it easy and be kind to yourself during this process. 

Find original post here.

Sandra Buhain is currently working as Legal Counsel at Desjardins Insurance practicing civil litigation. She also has a Lifestyle Blog called Simply Sandra where she writes about everything from work to law school, travel and  style. 

Earlier this month, Young Women in Law hosted an in-house counsel panel where panelists shared advice on making a career transition, as well as their day-to-day experience practicing law.  YWL heard from several in-house lawyers with experience across a number of industries including banking, entertainment and publishing, as well as a legal recruiter with in-house experience.  The panelists discussed their career successes, the challenges they faced, and when they knew it was time for a change.

Switching from a role in private practice or government can have an impact on both the nature and pace of your work schedule.  The panelists shared how the substance of their work did (or did not) change as they shifted to an in-house position.

“I touch on the types of issues that I dealt with all the time when I was in private practice, but a major consideration when my client is the bank or the wealth management lines is the business’ appetite for risk,” shared Jessie Lamont at Senior Counsel at RBC Law Group.  “It is not just having familiarity with the blackletter law, but also a detailed understanding of each of the different lines of business and what their objectives are.”

Sophia Javed, Associate General Counsel at The Globe and Mail shared that she had a similar experience to Jessie’s.  “In terms of the nature of the work, you’re more involved with the commercial teams. There is more of a business element. You might not always be dealing with detailed legal questions, but you are considering the law and always assessing risk.”

Sophia also told YWL that her pace of work has changed. “When I worked in securities, it was very transactional. There would be a month where there was little work and then all of a sudden there were two months where I was working all hours, having to cancel on people all the time.  When I compare that to working in-house, it is more constant.  The days are really busy, but you have a better line of sight into the projects that are happening because you have foresight into the business plan and you have a better idea of what to prioritize.”

Victoria Novak, Director, Business and Legal Affairs at WildBrain, had a different experience with her transition. “I moved from private practice at a boutique to in-house. I was doing film and TV production work which meant being with a client from start to finish on a feature film. Now I’m at a media company where I’ve been brought in for almost the exact same role. I’m given projects and properties and I’m there to see them from the optioning stage through to delivery. The shift has been much more in lifestyle for me with the work being practically the same as I did before.” 

It can be difficult to know the right time to make the move.  The panelists shared their thought processes as they decided to change roles.

“I was pushing ten years post-call,” Victoria explained. “The community starts to notice you. I got a couple pokes two or three years prior about other job opportunities. I reflected on where I was at that point and where I was going. It was eye opening what was available in the industry that matched my skills. My mind slowly turned. It came down to what matched what I liked to do in law. I knew that I didn’t want to leave law.”

Annesta Duodo, Associate Counsel to Music Canada, shared that she did not plan to move in-house right after articling. “A position came up that melded my government experience with my internship experience,” shared Duodo. “I didn’t think I would get a call back because they were looking for someone with two to four  years’ experience and I had a year’s experience. It ended up working out. With the training I’m getting in-house, I’m able to do all the things I thought I’d only get to do in private practice. The mentorship was key. It filled the gap that I thought I was missing.”

Orit Sinai, who had a number of roles prior to her current position as a legal recruiter at ZSA, shared her thought process as she navigated her role changes.  “A lot of it is intuition and gut.  If you’re coming home and you’re unhappy, you need to follow what that feeling is. You have to have some form of excitement, some purpose. When you come home at night, you want to feel good about what you’re doing, where you’re working, and who you’re working with.”

Orit gave some helpful advice to those considering whether to make the switch.  “A lot of factors go into what makes a person happy at a job. First and foremost, it’s the people. If you have the most incredible team, it’s very hard to leave those people. That can make or break your day. Compensation, in my opinion, is number two. You want to make sure you’re getting compensated fairly. Then look at your trajectory. You have to consider what the job will do for you in terms of growth as a person and as a lawyer. Last but not least, if there’s a place you want to work, the best person to talk to is someone who has left that company. Look on LinkedIn to see who left the organization, the company or the particular group. Ask them what it was like working there.”

If they were to do it over again, the panelists shared some advice they wish they had before they made the transition.

“Don’t undervalue yourself and trust your gut,” shared Victoria. “If you want the change to happen you need to make it yourself. One of the first people I reached out to was the head of students from the Bay Street firm I articled at who is now a headhunter. We met for lunch and she validated me at the time I needed. She helped give me clarity at a time where I wasn’t trusting my gut.”

Annesta advised others to take the time to fully understand what they offer. “When I was applying, I was held up on the fact that I didn’t have enough experience. I worked with a coach and analyzed what I had done over the previous four years in law and realized that my experience did line up with what they were looking for, just not according to the timeline that they wanted. I also now realize that I’m learning skills in my current in-house role that I thought I could only learn in private practice.”

Are you ready to make the move and wondering what the market is like? Orit told YWL that the market has been hot for in-house jobs since the pandemic. She said that now more than ever, companies are hiring articling students and lawyers in their first few years of practice for in-house counsel positions, whereas in the past, companies looked for at least five years of experience. “The jobs are pouring in weekly. If you are open or interested in hearing about in-house roles, you should connect with a recruiter. Now you can work for a company in whatever city you’re based. Remote working has allowed more jobs to come to the surface,” shared Orit. 

YWL would like to thank the panelists for sharing their experience and advice. Making a career change can be a daunting decision, but just know that there is a huge network of people who have been in your shoes and are willing to help you through the process.

Some of the panelists’ responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Katrina Kairys practices charity and not-for-profit law at Patel Kairys Law.  She completed her undergraduate degree at McGill University and obtained her J.D. from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.  Katrina practiced charity and not-for-profit law at a national law firm for several years prior to co-founding Patel Kairys Law.

Katrina is a director of ACCESS Community Capital Fund, a charity based in Toronto, and she volunteers as a member-at-large of the Ontario Bar Association Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section Executive. Katrina has authored articles in the Estates, Trusts & Pensions Journal, Canadian Tax Foundation Conference Report and Ontario Bar Association Section Insider.

This week (May 1^st – May 7^th, 2023) is Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week. This year’s Mental Health Week aims to amplify some voices and spaces within which mental health is promoted across Canada, including at the community level through non-profit agencies and programs. 

The first comprehensive national study on wellness in the legal profession (titled “The National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada”) was published October 7, 2022 and revealed that legal professionals suffer from significantly high levels of psychological distress, depression, anxiety, burnout, and suicidal ideation. In particular, the study found that legal professionals within their early years of practice experienced some of the highest rates of distress. The study suggests that it is important to invest time and resources into improving mental health in the legal industry.

This blog post will highlight some ideas for maintaining and promoting mental health as a young lawyer in the Canadian legal industry. 

1. Check In With Yourself and Others

It can be easy to get lost amongst the fast-paced and demanding nature of legal work, which is why one key to maintaining a healthy mind is to consciously check in with yourself and others regularly. A self check-in could be as simple as spending 5 minutes at the beginning of each week evaluating how you are feeling about the work week ahead and reflecting on the actions you can take to improve your well-being. These actions could include spending time with loved ones, blocking off time to pursue a hobby, or engaging in meditation or exercise. As well, checking in with colleagues can help create a sense of support and community.

2. Set Boundaries and Know Your Limits

The National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada found that three key characteristics that are likely to protect the psychological health of legal professionals are psychological detachment from work, the ability to set limits with assertiveness, and resilience in facing the challenges of professional life. These three characteristics can be understood as skills that legal professionals across all areas of practice and in all jurisdictions can work to build up over time. 

3. Block Off Time for Hobbies or Loved Ones

Making time for your hobbies and loved ones can help ground you and enforce some psychological detachment from your legal work. For those with demanding legal careers, it may seem extremely difficult or next to impossible to find time in the week to set aside time for yourself while still meeting client expectations and billable hour targets. However, blocking even one or two hours off in the evening or on a weekend to pursue a passion project or focus on building your support network can lead to long-term rewards that will keep burnout at bay.

Overall, consciously setting mental health and resilience as a goal to work towards through frequent self check-ins, setting boundaries and limits, and blocking off time to detach from work can help promote wellness. As well, the research team behind The National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada noted that stakeholders in the legal industry should invest in training and mentoring, work culture, raising awareness and breaking down taboos, wellness support resources, adopting alternative business models, promoting diversity, and committing to work-life balance as part of efforts to improve mental health in the legal industry.  These suggestions reinforce the idea that moving towards a healthy and sustainable culture within the legal profession in Canada will require small steps at all levels, taken over a long period of time, from all stakeholders.

 1 https://www.cba.org/News-Media/Press-Releases/2022/December/Recommendations-released-from-national-study-on-we

Jane Huang is a corporate lawyer in the Business Law group at Miller Thomson. She is developing a commercial law practice with an emphasis on marketing and advertising, franchising, product regulatory, privacy, transportation, and intellectual property matters. Jane is registered with the College of Patent and Trademark Agents as a trademark agent-in-training.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, she gained business development experience at a tech startup and was part of the investment team at a venture capital fund. Jane graduated with a science degree from the University of Toronto and a law degree from Western University. While in law school, Jane was co-president of the Western Health Law Association and served as a teaching assistant for a 1L legal research, writing, and advocacy course.

In her spare time, Jane enjoys taking dance classes, admiring art, listening to podcasts, trying different kinds of food, and perfecting her skincare routine.

This year, 2023, marks the 53^rd anniversary of the first Earth Day, viewed by many as the birth of the modern environmental movement. Organized to raise awareness and encourage action to protect our natural earth, it seems like Earth Day is more relevant than ever as extreme climate variability is already being experienced by people around the globe. 

The frequency and intensity of weather-related events is growing and will continue to grow and affect all of us. For businesses, including law firms, it will impact every part of operations, including employee safety and well-being, communications, power supply, logistics, and transportation. So, this Earth Day I challenge you to reflect on what you can do to protect the health of our planet. Here are a 5 ideas to get you started.

1. Make Green a Priority

The best ideas will flounder without a committed leader or team to make them a reality. Baker McKenzie recently made waves by naming its first Chief Sustainability Officer to lead its global sustainability strategy. Find the members of your own team (unless that’s you!) that are most passionate about sustainability issues and give them the mandate to move forward. Make sure they have the resources they need to make the changes that will benefit the Earth—and the firm. If you aren’t in a position to make firm or workplace initiatives yourself, it never hurts to volunteer to start a committee to tackle specific issues. 

2. Go Paperless

The average office worker uses up 10,000 sheets of paper annually. About 45% of that ends up in the trash by the end of the same day it was created. Cutting down on paper not only saves forests — it also helps with soil erosion and water pollution as well. While most of us may have converted to digital document storage already, think twice about printing that document for convenience’s sake.

Cutting out paper can also help the bottom line. In most offices, paper costs around $80 per employee per year. Add to this the costs of toner, filing cabinets, mailing, copiers, fax machines, shredders, staplers, paper clips, folders, and the extra office space needed to store those mammoth filing cabinets.Paperless firms are also more productive and efficient, with fewer lost documents, better collaboration, and easier document retrieval. 

3. Hybrid Work

If you need another reason to convince the boss that WFH is here to stay, cutting down commutes helps eliminate greenhouse gasses—a substantial share of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation.  If your office already went paperless, hybrid is even easier. With all of your files, notes, and tasks accessible from every device, you can skip the commute and work from home.

4. Energy Use

Cut down on energy bills by using Energy Star appliances, smart thermostats, LED light bulbs, and motion sensors that turn power off on their own. Avoid “phantom power” by turning off computers at night and unplugging unused appliances.

5. Encourage Your Workplace to Join the Movement

In every community, there are groups of committed people working to protect land, water, and air. Find them and give them your support. Here are a few ways to do it:

• Sponsor a local environmental group or event. A modest donation can go a long way to fix environmental problems, motivate volunteers, and demonstrate publicly your commitment to the long-term well-being of your community.
• Join an activity as a team. Is there an initiative to build a community garden, plant trees, or clean up a river? Spending time together on a meaningful project outside the office can build a sense of teamwork and improve morale.
• If available, utilize your workplace’s ‘volunteer time off.’ This is an extra day of paid time off which lawyers and staff can spend on volunteer work.
• Implement or propose pro bono work for environmental causes.
• Check if your employer has a donation matching program and make use of it for an environmental cause.

Thanks for reading and happy Earth Day!

Marie Kazmer obtained her Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Toronto and worked for a few years in financial services and investments before returning to school to obtain her J.D. from Western. She is currently completing her articles at a boutique estate litigation firm in downtown Toronto and expects to be called to the Bar in June 2023. During law school Marie was a member of the Western Business Law Clinic assisting local start-ups, Western's In Vino Veritas wine tasting club and participated in several moots and competitions including coaching the Walsh Family Law Moot in her third year. Outside of work Marie enjoys cooking, skiing, travelling and volunteering with Second Harvest.

On March 26, YWL participated in a breathwork session led by Beth Mountford.  The session took place at Chi Junky, an airy and bright yoga studio in the east end.

Beth led the group through breathing exercises that focused awareness on our breathing pattern to bring about relaxation and stress relief.  As a legal recruiter and former lawyer, Beth acknowledged the stresses and challenges experienced by lawyers, especially in their first few years of practice. 

After we settled in, Beth explained that she would take us through a journey over the next 75-minutes.  We would be led through exercises that would vary the pace of our breath, bringing attention to every inhale and exhale.

We lied down on mats with some props that you would typically find at a yoga class, like pillows, cushions and blankets.  There were also eye masks for anyone who wanted to participate in complete darkness.  I popped a cushion under my legs and draped a blanket on top for some extra warmth.

Beth explained that we might experience some unexpected sensations during the session, such as tingling in our arms and legs or tetany, also called “claw hands”, where your hands become stiff due to your veins contracting.  This is a result of a drop in carbon dioxide from rapid breathing.  These involuntary muscle contractions are a physiological reaction,  but they can also have a psycho-spiritual meaning – a sign of the release of pent up feelings – a “letting go”.  Beth turned on some music that played through the session with the beat of each song bringing focus to the pace of our breath.

There was something very meditative and calming about the exercises.  I had never spent so much time focusing only on my breathing and nothing else.  About halfway into the session I felt pins and needles climbing up my legs.  I had to keep wiggling my toes so it would dissipate.  When we concluded the session, we discussed the different sensations we felt, from tingling toes to the claw hands.  While some may have had a deeper experience than others, everyone seemed very calm and at ease by the end.  I left with a peaceful mind and a new openness to practising breathwork.  

If you were not able to make it to the session and want to try breathwork at home, Beth suggested “box breathing”.  This technique involves a cycle of inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and then holding your breath for four seconds.  This method is so simple that you can try it at your desk between Zoom calls.

YWL would like to thank Geez Louise Beverages, a women-owned business that makes prebiotic drinks.

Katrina is a director of ACCESS Community Capital Fund, a charity based in Toronto, and she volunteers as a member-at-large of the Ontario Bar Association Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section Executive. Katrina has authored articles in the Estates, Trusts & Pensions Journal, Canadian Tax Foundation Conference Report and Ontario Bar Association Section Insider.

In honour of International Women’s Day (IWD), which was celebrated across the world on March 8, 2023, this March piece is dedicated to women in the workforce. 

IWD is a global day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The United Nations’ theme for IWD 2023 was “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. This year’s theme was focused on innovation, technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. 

Digital technology has enabled many possibilities in the working world, including flexibility with remote work, improved work-life balance, and increased productivity. Amidst the pandemic and throughout the post-recovery period, there have been major shifts in workplace cultures and expectations. 

McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2022 report found that women leaders are switching jobs at unprecedented rates. Despite improvements in representation, women are still dramatically underrepresented at the leadership level in corporate roles. The two main barriers to achieving gender equality at the leadership levels are (1) the broken rung at the first step up to manager and (2) women leaders leaving their companies at high rates. The report noted that digital technology, and in particular having the choice to work remotely, is an important factor in women’s job satisfaction.

Despite the benefits that adopting remote and hybrid work options can bring to women in the workforce, these ways of working may also create new challenges for women and gender equality. For example, research has found that women with kids are evaluated worse than men with kids when they decide to work remotely, which may lead to career penalties such as being passed over for promotions.

According to research from the Women in the Workplace 2022 report, companies that are navigating the shift to remote and hybrid work should focus efforts in five main areas. Firstly, companies should share guidelines for remote work that outline expectations, such as specific windows during which meetings can be scheduled. Secondly, companies should gather regular feedback from employees on their remote and hybrid work systems. Thirdly, companies should invest in fostering employee connectedness to ensure that all employees feel included and that events are accessible.  Fourthly, companies should be purposeful about in-person work. Lastly, companies should ensure that employees who choose remote or hybrid work options get the same support and opportunities as on-site employees.  

As digital technology continues to enable flexibility within the working world, new shifts in workplace cultures and expectations will be inevitable. All employees benefit when workplaces leverage digital technologies in ways that support healthy and supportive remote/hybrid work environments. In particular, it is important that workplaces in the digital age adopt efforts to support gender equality and empowerment of all women.

Jane Huang is a corporate lawyer in the Business Law group at Miller Thomson. She is developing a commercial law practice with an emphasis on marketing and advertising, franchising, product regulatory, privacy, transportation, and intellectual property matters. Jane is registered with the College of Patent and Trademark Agents as a trademark agent-in-training.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, she gained business development experience at a tech startup and was part of the investment team at a venture capital fund. Jane graduated with a science degree from the University of Toronto and a law degree from Western University. While in law school, Jane was co-president of the Western Health Law Association and served as a teaching assistant for a 1L legal research, writing, and advocacy course.

In her spare time, Jane enjoys taking dance classes, admiring art, listening to podcasts, trying different kinds of food, and perfecting her skincare routine.

The end of February may not be the most intuitive time to think about your New Years resolutions but bear with me for a second. 

By the end of the second month of the year, I have found that I had enough time to take stock of the progress I have made toward my goals, identify any roadblocks, and re-evaluate my action plan.  If I need to re-examine my goals or my timeline, there’s still plenty of time left in the year to implement changes and still finish on-track. It’s also helpful to check in with yourself around this time to make sure you still feel the same way about your goals and priorities as you did at the start of the year. 

If you’ve completely forgotten about your plan for 2023 (or never made one to begin with), do not give up hope. Having ‘goals’ may sound lofty and unachievable but we can make progress across different areas of our lives by starting off with something as small as a habit. No matter how big, or small, your goals are, the key to success is making them specific, measurable and achievable. You should think of your goals as building blocks that can be added on to progressively. 

Personally, while I used to think that I would be inspired by declaring a big, bold goal—such as making the career switch to law—I quickly found that overwhelming. Instead, I fell back on tried and true techniques including action plans with lists and timelines. “Become a lawyer” turned into “apply to law schools” which became “reach out to alumni”; “study for the LSAT”; “create a financial plan”; “pick a law school”; “build up my resume”; etc. Even these smaller goals can often be broken down into smaller tasks. Every time one of those tasks were completed I could see that I was making progress toward my goal even though the end game still felt far, far away.    

If you’re reading this feeling like you haven’t achieved anything yet this year think, about how you can implement any of these strategies to get back on track.

Tracking

Goals, especially when linked to habits, are easier to maintain if you both track them and measure them. Even a cross mark on your daily calendar to show you have adhered to your plan can be motivating. Measuring your success along the way can show your progress, even when you are having a bad day. Besides, tracking our time and progress should be second nature for lawyers.

Celebrate Small Successes

If you only focus on reaching your goals by December 2023, you will be setting yourself up to feel discouraged. Recognize your small accomplishments, like blocking off 10 minutes in a day for a mindfulness exercise, and the long-term work you put in will feel worth it.

Assess

If you have an outcome or results goal, you’ll need to work daily on the behaviour you need to change to make that goal a reality. This means carefully examining your behaviours and pinpointing the ones you need to change. If your end goal is to save money for a vacation, for example, you may want to assess how often you’re spending money eating out. 

Ask Why

Another thing I would encourage you to assess throughout the year is the actual goal. Have your priorities changed? What were your reasons behind the goal in the first place and have any of those reasons changed? Is the goal still realistic given any life changes? Reassessing is not quitting; don’t punish yourself if your original goals need to adjusted or if new opportunities present themselves. 

Finally, don’t limit your goals to your career—we are so much more than lawyers! Think about other areas of your life that may be a bit neglected and how you can improve on those (for example: mental health, physical health, financial wellbeing, friendships, family relationships, hobbies) this year. After all, well-rounded people make better and happier lawyers. 

Marie Kazmer obtained her Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Toronto and worked for a few years in financial services and investments before returning to school to obtain her J.D. from Western. She is currently completing her articles at a boutique estate litigation firm in downtown Toronto and expects to be called to the Bar in June 2023. During law school Marie was a member of the Western Business Law Clinic assisting local start-ups, Western's In Vino Veritas wine tasting club and participated in several moots and competitions including coaching the Walsh Family Law Moot in her third year. Outside of work Marie enjoys cooking, skiing, travelling and volunteering with Second Harvest.

In collaboration with Ontario Association of Black Paralegals and Fasken’s Ontario Women Network, we are excited to present key speakers from the Law Society of Ontario, including Treasurer Jacqueline Horvat and Benchers Atrisha Lewis and Michelle Lomazzo.

Join us for the opportunity to hear their perspective on intersectionality and the law as well as speak with mentors with a variety of backgrounds listed below!

The Speakers

Jacqueline Horvat, Treasurer of LSO

Jacqueline Horvat was elected as Treasurer by the Law Society’s governing body (Convocation) on June 15, 2022 and she took office on June 28, 2022. The Treasurer is the top-elected official of the Law Society, which regulates Ontario’s lawyers and paralegals in the public interest. She is the sixth woman Treasurer in the 225-year history of the Law Society.

Treasurer Horvat was first elected a Bencher in 2011 and was serving her third term when she was elected. She was called to the Ontario bar in 2002.

She is a litigation lawyer and a founding partner of Spark Law, a seven-lawyer full-service firm, which provides her with a close-up view of the issues and daily worries faced by sole and small practice lawyers across the Province.

Treasurer Horvat has a broad and varied corporate/commercial litigation practice representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial disputes, class action litigation and appeals. She has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario, the Federal Court Trial Division and the Federal Court of Appeal.

Atrisha Lewis, LSO Bencher/ Partner, McCarthy Tetrault LLP

Atrisha Lewis is a Partner in McCarthy Tétrault’s Litigation Group in Toronto. She is a trial litigator and with a practice focused on commercial disputes, professional liability and product liability matters. Atrisha frequently provides advice relating to fraud and asset recovery after the discovery of a fraud including by attending at court to seek urgent tracing and freezing orders. Atrisha represents clients in the financial services and technology sectors. Atrisha has argued before all levels of Court. In 2019, Atrisha was elected as bencher of the Law Society of Ontario.

Michelle Lomazzo, Paralegal LSO Bencher/Lomazzo Worker's Compensation Appeals Prof Corp

Michelle M. Lomazzo has worked as an injured worker advocate for more than 30 years in Windsor, representing workers across Ontario.  Michelle has her own legal services practice, Lomazzo Workers’ Compensation Appeals Professional Corporation with expertise in workers compensation appeals before the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and regularly appears before the Workplace Safety & Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT). Her practice focus is estate claims and WSIB survivor benefits for the families of emergency responders where their loved one died by suicide because of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Ms. Lomazzo has represented the Windsor Police Association and the Windsor Professional Firefighters Association for years, as well as various other unions/associations. Ms. Lomazzo was elected a Bencher at the Law Society of Ontario in 2019. She is the Chair of the Paralegal Standing Committee and as well currently sits as a Bencher on the following committees: Professional Regulation Co., Treasurer’s Appointments Advisory Committee, Access to Justice, Audit and Finance,  Proceeding Authorization and Strategic Planning and Advisory. She was an Adjudicator with the Law Society Tribunal adjudicating discipline matters involving lawyers and paralegals for the nine years. She was most recently a Director of the Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital Board of Directors for eight years and a Board member of the Changing Lives Together Foundation Board of Directors.  Michelle has a in-depth understanding of governance having sat on numerous boards of directors over the past 30 years including Citizen Advocacy, Family Services Windsor-Essex, the Homeless Shelter for Women, and the Unemployed Help Centre. She is a volunteer with the Coach and Advisor’s Network at the Law Society of Ontario and a mediator with Community Mediation Windsor-Essex.  Ms. Lomazzo has been a member the Paralegal Advisory Committee of St. Clair College in Windsor since 2012. She is a regular guest speaker for Continuing Professional Development with various organizations including the Law Society of Ontario. She is bilingual. When not advocating or volunteering Ms. Lomazzo enjoys worldwide travel and golf.  She is the proud mother of three adult children and a new grandmother.

The Mentors

Brenell Dean, founder of Dean’s Paralegal Services has diligently and tirelessly served Windsor and the surrounding area since March 2018 in the areas of Small Claims Court and Landlord Representation. Mrs. Dean had many requests to service Clients in new areas of law and Mrs. Dean answered the call. In 2020 Dean’s Paralegal Services expanded services and hired a team of professional paralegals and lawyers; now offering a broad range of legal services.

Mrs. Dean has a unique background in real estate investing and property management. These skills have led to a deeper understanding of the law as it relates to representation at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Mrs. Dean also has 10 years of extensive community service experience, where Mrs. Dean was involved with such organizations as Afforest-UWindsor, Sisters Taking Action for a New Direction, The Downtown Mission, Raising Autism Awareness, Youth Embracing Today’s Youth, the YMCA and Pre-Law Student Society at the University of Windsor. While maintaining a sense of pride in her community, Brenell Completed an Honors Degree in French and Psychology at the University of Windsor. Mrs. Dean holds a B.A. [H] French Studies & Psychology from the University and has graduated from the Paralegal Program at St. Clair College. Mrs. Dean is a highly sought-after public speaker and mentor in the legal profession. Alongside her paralegal practice, Mrs. Dean returned to College holding the role of Instructor where Mrs. Dean teaches such classes as Criminal Law: Summary Convictions, Administrative Law, Paralegal Practice Management, among other courses.  Mrs. Dean comes from a family with a rich history in the legal field as a direct relative of Delos Davis, one of Canada’s first black lawyers, the Honorable Justice Dean, and others spanning across Canada and the United States.

Rochelle Ivri, Immigration Judge, Mohawk College Professor 
Appointed in 2018, Judge Rochelle Ivri is 1 of 9 Citizenship Judges in Canada and was the first African-Canadian Citizenship Judge assigned to the Hamilton and Niagara Falls offices. She is currently assigned to the Greater Ontario Area. Judge Ivri holds an Honours Degree in Criminology, as well as a post-graduate certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is a professor in the paralegal program at Mohawk College and adjunct professor at Queen’s Law School. She is also an author and sought after speaker and facilitator.
Judge Ivri is deeply committed to community engagement and involvement, serving on various boards and committees in the past and present, while continuing to lend her knowledge and expertise to advance the needs of the community. She has received many awards; was awarded a Woman Who Rocks Award for Hamilton in 2019 and, in 2020 she was a nominee in the Education/Mentorship category for the YWCA Hamilton Women of Distinction Awards. Also in 2020, she was awarded the Leading Women, Leading Girls, Building Community Award for her work in Kitchener Centre. In 2021, Judge Ivri received the Lincoln Alexander Award by the Law Society of Ontario making her the first ever paralegal to receive this recognition in the awards’ nearly 20-year history. Judge Ivri was named one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women for 2022 and her accomplishments documented in a commemorative book. Also in 2022, Judge Ivri was given the Rev. John C. Holland Award of Merit by the Hamilton Black History Council and was recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Black Women to Watch of 2022 by CIBWE.

She is passionate about human rights, the Charter, and encouraging active citizenship and civic engagement to make communities thrive. She and her husband Eldean have 4 children.”

Rochelle was the first African-Canadian to be appointed as a board member on the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library Board where she served for 8 years. She was also the first African-Canadian to be appointed to the Council of the College of Midwives of Ontario, where she served for 8 years, 2 of which involved being on the Executive Board. Additionally, Rochelle was also a member of the Discipline, Appeal, and Review Committee of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (Now the CICC). She currently sits on the board of Bravo Niagara! and she is the first and only African-Canadian to be appointed to the inaugural Niagara Region Women's Advisory Committee.

Marie Kiluu-Ngila is an Indigenous Business Lawyer at Pape Salter Teillet LLP in Toronto. She works with Indigenous groups across the province to promote their economic participation within a transactional business driven context. Prior to joining Pape, she practiced corporate finance and M&A at a small boutique in Toronto, after articling at a full service Bay Street firm.

Marie attended the University of Toronto where she completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Political Science and minoring in History and Gender Studies in 2014. She completed her Juris Doctor in 2019 and was called to the Ontario bar in 2020.

Marie is a co-founder of Black Future Lawyers (BFL) at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. BFL is a program that aims to empower and support the endeavors of Black students who are interested in attending law school and has impacted hundreds of prospective law school applicants. The program has expanded and multiple chapters can be found in universities across Canada.

Danielle Abimbola is an Associate Lawyer at Monkhouse Law, licenced by the Law Society of Ontario, practicing employment law. She completed her J.D. at the University of Ottawa. She was the Black Law Students’ Association of Canada National President in 2018-2019.

Danielle assists employees with navigating workplace issues ranging from wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal, human rights discrimination, contract reviews, and disability insurance claims. She is passionate about advocating for her clients and keeping their interests centred throughout the process. She approaches her work with a listening ear, a keen eye, and seeks to protect the interests of her clients.

Jennifer Gold is a Partner of Wood Gold LLP in Brampton, where she practices Family Law and Wills. She’s experienced in achieving consensus, negotiating agreements, de-escalating conflict, and representing clients in mediation, arbitration and court.  Jennifer was recently appointed as a part-time member of the Ontario Land Tribunal.  Since 2021, she has been a Dispute Resolution Officer for the Superior Court of Justice to assist in early resolution of cases. She has completed a Certificate in Family Mediation and, in keeping with her professional commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, has also completed the University of Alberta’s course, Indigenous Canada, and The Path.

Jennifer is Past President of the Board of Directors of the Women’s Law Association of Ontario and is a Board Member of Pro Bono Ontario. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Legal Aid Ontario where she chairs the Audit and Finance Committee, and is a member of the Ontario Bar Association’s Council, representing the Central West region. To support the next generation, Jennifer is a mentor in the Women’s Law Association of Ontario’s mentorship program and York University’s Advancing Women program.  The efforts of Jennifer and her partner to create alternatives to the traditional law firm, with a better work-life balance in a diverse workplace, were featured in The Toronto Star.

Jennifer is the 2021 recipient of the Ontario Bar Association’s Award of Excellence in Promoting Women’s Equality and a 2017 Lexpert Zenith Award celebrating the advancement of women in the legal profession.

Teresa Donnelly has been a lawyer with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General since 1994. During that time, she has been an Assistant Crown Attorney in the Region of Waterloo and the County of Huron (1994-2011), the Crown Attorney for the County of Huron (2011-2015); the West Region Sexual Violence Crown, Sexual Violence Advisory Group (2015-2020, 2022-2023) and Counsel conducting a review of the Direct Accountability Program (DAP) at the Ministry (2022-2023).

As West Region Sexual Violence Crown she was one of 7 full-time prosecutors in Ontario dedicated to enhancing the quality of sexual violence prosecutions and the victim’s experience in the criminal justice system. As a Crown, Teresa has been dedicated to prosecutions involving violence against women and children – both domestic violence and sexual violence.

Teresa was elected as a Bencher with the Law Society of Ontario in 2015 and 2019.  She was elected the Treasurer or President of the Law Society of Ontario from June 2020-June 2022.  Teresa was the fifth woman Treasurer in the 223 year history of the Law Society of Ontario.  As Treasurer her focus included the mental health of legal practitioners, EDI, reconciliation, the competence and ethical responsibilities of lawyers and paralegals, and the important role that paralegals play in access to justice in Ontario.

Derin Abimbola is a lawyer with the City of Toronto in their Planning and Administrative Law group. Derin holds a BA in Criminology and a JD degree, both from the University of Ottawa. She has appeared at Divisional Court, the OLT, the TLAB and Small Claims Court on various matters.

Reshida Darrell, is an associate employment lawyer at Monkhouse Law. Reshida received her JD from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law after obtaining her Honours Bachelor in Justice Studies at the University of Guelph.During her time at the University of Ottawa, Reshida volunteered as a student caseworker with the Employment Insurance Litigation Clinic, was a founding steering committee member for the Employment Law Fellowship at the University, and finished in the top tier of her trial advocacy course.

Before joining Monkhouse Law, Reshida gained valuable civil litigation experience articling with a multinational insurance corporation and financial services provider, as well as worked as the corporation’s legal analyst spearheading the statutory interpretation for the privacy modernization program.

In honour of Black History Month, Young Women in Law would like to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of Charlotte Ray, Violet King, Corrine Sparks, and Constance Baker Motley, four trailblazing Black women lawyers.  Each of these accomplished lawyers were responsible for many firsts in their careers, breaking barriers for women following in their footsteps.

Charlotte Ray

Charlotte Ray was the first African American woman lawyer in the U.S. and the third woman in the U.S. to earn a law degree. Ray graduated from Howard University Law School in 1872.  She began as a sole practitioner, opening her law office in Washington, D.C. to practice commercial law. Ray ran her sole practice for several years, but unfortunately had to close it down due to a lack of business likely as a result of the prejudice she faced at the time. Ray then moved to New York where she worked as a public school teacher and joined the National Association of Colored Women to advocate for the rights of women and African Americans.

Violet King

Violet King was the first Black graduate of the University of Alberta and one of only four women enrolled at its law school. King became the first Black woman to practice law in Canada.  After articling in criminal law, King accepted a position with the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. She later became the executive director of the National Council of YMCAs Organizational Development Group in New York City and was the first woman to hold the position within the YMCA.

Corrine Sparks

The Hon. Judge Corrine Sparks was the first Black woman to serve on the bench in Canada.   Sparks attended the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, where she was the only Black woman in her class of 120 students.  Sparks practiced family law in Nova Scotia for several years and went on to have a long and successful career presiding on the Family Court of Nova Scotia.  She recently retired from the bench at the end of 2021 and now serves as a commissioner adjudicating land ownership disputes in historic African Nova Scotian communities.

Constance Baker Motley

Constance Baker Motley was the first African American woman appointed to the federal judiciary.  Baker Motley received her law degree from Columbia University in 1946.  After graduating, she joined the staff of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., an organization devoted to racial justice and led by Thurgood Marshall.  Baker Motley had a storied legal career, representing Martin Luther King Jr. and arguing ten cases at the Supreme Court while with NAACP Legal Defense.  In 1966, she was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.