WIDE-EYED & RELUCTANT TO ASK: Recent Episodes
AJ Jakubowska
A podcast about managing the highs and lows of law school, your articles and your early years as a lawyer - call it virtual pep talks and mentoring.
Not taking time off is NOT a badge of honour, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You MUST carve out time for yourself - it will make you more productive, smarter, more strategic and importantly, more compassionate - to your clients and to yourself.
In this episode of the podcast, I talk about getting paid for your work, and the importance of communicating with your clients about money.
In this episode of the podcast, I talk about expectations: - those we have of ourselves and those we create for our clients, of us - and how to mange them.
Where do your clients come from? Where will your first, next client come from? It’s never too early to start thinking about that aspect of your legal practice; to make a plan, to form some early and good habits for marketing yourself.
On this episode, Michelle Abel and I engage in a wide-ranging discussion of mentorship and mentoring, not only from a theoretical perspective but also from actual experience - as we have, and continue to, wear both mentor and mentee hats.
“I am not smart enough.”
“I don’t belong here.”
“I am a fraud.”
“When will they discover I don’t measure up?”
These questions are common. They sneak up on us and they can linger. They can actually impact our motivation and drive. They can rob us of joy in life. Bennison Smith and I tackle imposter syndrome head-on, and without sugarcoating it unduly. Listen to our candid conversation and realize that if you share these feelings and doubts, you are not alone.
I am privileged to have had a chance to host on my podcast two incredible lawyers, women, mothers, spouses, mentors, leaders - Frankie Wood and Jennifer Gold - partners at Wood Gold LLP. We talked about Women in Law - a topic with which all three of us have lots of practical experience, and about which each one of us talks with commitment. No sugar-coating here: it’s the good, the bad and the ugly of lawyering as a woman. Full of honesty and emotion, but also fun!
Learn more about Frankie and Jennifer here: www.woodgold.ca
In the last 13 months, each one of us has had to grapple with the challenging of norms, including in our every-day lives, and to adapt in novel and sometimes counter-intuitive ways. 1L students experienced this period in a way no other students in their position ever had before. In this interview, Emily Wuschnakowski, who just completed 1L at Osgoode, offers great insight into the highs and lows of virtual law school, and advice on how one might tackle this challenging time, based on her own experiences.
Unless you actually want to be a penguin in a room full of seagulls, a flightless bird among other birds continually capitalizing on their ability to soar above the horizon, trying to fit in can be difficult and stressful. Some of that pressure, I venture to say a lot of it, ebbs once you accept who you are, and find your own place among all those seagulls, a place with a meaningful sense of self-worth.
As your quest to a career in law unfolds, you may be wondering whether your direction, to a specific area of practice; your choices, your focus, should not be more definitive than they are. These are natural questions; quite common, in fact. In this episode, I share my thoughts on the subject.
You may think your challenges are unique. They are not. You may feel that your climb up the learning curve is steeper than it is for your peers and colleagues. You are likely mistaken. Join peer and study groups - or create them yourself! - of like-minded, trustworthy people with whom you can share your experiences, and who will share theirs with you. Some of these relationships will last your professional lifetime.
Fueling your body and mind may not feature high on your list of priorities when you are grinding hard, wanting to excel, and focusing all your energy on that goal. But you need FUEL - and that is what food and drink is. Even the most promising of race cars won’t get anywhere without fuel - and neither will you.
My email: aj@jakubowska.ca
The Interview - who hasn’t paused on hearing that word…..you, wondering how to approach it, how to prepare, what the result will be. Those close to you being nervous but also excited for you, wishing you the very best.
Hear some of my thoughts on the interview process.
My email: aj@jakubowska.ca
Asking yourself this question is normal, almost expected. I have posed it to myself many times, and so have my peers, I promise you! Self-doubt is very human - everyone has tasted it, even if not so keen to admit it. And masks and facades can be deceiving.
To deal with such feelings constructively, you might consider the context and remember that you are not alone. Permit those feelings to propel you forward, not de-motivate you!
The law and lawyering - I have been at this gig for 25 years now (not counting my articles). So around the block a few times. I actually experienced much of what YOU may be feeling and living right now - it’s an exhilarating roller-coaster ride, with really high highs and really low lows. I thought you may be interested in hearing some of my thoughts about all this. Many students and young lawyers I have mentored over the years found my pep talks helpful. You might find them helpful too. I know you have questions, but are reluctant to ask.