The Law School Show: Recent Episodes
The Law School Show
The Law School Show helps law students make better decisions about their careers through interviews with lawyers, students, academics, and more.
Professor Y.Y. Brandon Chen is a health and migration law scholar, currently teaching at uOttawa as part of the Common Law faculty. He has researched extensively on the intersection of healthcare, immigration and the law. His areas of interest include healthcare ethics regarding migrant workers and non-citizen populations. Considering that COVID has created a wealth of travel and healthcare inequities, we sit down with Professor Chen to examine how COVID has affected the healthcare landscape for migrant/immigrant populations and what can be done to ameliorate the situation moving forward.
Please note that this episode was recorded during 2022, and information presented on the COVID-19 Pandemic was up to date at the time of recording, but may have changed since. For updated information on COVID-19, you can consult the Government of Canada’s resources here: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
On this episode of the Law School Show, host Nicholas Cheung sits down with Samantha Seabrook to discuss the ins and outs of running your own practice, including how to get started, growing your client base, and building a practice that aligns with your values.
Join Amos Vang as he interviews articling student and former U Sports rugby player Catrina Thompson! From playing 5 seasons with both the Carleton University Ravens and the University of Calgary Dinos, Catrina brings plenty of experience from her days as a rugby player into law school. Amos and Catrina talk about the importance of fitness and physical health in the legal profession, the lessons that Catrina learned from her time playing rugby, and the interesting rivalry between the Carleton Ravens and the University of Ottawa Gee Gees.
Music by: Scott Buckley
In this episode, Joe Caligiuri, an NHLPA Agent and practicing lawyer based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, sits down with host, Justin Papoff, to talk about what life is like as a sports agent.
Joe discusses how he established his sports management agency, CAL Sports Management, going into detail about the player-agent relationship and how he built a client base that supports his passion for hockey.
An exploration into legal practice in rural Canada; complete with the ins and outs, opportunities and current insights. Find out if rural practice might be for you!
Join Amos Vang on this special episode as he interviews The Honourable Andromache Karakatsanis, puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada!
As the first Greek-Canadian to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, Justice Karakatsanis is an outstanding force to be reckoned with. From working at her family’s pancake and steak restaurant to mastering the literary arts in her undergraduate years to becoming a justice with over 11 years (and counting) of experience at the Supreme Court of Canada, Justice Karakatsanis shares the lessons she’s learned over the decades and the memorable moments that she’s enjoyed over her career. You do not want to miss this episode!
You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel!
We sat down with Professor Tanya J. Monestier, Professor of Law at the University of Buffalo and author of "Sh*t No One Tells You About Law School", a funny, insightful, and easy to read book that offers law students a compilation of advice culled from the author's fifteen years of teaching experience. We speak with Professor Monestier about topics covered in her book and even get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the writing process.
You can find her book here:
- https://www.amazon.com/One-Tells-You-About-School/dp/1531024750
- https://cap-press.com/books/isbn/9781531024758/Sht-No-One-Tells-You-About-Law-School
In this episode, Host Nick Kruiper sits down with lawyer Christopher Deeble. Mr. Deeble is a lawyer at Nelligan's, where he specializes in family law and mediation. Nick asks Christopher about his early history at the University of Ottawa, and how his education lured him toward alternative dispute resolutions mechanisms in family law. They then discuss Christopher's career, and how he has applied this knowledge to his practice. Finally, the two discuss Christopher's involvement in The Ontario Association for Family Mediation.
For more information on The Ontario Association for Family Mediation, please check out the Association's website: https://familymediationottawa.com/. Christopher's bio can also be found here: https://nelliganlaw.ca/team/christopher-deeble/.
Hosts Hailey Berge and Kelley Humber are joined by uOttawa Law Professor, Carissima Mathen, to discuss the implications of the recent May 13, 2022 Supreme Court of Canada decisions which struck down section 33.1 of the Criminal Code, declaring it to be unconstitutional. As Professor Mathen explains, even though Parliament had good intention to protect victims of crime with this provision, it ultimately resulted in violations of section 7 and 11(d) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that could not be justified. Even so, this unanimous 9-0 ruling resulted in a lot of public scrutiny and has left many of us wondering what it means and how the public will be affected.
We also discuss different ways that the intention of section 33.1 to protect vulnerable groups from violence can still be met in the future, specifically through new constitutionally compliant legislation. Ultimately, the ball is in Parliament’s court now.
Note: since recording, Federal Justice Minister David Lametti has proposed a single-provision bill, Bill C-28, to address the gap that was left by section 33.1 being struck down. This amendment to the Criminal Code would mean that “an individual would be held responsible for the violence they commit while in a state of extreme intoxication if they ended up in that state through their own criminal negligence.” (Ottawa proposes narrower self-induced extreme intoxication defence to violence to ‘fill legal gap’, Cristin Schmitz,
Ottawa proposes narrower self-induced extreme intoxication defence to violence to ‘fill legal gap’ - The Lawyer's Daily (thelawyersdaily.ca)).
If you reach the end of the episode and still want to know more, check out the below resources:
- Supreme Court of Canada full decisions: R. v. Sullivan - SCC Cases (scc-csc.ca), R. v. Brown - SCC Cases (scc-csc.ca)
- Cases in Brief: R v Sullivan and R v Chan SCC Case Brief and R v Brown SCC Case Brief
- Leaf’s Intervener Factum LEAF Intervenes in the Appeal of R v Sullivan and R v Chan - LEAF; R. v. Brown - LEAF
Plaxton, Michael, and Carissima Mathen. “What’s Right With Section 33.1” (2021), 25 Can. Crim. L.R. 255
In this episode, Host Ali Mesbahian talks to Professor Valerio De Stefano from Osgoode Hall Law School about the intrusions of modern information technology on our work and personal lives. What is algorithmic management and how pervasive is it? What are some of the technologies that are used for surveillance in the workplace and how do we combat them? How do companies in the “platform economy” like Uber and Lyft escape employment and labour regulation? Concerns are fleshed out, myths are debunked and solutions are explored — stay tuned for this fascinating discussion!
On this episode of The Law School Show, host Abbey Shields sits down with Charmaine Panko, collaborative lawyer, mediator, and founder of Panko Collaborative Law & Mediation. They discuss Charmaine’s path to practicing family law, her approach to collaborative law, and recent legislative changes in Saskatchewan mandating early family dispute resolution in certain family law proceedings.
Lawyers help create, interpret, and apply the laws that govern our societies and daily lives. That is why, it is no surprise that so many lawyers find a calling to public service at some point in their careers. In this edition of the Law School show, our host Faaris Hussain sits down with Allan Rock, former Attorney General of Canada and current Professor/President Emeritus at the University of Ottawa - to speak about setting aside the life of traditional practice to pursue the responsibilities of public office. Professor Rock explains this career choice that lawyers make, its cost and benefits, the opportunities it provides, and how lawyers/law students can help inform a decision about whether this career choice is for them.
Join Amos Vang on this special episode as he interviews The Honourable Marshall Rothstein, former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada!
It is commonly known that being a Supreme Court justice is difficult. However, what is not commonly known is one’s life and path towards becoming a Supreme Court justice. Justice Rothstein reminisces about his journey from working extremely long hours as a waiter and a pantryman on a dining car, to law school, to his early legal practice, and to his experiences as a Supreme Court justice. Justice Rothstein also discusses the importance of civility and the art of civil disagreement, which are important skills in judging, in the legal practice, and in daily life.
This episode is also available to view on our YouTube channel. You do not want to miss this episode.
Intro and Outro music by: Scott Buckley – Race the Sun
https://www.scottbuckley.com.au
In this episode hosted by Bianca Morello, we speak with two second-year law students. We touch on OCIs, as all three of us had very different paths and OCI outcomes. We also talk about our study habits, the importance of grades, the importance of friendships, and the difficulties of online school.
In this episode, Nick Kruiper sits down with Dustin Moores, a lawyer at Nnovation LLP. Nnovation is an Ontario law firm that is completely virtual. Nick and Dustin discuss Nnovation’s unique business model, as well as Canada’s shift toward a virtual legal world. They also discuss the Law and Technology Option for uOttawa students. As a graduate of the law program, Dustin completed the Law and Tech Option at uOttawa. Dustin shares his experience with the Option, and his advice for future students that are considering it.
To learn more, check out Nnovation's website: https://nnovation.com/
Since the start of the pandemic, a lot of people have been considering the what, where, and why of legal work. Calgary-based startup Goodlawyer takes on these concerns by connecting lawyers with clients over an online platform. Matt Scrivens, Goodlawyer's Head of Legal Experience and the host of the Goodlawyer podcast (https://www.goodlawyer.ca/podcast), joined Jake Clark for a discussion about decentralization vs. centralization, what we can learn from blockchain, and how past practice models may provide guidance for the future.
In this episode, our host Prabhjot Punnia sits down with Professor Linda Reif to discuss the role and mandates of ombuds institutions. Professor Reif has published extensively on national human rights institutions, ombuds institutions, children’s rights institutions, international human rights law, international trade law and international business law. Her work is widely cited and includes Ombuds Institutions, Good Governance and the International Human Rights System (Brill/Nijhoff, 2d revised edition, 2020), co-authorship of Kindred’s International Law: Chiefly as Interpreted and Applied in Canada (Emond, 9th edition, 2019), and numerous book chapters and law review articles, including in the Harvard Human Rights Journal and Human Rights Law Review.
This episode takes a unique turn as Ocean shares the mic with a guest from outside Canada: Thomas Galloway. Thomas obtained his law degree from the University of Denver before joining the law toolbox - a cloud-based deadline management system. Thomas is also the founder of sustainable fitness, a company focused on offering fitness coaching to attorneys, business execs, and other professionals. Tune in to learn about sustainable fitness and lifestyle choices, entrepreneurial insights, and the intriguing differences between the law school experience in Denver vs Ontario.
Many students struggle to approach professors or people in their law school for research opportunities. It may be hard to see the value, experience, and opportunities of pursuing research during your law school years. Our host, Meena Alnajar, sits down with articling student Ryan and current law student Yasmin to discuss what a 'Research Assistant' is and why you might consider being one in your law school years.
Not sure what area of law to practice? Want to know how to find a law mentor? Join Maddy Tebbutt, a 2L student, as she has a conversation with Danielle Robitaille, a leading trial lawyer in Canada, a partner at Henein Hutchison LLP in Toronto, and the host of Emond Publishing's podcast, "The Lawyers Lounge". Tune in and listen as Danielle instills her wisdom on us upcoming lawyers.
Our host William Lundy is joined by Professor Leonid Sirota who is an Associate Professor of Law at Reading University in the UK. Professor Sirota is the founder of the Double Aspect Blog https://doubleaspect.blog/ and has written extensively on administrative and constitutional law issues. In this episode, Professor Sirota discusses the Supreme Court of Canada's 2021 Toronto (City Council) v Ontario decision, arguing that the majority opinion goes too far in holding that constitutional principles can never be used to invalidate legislation.
In this episode host, Kelley Humber chats with David Taylor, who has spent the last 8 years as counsel of record in the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society complaint at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal about the underfunding of Indigenous child welfare in Canada. Kelley and David discuss the discrimination experienced by Indigenous families who access child and family services on-reserve and in Canada’s implementation of Jordan’s Principle. The pair also discuss some of the more procedural aspects of the case, such as the systemic remedies being asked for and how Human Rights Tribunals function differently than the courts.
David also shares about his journey into public law litigation, his current role at Conway Baxter Wilson LLP, and advice he would give to law students or new lawyers making early career decisions.
The Federal Court decision from 29 September 2021 discussed in this episode can be found here. A more recent Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling from 11 February 2021, which lays out much of the case history and progress on implementing the remedies ordered can be found here.
Our host William Lundy is joined by Professor Leonid Sirota who is an Associate Professor of Law at Reading University in the UK. Professor Sirota is the founder of the Double Aspect Blog https://doubleaspect.blog/ and has written extensively on administrative and constitutional law issues. In this episode, Professor Sirota discusses the Supreme Court of Canada's 2014 Senate Reference decision, which he argues effectively incorporated certain constitutional conventions into constitutional law.
For the Law School Show's 200th episode, we focus on alumni. We reached out to several Univerity of Ottawa law grads to ask them about their stories within the profession, and our responses ranged from articling students to long-time practitioners, inside and outside conventional practice. Over a series of mini-interviews, Kenya-Jade Pinto, Aditya Rao, Helen Berry, Samantha Peters, Wali Ahmad, Jolene Hansell, and Stephanie Wright showed us the places our studies can take us, from international documentary projects to Supreme Court clerkships and beyond. If you've ever been curious about human rights law in a global pandemic, how to get involved in start-ups, the similarities between law and ballet, or just how to find your place in our profession, then you'll find a lot to like in our great big bicentennial.
The Canadian Bar Association has openly acknowledged a lack of diversity in the legal profession. While provincial law societies have made strides towards an inclusive workplace, the racial composition of the legal profession remains predominantly white. This episode compiles candid conversations with racialized law students and a practitioner who recently completed the formal and informal recruitment process. Join our host, Rayleigh Minhyu Lee, to hear about their experiences, how they approached difficult topics, and advice for law students.
Thank you to Timothy Chan, Jessica Gill, Bianca Knull, José Rafael Caraballo, and Jane Lee (pseudonym) for your time and participation.
Our host, Shannon Reid, sits down (digitally) with Russell Bennett, expert cannabis lawyer, author, and fellow podcast host, to discuss the implications of legalization, the racist history of prohibition, and what it means to be a cannabis lawyer.
Russell's petition can be found for those interested in supporting expungements to Canadian citizens convicted of offences involving cannabis, pursuant to Sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-3752.
Russell’s podcast, Cannabis Law in Canada, can be found wherever you listen to your podcasts.
The 2L recruit can be a very stressful and sometimes even discouraging time for some students. For students who want to work in a large law firm or are dreaming of a specific firm, this podcast reminds students that there is more than one path to becoming a successful lawyer. Our host, Harleen Bhangoo, speaks to Corey Willard, who is now a partner at Gowling WLG. In Corey's 2L recruit, he was unable to secure a position with a law firm. Instead, he spent his summer working and volunteering for various not-for-profit organizations and working at the House of Commons. This episode discusses his perspective on the 2L recruit and provides insight to students who are also struggling with securing a law firm position.
In this episode, our host Nurulayn Noor speaks to David Morneau, a collaborative family lawyer, regarding the best interests of the child in Canadian family law. Using his extensive experience, David overviews efficient ways to advocate for children using empathy and compassion. He discusses the importance of moving away from an adversarial approach to make the process more amicable for the parties involved, particularly the children. David reminds us of the various ways we can show up as legal professionals for vulnerable clients, such as using a more holistic approach through collaborative family law.
In this episode, Jennifer Metcalfe, executive director of Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS), sits down with host Hailey Berge to discuss how Jen’s passion for activism has led to her career in prison law. Join them as they discuss a wide range of topics such as PLS’s mandate, the effect that Covid-19 is having on the prison system, and the evolution of segregation. They wrap up the conversation by giving advice to students who are interested in becoming involved in this area of the law.
Note: this episode was recorded in November 2021. Therefore, reference to Covid-19 policies or other recent events refers to those at the time of recording.
Join Amos Vang as he interviews Sandrine Mainville, a labour lawyer at Borden Ladner Gervais in Montreal, one of Canada’s pioneering Olympic swimmers of the 21st century!
Since starting swimming lessons at the age of 11, Sandrine balanced her Olympic journey with her legal journey. Sandrine has seen it all through ups and downs and triumphs and trials. Through the power of family and friendship, Sandrine persevered, overcame the odds, and helped lead Canada to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in the Women’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay. In doing so, Sandrine broke a 40-year medal drought in this particular event for Canada alongside Penny Oleksiak, Chantal Van Landeghem, Taylor Ruck, and Michelle Williams (now Michelle Toro). Join Amos and Sandrine as they take a trip back in time through Sandrine’s early days as a swimmer, qualifying for the Olympics and winning an Olympic bronze medal.
Fun Fact: Did you know that Sandrine also took piano lessons for four years BEFORE she started swimming?
This episode is also available on our YouTube channel. To get the full experience, you can watch the YouTube version.
Focusing on student wellness and mental health, we're re-airing one of our most popular episodes. This is a Lexis Nexis sponsored episode so make sure to listen for this month’s secret star rewards code.
In this episode, host Bianca Morello sits down with Matthew Boissonneault and Nicholas Crimi, Co-Presidents of Elephant in the Room (uOttawa). As the title suggests, we talk about taking care of your mental health during the “Zoom times”, imposter syndrome, OCIs, work-life balance, and e-learning. We share some personal stories and get real about the challenges law students face and the importance of taking care of yourself throughout the process.
To learn more about Elephant in the Room (uOttawa): Facebook: @EITRatFauteux Twitter: @EITR_uOttawaLaw Instagram: @EIRT_uOttawaLaw Email: EITRuOttawa@gmail.com
Join Amos Vang on this very special episode as he interviews The Right Honourable David Johnston, Canada’s 28th Governor General, on his entire life and career. If you want the full experience of this episode, tune into the YouTube version!
Hockey player, lawyer, law professor, university president, university chancellor, federal election debate moderator, Leaders’ Debates Commissioner, and Governor General, Mr. Johnston has seen it all. In this episode, Mr. Johnston shares some wisdom that he has obtained over his entire life and shares how he applies such wisdom to his career and daily life. Mr. Johnston also shares never-before-seen stories such as his friendship with Golden Globe Award-winning screenplay writer and author Erich Segal, his acquaintance with legendary Academy Award-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones, and his time working with Queen Elizabeth II. Finally, and importantly, Mr. Johnston and Amos discuss the importance of the art of communication, the art of civil disagreement, and the importance of genuine empathy.
Many thanks to Mr. Johnston and to the Rideau Hall Foundation for making this episode possible.
You can learn more about the Rideau Hall Foundation here: https://rhf-frh.ca/
Mr. Johnston’s book Letters from a Nation: https://www.amazon.ca/Idea-Canada-Letters-Nation/dp/0771050771
Rideau Hall Foundation’s Twitter: @RideauHallFdn
Credits:
Sub-outro music: Scott Buckley - Wayfarer, www.scottbuckley.com.au
Dive into the world of a lawyer turned entrepreneur. In this episode, host Ocean Enbar shares the mic with guest Stacey Kline, the CEO and co-founder of Otto Intelligence, a company where investments seek purpose. Stacey formally practiced as an associate a Goodmans LLP, where she paved a unique path for herself in the Bay street world. Called to the bar in 2010, Stacy brings a wide range of experiences both within and outside of the law and shares the rationale behind many of the decisions she made throughout her career.
Join our host, Nick Kruiper, in discussion with Law Professor Craig Jones of Thompson Rivers University. Dr. Jones teaches administrative and constitutional law and has an impressive resume as a litigator. Nick sits down with Dr. Jones to talk about his career. Along the way, they discuss advice for law students, the state of the legal profession and Dr. Jones' research on subconscious judicial bias.
Show Notes
00:44 minutes - Dr. Jones' paper discussed in this episode is titled "The Troubling New Science of Legal Persuasion: Heuristics and Biases in Judicial Decision-Making," and was published in Advocates' Quarterly in 2013.
Join our host Bianca Morello for a conversation with Jashan Singh, founder and managing director of Lawyer-ed. Lawyer-ed is a platform that allows pre-law and current law students to express their views on legal, political, and social issues and receive help with job searching and professional development. Jashan shares how Lawyer-ed came to be and their services to support individuals throughout their journey into law.
In this episode, host Ali Mesbahian chats with Cara Zwibel from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA). Cara is the director of the Fundamental Freedoms Program at the CCLA and has extensive experience in constitutional law and public policy. Tune in for this timely discussion on the civil liberties implications of policies such as the new federal Online Harms proposal and vaccine passports.
In this episode, our host Nurulayn Noor sits with Lynda Collins, professor and lawyer, to discuss mental health in the legal field. As overviewed in her course Happiness and the Law, Professor Collins explores ways for law students and legal professionals to prioritize their wellbeing over every other aspect of their lives. Using various mechanisms such as exercising, journaling, meditation, and acts of kindness, she teaches us to slow down and avoid both burnout and passion fatigue. Collins reminds us that we all have our own superpower, for which we must embark on a lifelong journey to explore.
Join our host, Chelsea Sawaya, and her guest Kailin Noivo, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer of Noibu, as they discuss the importance of having good legal advice as a technology entrepreneur. Listen in to learn more about the different stages of starting your own tech company and the challenges of changing your business plan and adopting legal policies along the way.
Join our host Lucie Zhang as she speaks with Chris Nyberg, Co-Chair of the Cannabis Group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, on how cannabis legislation has changed the landscape of the cannabis market across Canada. In this episode, you'll learn how the pandemic has impacted cannabis businesses and the enforceability of force majeure clauses.
Most of us believe that the obvious and safest route to practice once we graduate is to become an associate at an established firm. But “most of us” isn’t Nik Lust. Join host Matthew Takamatsu as he speaks with Nik, a solo practitioner, about everything you need to know about starting your own solo practice right after articling. The pair talk about the daily hustle of bringing in business, how to market yourself as a new lawyer, the importance of being confident in yourself, and a step-by-step breakdown of everything you need to do to start your own practice. They don’t teach you this in law school.
Our host, Chelsea Sawaya, sat down with Shawn Cowan, President of Ottawa Valley Handrailing Company LTD, to discuss managing the struggles of meeting contract deadlines with clients and contractors resulting from industry delays due to unpredictability Covid.
In this episode of the Student Life Series, our host, Bianca Morello, sits down with Professor Anne Levesque and student Sarah to discuss the different activities they planned for the 1L orientation at the University of Ottawa. Some of the topics include the "hybrid" activities they organized, how to prepare for the first year of law school, and how to be most successful whether attending class in-person or online.
Chelsea Sawaya sat down with Patrick Dunlop, Open Source & Cryptocurrency Intelligence Lead at Inquisitive Intel, to discuss what you need to do to make your business secure in the world wide web we now live in. Tune in to learn more about the importance of cyber-hygiene, the use of NFT in legal documents, and the evolution of cyber-security.
Sit down with host Sabrina Dueck and guest Louanne Moriarty as they discuss volunteering with a law school legal clinic (specifically, Student Legal Assistance at the University of Calgary). Receive some bonus tips from a pandemic-era grad on how to balance life and law school. Louanne talks about her personal experience working with SLA throughout all three years of law school, the many benefits of volunteering/working at any law school legal clinic, and how to survive law school in general. If you ever have any questions about SLA, volunteering during law school, or any other law school-related topics, feel free to email Louanne at louanne.moriarty@ucalgary.ca.
Earlier this summer, Jake Clark sat down with Professor Steven Chaplin to discuss the historical context of the Reference re Greenhouse Gas Pollution Act. Covering the context behind the 405-page case requires looking into the history of Canadian federalism, charting its constitutional origins and evolution in a world of rapid technological expansion. In doing so, they discussed watertight compartments, uranium regulation, and why there will always be jobs for lawyers.
Host Sabrina Dueck is joined by Jodi Koffman, a Senior Crown Attorney for the Manitoba Justice Prosecution Service, and Hillarie Tasche, a staff attorney at Legal Aid Manitoba, to discuss working in the Youth Criminal Justice System in Canada. Both guests specialize in youth crime and have worked together on many of their files. In this honest discussion, Jodie and Hillarie reflect on their experiences working together and the implications of young people in the criminal justice system and how important it is to divert them therefrom. They end with advice for those law students interested in working in criminal law, and more specifically, with youth.
Have you ever wondered what it's like to start your own law practice? In this episode, host Miho Kitamura speaks with Ayesha Kumararatne, an immigration lawyer who started her own practice in her mid-twenties. Her journey hasn't been without challenges. Those challenges fueled her growth, and she is thriving along with her practice. Ayesha shares valuable advice for those thinking of starting their own practice and gets candid about being a young woman of colour in law, managing overwhelming stress, and making time for life outside of work (which, for our guest, involves taking care of her furry friend and growing multi-coloured carrots).
A lot of us came to law school to leave our footprint in the world. There is arguably no better person to talk to about this than the one and only Michael Spratt. Michael joins us to talk about employing your legal skills for the sake of community education, participation, and engagement so that you can make positive changes on issues that you are passionate about. Come learn about everything he’s involved with outside of his legal practice to make a difference in Canada, from testifying in the House of Commons to hosting an award-winning podcast. It’s a lot of work, but the key to succeeding in this can really be boiled down to a couple of things: steadily build up your reputation, strike a healthy work-life balance and love what you do.
Join our host, William Lundy and his guest Jack Daiter, the former VP of the Primary Professional Liability Claims Department at LawPRO in this week's episode. They discuss why lawyers get sued, how these lawsuits get handled, and what can derail a successful mediation. Listen in to learn how tough calls are made at the executive level.
In this episode, Joshua Mandryk— labour lawyer and employment class action litigator at Goldblatt Partners LLP— speaks to host Ali Mesbahian about building solidarity with working people and providing access to justice. Who is allowed to bring forth a class action, and what criteria must be met? What area of employment law are class actions most common? What does “success” entail in class actions, and how frequent are they? What are the interests involved in an employment class action, and how does the lawyer attend to them, especially in the event of a conflict? Joshua also speaks of the need for legislative clarity around the classification of workers—particularly to clarify what is already the case: workers in the gig economy are employees and NOT independent contractors.
Law, classical music, and virtuosity have a lot in common. As a Steinway Artist and tax lawyer, Leonard Gilbert found great commonality succeeded in both worlds. By the age of 19, Leonard Gilbert won four Canadian Music Competitions, won the 2010 Canadian Chopin Competitions, and became the first Canadian to represent Canada at the prestigious International Chopin Competition, viewed by most pianists to be the “Olympics” and “Paralympics” of classical music competitions.
Join Amos Vang and Leonard Gilbert as the two classical concert pianists discuss in great detail the wondrous world of classical concert piano performance, the similarities between pianistic practice and athletic practice, the prestige of the International Chopin Competition, the philosophies of piano performance and virtuosity, the philosophies of piano technique and preparation, the centuries-long evolution of piano tuning and musical counterpoint, and the importance, benefits, and transferability of a classical music training into a legal career.
0:00 for the Introduction.
8:09 for the beginning of the interview.
Below is a list of the piano pieces that you heard in the audio version of this episode, along with the respective performing pianists and composers.
4:51 to 6:36, 6:46 to 8:22: Leonard Gilbert – “Andante Spianato Et Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op 22” by Frederic Francois Chopin.
29:03 to 30:54, 1:04:59 to 1:05:15: Amos Vang – “Après Une Lecture Du Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata” by Franz Liszt.
32:26 to 34:08: Krzysztof Moskalewicz – “Barcarolle in F-Sharp Major, Op. 60” by Frederic Francois Chopin, played on Chopin’s own piano, the Pleyel No. 13819.
34:09 to 36:48: Daniil Trifonov – “Barcarolle in F-Sharp Major, Op. 60” by Frederic Francois Chopin
1:03:26 to 1:04:18: Tiffany Poon – “La Campanella” by Franz Liszt.
1:05:16 to 1:06:14: Arcadi Volodos – “Après Une Lecture Du Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata – Volodos Transcription” by Franz Liszt (transcription by Arcadi Volodos).
1:07:51 to 1:08:28: Vladimir Horowitz – “Piano Sonata No. 2 – Horowitz Transcription” by Sergei Rachmaninov (transcription by Vladimir Horowitz).
1:40:48 to 1:41:41: Yundi Li – “Etude No. 3 in G Major, Op. 28” by Frederic Francois Chopin.
This week's episode challenges the perception of the greedy, workaholic lawyer stereotype. Joel Szota sits down with Derek Ross the Executive Director of the Christian Legal Fellowship, to hear his take on how religion can guide a meaningful legal career. They discuss the difficulties of law school, the benefits and challenges of being a person of faith, Quebec's religious symbols law, and more.
In part two of the episode, Lucie Zhang continues a discussion with Adam Goldenberg, a litigator at McCarthy Tétrault LLP. In part one, Adam shared his experiences and motivations as a litigation lawyer that lead him to co-author a book on Canadian emergency law. In this episode, we delve into the world of emergency law, and Adam explains what a national emergency is.
In part one of the episode, Lucie Zhang talks to Adam Goldenberg, a litigator at McCarthy Tétrault LLP. Adam shares his journey to becoming a litigation lawyer and how his practice has changed because of the pandemic. By likening the typical week of a litigator as a process of dynamic triage, Adam outlines the skills junior lawyers need to develop to succeed.
Listeners can find Adam on LinkedIn and on McCarthy Tétrault’s podcast, “Law in the Time of COVID-19.”
Shortly after the Federal Court of Appeal hearing about the constitutionality of the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), Host Kelley Humber sat down with one of the members of the litigation team, Heather Neufeld. Heather is an immigration and refugee lawyer, and one of 9 lawyers working to overturn the STCA by advocating for refugees' constitutional rights in Canada. Heather discusses the Section 7 (life, liberty, security of the person) and Section 15 (equality) claims being made, some of the challenges of evidence gathering for a case of this nature and scale, and how COVID-19 has impacted how she litigates.
On 15 April 2021, the Federal Court of Appeal ended up ruling in favour of the STCA. Heather and her team have recently applied for leave to the Supreme Court of Canada. This is a case to watch for anyone interested in refugee and human rights.
Ira Shatzmiller is head of Legal and Compliance at BSH Appliances. Join our host Rutumi Tank chat with this insightful lawyer about her journey, starting with law school to the present day. Ira Shatzmiller provides us with pearls of wisdom, personal anecdotes, and tips on being successful as an in-house lawyer.
Join Amos Vang as he interviews Royal Canadian Dragoon veteran, world-class volleyball player, lawyer and law professor Leah West on her career journey from the Royal Military College to the 2004 World Volleyball Championships to Afghanistan to law school and to a legal career in national security.
Bold and swift: these are the virtues of a Royal Canadian Dragoon that a law student and lawyer can apply to their own careers. Professor West emphasizes the importance of a leadership mindset in her professional pursuits, especially during her time in Afghanistan. Simultaneously, Professor West also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and inspiring others through one’s actions. Especially in the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership and teamwork are two of the most important qualities that a person must learn to succeed in any industry.
You can follow Professor West on Twitter: @leahwest_nsl
You can find Professor West’s book (co-authored alongside Professor Craig Forcese) here: https://irwinlaw.com/product/national-security-law-2-e/
You can follow Professor West’s INTREPID podcast here: https://www.intrepidpodcast.com/
"Policy and legislation-wise, we still have a lot of work to do." Emma Partridge sits down with Dr. Adelina Iftene, author of "Punished for Aging: Vulnerability, Rights, and Access to Justice in Canadian Penitentiaries," to discuss the legal community's response to growing calls for prison abolition. Are lawyers pushing the conversation forward, or just maintaining the status quo? Listen now.
Joseph Fritz is a lawyer, legal entrepreneur, and advocate whose provocative statements in Netflix's wildly popular "Tiger King" made the name Carole Baskin one of the most notorious taglines of 2020. William White learns how Joe earned his stripes and eventually brought a range of legal issues into the zeitgeist of a society stuck at home.
As part of the Student Life Series, Bianca Morello sits down for a chat with Chelsea Sawaya and François Bélanger, two students who have just completed their first year of law school at the University of Ottawa. Just like the title suggests, we talk about our classes, how we adapted to law school online, work-life balance and our perspective on grades.
Join Amos Vang as he interviews Professor Joseph Magnet on his career and the evolution of Canada’s constitutionalism.
From clerking at the Supreme Court of Canada under Chief Justice Brian Dickson to becoming the lead counsel of over 200 constitutional cases at the Supreme Court of Canada and other appeal courts, Professor Magnet has become one of the most important contributors to Canada’s constitutional evolution. Professor Magnet talks about how Canada has changed, how the constitutional legal practice has changed, and how classical music can be an extremely helpful background.
You can read more about Professor Magnet’s work on his website: http://www.constitutional-law.net/
Host Ashley Bains sits down with Dr. Jennifer Schulz, a practicing mediator and torts professor at the University of Manitoba. They discuss Dr. Schulz's law school experience, obtaining an MPhil and SJD, and how to start a career in mediation. Plus, Dr. Schulz provides some tips for law school success!
Jacob Stilman, a practicing criminal defence lawyer with 30 years of experience, discusses the day-to-day life of a defence attorney. Host William Lundy asks for Jacob's response to that common question for criminal defence lawyers: "How could you live with defending that person?" They also discuss the charge that defence lawyers take advantage of "technicalities" to keep accused persons out of prison.
In this broad look at criminal defence, Jacob discusses plea bargains, the questions involved in going to trial, the art of cross-examination, and preparing an accused to take the stand. The conversation also touches on recent changes to criminal law — including marijuana legalization and impaired driving, the latter of which is the subject of Jacob's chapter in the recently published book, "High Time" — the abolition of peremptory challenges in jury selection, and the so-called 'Jian Ghomeshi' rules in sexual assault trials.
Carolyn Ayre joins host Sabrina Dueck to discuss her journey through law, first as a defence lawyer for 18 years in Ontario and then as a Crown prosecutor for the Specialized Prosecutions Branch in Calgary.
Carolyn reflects on her experiences on both sides of the adversarial system, as well as the importance of the duties of the Crown prosecutor in the criminal justice system. Carolyn also talks about her experience as a law student, and shares advice for students looking to practice criminal law on either side of the system.
In this episode, Dr. Beth Van Schaack of Stanford Law School provides listeners with insight into how to start and maintain a career in international law. With host Peter Shyba, this interview focuses on lessons from Dr. Van Schaack's career in international humanitarian, criminal, and human rights law, and her new book, Imagining Justice for Syria.
What does it mean to be an entertainment lawyer in Canada? Host and LLM candidate Lucie Zhang speaks to Susan Abramovitch, one of the world's leading entertainment lawyers, about what it means to her. Now practicing at Gowling WLG and licensed in Ontario, Québec, and New York, Susan shares her day-to-day experience as an entertainment lawyer, discusses the entertainment law landscape in Canada, and reflects on what led her to practice law in the creative industries.
Systemic racism and racial profiling in law enforcement both exist in Canada. Lawyer Sunil Gurmukh has partnered with Western University Faculty of Law on the Hidden Racial Profiling Project, aimed at uncovering racial profiling in law enforcement across the country. Join Becca Orsini, host and 2L student at Western Law, as Gurmukh discusses his career as a human rights lawyer as well as his work on this project.
In the second of two related episodes, host Nurulayn Noor sits with Annie Tayyab to discuss diversity within the legal field. As a South Asian lawyer, Annie discusses how to show up as your authentic self, in law school and while working as a lawyer. She also talks about the power of networking to help find your calling, how to battle imposter syndrome, and the importance of mentorship.
In this episode, host Nurulayn Noor has a discussion with Maneesha Gupta, the founder of Mindful Lawyer Canada, a yoga and meditation initiative. As a South Asian lawyer, Maneesha talks about cultivating one’s personality and the power of learning who you are throughout your journey in law. She discusses self-compassion and mindfulness while manoeuvring through the legal field and the importance of finding not one, but several mentors.
R v Le was a crucial development in the analysis of detention under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In R v Le, 2019 SCC 34, the Supreme Court incorporated the experience of racialized persons experience in interactions with law enforcement into the analysis of psychological detention.
In this episode, host Lewis Waring interviews Omar Ha-Redeye, a Toronto- and Durham-based lawyer and an Adjunct Professor at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Ryerson University. Professor Ha-Redeye discusses the ways that R v Le responded to trends in Canadian and global understandings of racial discrimination, and offers listeners a look forward into the future of the intersection of race and policing in Canada.
In January, a Reddit community endeavoured to undercut Wall Street hedge funds and made international news in the process. As with many happenings on the market, understanding the particulars can be made difficult by murky terminology and slipshod history. To help contextualize these issues, host Jake Clark sits down with Professor P.M. Vasudev — a specialist in business law who earned a Ph.D. from Osgoode Hall and now teaches at the University of Ottawa — to discuss short selling, Canadian vs. American securities law, and what it means to combine the study of law and economics.
From host William White's perspective, Mark Burton's position as in-house legal counsel for Holt Renfrew is the definition of a 'dream job'. In this show, Mark compares in-house work to more traditional legal pursuits, describing how he approaches risk, work delegation, and lifestyle in a pursuit that is both challenging and ever-changing.
In this episode, join host Emma Huang in an interview with Canada’s Deputy Auditor General, Andrew Hayes. In this episode, Mr. Hayes — who holds an LLB from the University of Ottawa, and an LLM in Constitutional Law from Osgoode Hall Law School — chats with us about his experience as a world champion bagpiper. He also shares tips for new lawyers, including a reminder to focus on your client's needs and the value of "learning how to learn" in law school. Finally, we discuss how those experiences and skills have helped Mr. Hayes in private legal practice and his career in the public sector, and what single piece of advice he would give to current law students just beginning their career.
To celebrate our 150th episode, we sat down earlier this year with the founders of our show, as well as some of the producers who have helped the show continue to grow over the last seven seasons. This round-table discussion, hosted by Associate Producer (Special Projects) Jake Clark and Associate Producer (Video) Amos Vang, plumbs the past, present, and future of this podcast. Original hosts and co-founders Chris Deschenes and Rishi Dhir describe what inspired them to start the show, past managers David Lu and Polly Ho describe their experiences as interviewers, and current LSS producer Ryan Pistorius gives a sneak peek of the future of The Law School Show.
Want to become a better public speaker? If so, then Brandon Crawford of Foord & Crawford LLP has some insight for you from his years of experience defending clients at virtually all levels of court. Join host Matthew Takamatsu to hear what oral advocacy is like in the COVID-19 era and the importance of the in-person aspect of advocacy.
Brandon also offers some tips about how to grow comfortable in a court setting, reflects on the importance of preparation before speaking to a judge or jury, and reveals what it's like to prepare for a Supreme Court hearing.
So what is the key to becoming a better advocate? The answer lies in a willingness to continuously refine your skill-set throughout your legal career, an obsessive work ethic, and the art of being succinct.
This episode of the Student Life Series is for anyone with student loan debt or thinking about taking loans (or credit lines) to finance your law school education. Kendall joins us from Babe on a Budget Blog to discuss her debt-free journey and how she tackles paying down her $200,000 law school debt. We discuss the snowball and avalanche method strategies to pay down your debt during school and after graduation. Kendall also shares tips on budgeting, creating an emergency fund, and avoiding paying extra interest on your loans.
Want to learn more? Follow the Babe on a Budget Blog on Instagram at @babeonabudgetblog, or on Twitter at @babeonaBblog.
You can also check out printable worksheets for monthly budgeting on the Babe on a Budget shop on Etsy!
In this episode, hosted by Kelley Humber, we hear from the recently elected Green Party Leader, Annamie Paul, who discusses her journey from law school to federal politics. A proud University of Ottawa Faculty of Law alumna, Annamie Paul answers questions about being a change-maker in Canada and abroad, the value and challenges of increasing diversity in politics, and the need for incorporating climate justice into how we work towards social justice.
Note: This interview was recorded on February 12, 2021. As such, references to recent events refer to those in early February.
In this episode of The Law School Show, host Bianca Morello sits down with Camille Labchuk, Executive Director of Animal Justice and one of Canada's leading animal rights lawyers. Camille graduated with her Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto in 2012. She is also the co-host of her very own award-winning podcast, Paw & Order, Canada's only animal law podcast, where she and her co-hosts explore current court cases, legislation, and other legal issues affecting animals. Camille provides insight into her career, the challenges she has had to face, and her advice to law students.
Learn more about Animal Justice at https://animaljustice.ca, and listen to Paw & Order on Apple Podcasts today!
Join Amos Vang for the second half of a two-part interview with Roy Sengupta.
In this second part, Roy talks about his published work in the book Designing a Sustainable Financial System: Development Goals and Socio-Ecological Responsibility. Specifically, Roy discusses the importance of improving the current global financial system, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Missed the first half? Find Episode 144, released earlier this week, on our website, on YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Join Amos Vang as he interviews Roy Sengupta in a two-part conversation on Roy’s experiences in the American legal profession.
In this first part, Roy talks about his experiences at Harvard Law School, as well as the differences between the Canadian and American law school experiences. Roy’s distinguished mooting and political advocacy experiences had greatly prepared him for his three years at Harvard and have brought him great success in his legal research. Roy and Amos also discuss the legal experience in the COVID-19 pandemic, potential improvements to both the Canadian and American law school experience, and potential improvements to the Canadian legal system.
Stay tuned for the second part of the interview on Thursday!
The advent of big-tech corporations and mass-produced “Terms of Service” agreements raises important, but disturbing, questions about the notion of meaningful consent in contractual relationships. It is a given that the overwhelming majority of consumers do not even read the contracts to which they must agree if they wish to use products or access services. To what, then, are they consenting?
In today's episode, we are joined by Professor Angela Swan of Osgoode Hall Law School to explore this question. Prof. Swan speaks with host Ali Mesbahian about the Supreme Court's 2017 decision in Douez v Facebook, in which a British Columbian resident sued Facebook on the grounds that the company violated her privacy rights by extracting her information and selling it to advertisers. What happened next? Listen to the episode and find out!
This week, host Miho Kitamura talks candidly with an Ottawa-based immigration lawyer, Andrew Mortenson. If you are interested in immigration law (or have no idea what immigration law is, but want to learn more about it), this episode is for you!
In this episode, Andrew talks about his personal journey into becoming an immigration lawyer, what it's like to practice immigration law, and the effects of the pandemic on his work. Oh, and he offers some valuable tips and advice on how to get started if you are interested in pursuing a career in immigration law! If you're interested in this fast-paced world, check out this episode now!
In this episode, hosted by Kelley Humber, we hear from Professor Jamie Liew as she discusses her recently launched podcast, Migration Conversations. A professor of immigration law (amongst other things) at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Prof. Liew has spent her career listening to migrants tell their stories, and created her new podcast to give migrant voices a platform. Prof. Liew believes that Immigration Law enthusiasts should spend more time learning about the law by listening to migrants themselves, and her podcast is a great platform for this!
Listen now to Migration Conversations wherever you get your podcasts!
In the wake of three provincial challenges to Canada’s federal carbon pricing law, the Supreme Court is currently deliberating the legal future of Canada’s emissions targets. Professor Nathalie Chalifour intervened in the case for the National Association of Women and the Law and Friends of the Earth, while Professor Jeremy de Beer intervened on behalf of the Smart Prosperity Institute. Host Jake Clark sat down with both sustainability law experts last autumn, shortly after the case was heard, to discuss the case and what it means for Canada’s domestic and international legal obligations.
In the latest episode of the Student Life Series, host Bianca Morello sits down with Matthew Boissonneault and Nicholas Crimi, Co-Presidents of Elephant in the Room (uOttawa). As the title suggests, we talk about taking care of your mental health during the “Zoom times”, imposter syndrome, OCIs, work-life balance, and e-learning. We share some personal stories and get real about the challenges law students face and the importance of taking care of yourself throughout the process.
To learn more about EITR and access more resources, find them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or email them at EITRuOttawa@gmail.com!
Shortly after the Liberal government’s Speech from the Throne, the Honourable Senator Yvonne Boyer joined host Jennifer Linde to discuss what it means to be a strong advocate for Indigenous rights in the Senate. Tune in to learn more about Senator Boyer’s unique journey to the Upper Chamber, how she approaches her role as an Indigenous senator, and the importance of following your heart and standing up for what is right.
Trigger warning for intimate partner violence. In this episode, we sit down for a chat with Stephen Cawelti, an LA-based family lawyer, to talk about the effect of COVID-19 on the family law system. With his guidance, we explore the multitude of problems — from restricted access to justice to toxic behaviour within the legal community — that have been created or inflamed by the pandemic. If you're at all interested in family law, tune in for trenchant analysis of the origins of these issues, and how they may be rectified as society re-opens.
Mary Rezaee, Scotiabank Small Business Advisor, joins us to discuss the Scotia Professional Student Line of Credit process from application to repayment. In this episode, we ask the hard questions about the cost of financing your education. Whether you are interested in the application process, or you've already been approved, this episode will help you understand the financial basics of interest rates, amortization, repayment, and professional products and services.
This episode contains sponsored content from Scotiabank. Visit the Scotiabank website or contact your local Scotiabank branch for more information on setting up a line of credit today!
Join Amos Vang on this very special episode as he interviews The Right Honourable Paul Martin, Canada's 21st Prime Minister, on his entire career.
From law to business to politics to the Prime Minister’s Office to philanthropy, Mr. Martin has seen it all. Many of the lessons that he learned in his career are important lessons that younger generations can also learn to improve and advance their own careers as well. In a pandemic-ridden world that faces an uncertain future, Mr. Martin and Amos discuss how the baby boomers, Gen X’s, millennials, and Gen Z’s can talk and work together to face the world’s human issues at both the local and the international levels. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and Mr. Martin also talks about a good leader’s important qualities as well as how legal professionals can become strong leaders in any professional pursuit, regardless of the time period. You certainly do not want to miss this special opportunity.
You can learn more about Mr. Martin’s initiative here at the Martin Family Inititiative: https://themfi.ca/
Join us in a discussion about getting involved with different clubs and making life-long connections during law school. Damian Di Biase, a 2L student from the University of Ottawa, talks about his experiences volunteering with the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL), Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR), and One Body Village, and starting the Allies in Law Mentorship program. In this episode, we discuss tips for managing extracurriculars, strategies for determining which clubs to join, and developing unexpected skills.
The first episode of the Student Life Series is all about the 1L experience. Wiam Akil, a 2L from the University of Ottawa, joins us in a conversation about what to expect during 1L — including small group classes, imposter syndrome, and making friends. In this episode, you'll find tips for balancing your course load, networking, and strategies for connecting with upper-year students.
In this brief update to mark the new school year, we talk about what to expect from Season 7, explain some housekeeping items like the renumbering of episodes and our new website, and, most excitingly, introduce our new team!
Tune in now to stay up-to-date, and get excited for the year to come!
This week, Professor Anthony Daimsis joins the show to discuss the recent SCC decision in Uber v Heller, 2020 SCC 16. In this in-depth discussion, recorded only a few days after the Supreme Court released their decision, Prof. Daimsis talks about the case and its potential impacts on international commercial arbitration.
New to ICA? No worries. Prof. Daimsis introduces key ICA principles, explaining how the Supreme Court got it wrong (and, at times, right) and offering an “alternative” path to a just outcome which abides by established ICA rules.
Looking to learn more? Professor Daimsis is also participating in a webinar discussion tomorrow, July 3 at 12:00-1:30pm, hosted by the newly established Canadian Journal of Commercial Arbitration. Registration is free, so sign-up today at bit.ly/cjca-uber!
In this episode, hosted by Ocean Enbar, we hear from Zachary Rosen, a lawyer at Lenczner Slaght. Zach, a uOttawa alumnus with experience in private practice, in-house practice, and the Parliament of Canada, explores the broader implications of COVID-19 on civil litigation and the Ontario courts. Tune in to hear a little bit about Zach's journey through the legal industry and obtain a unique take on how this pandemic might shape the future of the industry.
In the early days of COVID-19, host Jake Clark sat down with Professor Heather McLeod-Kilmurray to talk about this troubled moment for the law, with the shakeups of climate change, global pandemic, and civil unrest. Her insights draw from studies in food law, sustainable administration, and ecofeminism to explain where we stand, and hopefully where we're going, while safeguarding against burnout and paralysis. As the climate becomes an unavoidable focus in law and life, her observations detail a way forward that values respect for both ecology and humanity.
In this episode, hosted by Ocean Enbar, we hear from Shira Kalfa, the founding partner of Kalfa Law. Shira discusses the journey that led her to start her own firm and sheds light on the implications of COVID-19 on the firm's business operations. Tune in to hear how Shira is managing a corporate-commercial and tax law firm during the COVID-19 pandemic and obtain tips on how to make the most of your "COVID-19 summer".
A note about the firm: Kalfa Law is a corporate-commercial and tax law firm located in the heart of Toronto, Canada. Kalfa Law's business law department specializes in mergers and acquisitions, secured lending transactions, commercial financing, commercial agreements, international trade law, corporate reorganizations, as well as domestic and offshore tax planning with a view to tax minimization for both businesses and their owners. Kalfa Law's tax department represents taxpayers in the Tax Court of Canada opposite Canada's federal tax authorities on appeals and other tax controversies. You can learn more on their website or by following them on Twitter at @KalfaLaw.
Join Amos Vang as he interviews Geoff White on his experiences as a lawyer and a firefighter.
Mental health is everything. As a guest in his personal capacity, Geoff knows very well the struggles of mental health, whether it may be law school or legal practice. Geoff knows the difficulties of fighting literal fires and figurative ones, whether it may be the fires of stress or the fires of life itself. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that one takes care of oneself mentally and physically, and that everyone reach out on their own initiative to a person in need, even if they do not know the tribulations that person is in. In this episode, Geoff talks about his journey from law school to legal practice and to firefighting, the skills gained from firefighting, firefighting in a COVID-19-ridden world, and tips for controlling stress in these challenging times.
Below are some of the numerous resources available to students and professionals for mental health support. This list is NOT meant to be exhaustive.
SickNotWeak: https://www.sicknotweak.com/
Good2Talk (for post-secondary students, including graduate students, located in Ontario and Nova Scotia): https://good2talk.ca/
EMentalHealth (a database for mental health resources in Canada): https://www.ementalhealth.ca/
Crisis Line (contains phone numbers for residents residing inside and outside of Ottawa): https://crisisline.ca/
Tom Grozinger is Principal Trust Specialist with RBC Royal Trust, where he provides ongoing legal and technical analysis for a national team of trust professionals within one of Canada’s longest-standing financial institutions, responsible for managing the wealth of some of the country’s most prominent individuals, families, and corporations for more than a century. Tom discusses what it's like to be a Principal Trust Specialist and gives the listeners a glimpse into the challenges and rewards of working in this role. He provides insight into the areas of wills and estates law and provides some interesting legal information about those domains of law.
Janice Payne, name partner at Nelligan O'Brien Payne and one of the most respected members of the Ottawa bar, joins Ryan and Amos to discuss her long career in legal practice, from being one of the trailblazing early female law students at the University of Ottawa, to her role in major cases like Nortel and the Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, to how law has changed and what advice she would give young lawyers today.
Along the way, they reflect on the importance of giving back, discuss creative ways to use one's legal talent, and give listeners some ideas on how to still have fun as a lawyer, in what became The Law School’s Show longest episode to date.
In this podcast, Alex Di Giovanni and Aaron Grinhaus discuss blockchain, cryptocurrency, and their relationship with our legal system. While they think lawyers shouldn’t fear the disruption that will follow, they conclude that it would be wise for legal professionals to educate themselves about the changes that it will bring and to possibly reconsider the roles legal professionals will take when this becomes mainstream.
Adam Dodek, Dean of the Common Law Section at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, joins us on the podcast to discuss his legal journey, from studying law in the United States, to working in the public service in Ontario, to joining the Faculty of Law and becoming the Dean.
Listen now as Dean Dodek talks about the biggest challenges he’s faced during his legal career, discusses the differences between university governance and politics, and offers tips to current law students on how to become better lawyers and better people.
In this episode, we discuss leaving the legal profession (twice), working in big law in NYC, aboriginal law in Toronto, and how to turn a boring question into an interesting answer during job interviews.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter @nicoleparoyan, and follow Chris on Instagram, LinkedIn, and online @tell_people or tellpeople.ca
In this episode, we feature Ninetta Caparelli, who is currently working as a criminal defence lawyer at Greenspon Granger Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. She began as a second-year law student and finished her articles with the firm in 2017.
Ninetta has defended clients on a variety of charges, including impaired driving, assault, domestic assault, assault causing bodily harm, drug charges, criminal harassment, and driving related offences. In addition, she has assisted in defending an array of complex criminal matters, including large scale drug projects (possession, trafficking, production), gun trafficking, sexual assault, fraud over $5,000, attempted murder, and murder.
Ninetta Caparelli will introduce us to the world of criminal law, as well as the rewards and challenges of working as a criminal defence lawyer.
In this episode of the On Health series we discuss mental fitness and the practice of meditation. Our subject matter expert, Judy Steed, is an award-winning journalist (Globe and Mail, Toronto Star) and author, the recipient of four National Newspaper Award citations for feature writing, the author of five books, and the recipient of the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy. For the Atkinson, she focused on Aging, did research in Copenhagen and Stockholm, and discovered back home in Toronto that here is one of the great Neuroscience centers of North America. Which led her into mindfulness and brain plasticity, inspired by Toronto doctor Norman Doidge's best-selling book, The Brain that Changes Itself. She has been leading a guided meditation practice for 10 years, and also teaching Pilates and other Fitness classes at the Central YMCA in Toronto. As well, she teaches courses at Ryerson, focused on brain plasticity and mindfulness.
LexisNexis Canada Law Students Page
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Mark Asfar joins us to discuss his journey from being a History student at Queen’s University to being a young lawyer at Momentum Business Law in Ottawa. Along the way, he reflects on the importance of following your interests, from choosing an undergraduate program that he enjoyed, to finding meaning (and balance) in extracurriculars, to joining a relatively new firm whose work perfectly matches his passions. We also discuss strategies for getting involved in law school and finding a job that will allow you to learn and grow.
Join Amos Vang and Ryan Pistorius as they interview Dr. Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich on her research, her work-life balance, and current issues surrounding the overall criminal justice system and the youth criminal justice system.
Multi-talented, focused, and determined: this has been the story of Dr. Bromwich’s amazing career. Dr. Bromwich holds a Bachelor of Social and Cultural Anthropology, an LL. B, an LL. M, a Ph. D. in Legal Studies, a Certificate from Harvard’s Program on Negotiation Master Class, and a Certificate in Mediation from Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation. She has also co-authored and co-edited six books to date, including her most recent book, Mothers, Mothering and Sport: Experiences, Representations, Resistances. Dr. Bromwich has taught at the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law, University of Cincinnati, Fanshawe College, Carleton University and the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, all while balancing four young kids. Dr. Bromwich has served as a criminal defence lawyer and is currently a per diem Crown Attorney for the Ministry of the Attorney General and Program Director for Carleton University’s Graduate Diploma in Conflict Resolution program.
You can check out Dr. Bromwich’s most recent book here: http://demeterpress.org/books/mothers-mothering-and-sport-experiences-representations-resistances/
You can also check out Dr. Bromwich’s career here: https://carleton.ca/law/people/bromwich-rebecca/
In this episode of the On Health series we get tailored nutritional advice for law students from Melissa Piercell. Melissa talks about the healthiest foods to buy on a budget, the best foods for brain function and the importance of good nutrition in maximizing your performance. Jam packed. Healthy. And brought to you with love (on Valentines day) from the good people at the Law School Show and Lexis Nexis Canada Inc.
Kaitlin Baldwin has an Hons. B.A. in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour from McMaster University, a Graduate Certificate in Concurrent Disorders from Mohawk College, and is currently completing her M.A. in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She currently works as an Addictions Counsellor. In this podcast, we discuss the interaction of substance abuse and addictions within the criminal context; including topics such as criminalization leading to stigmatization, and resulting recidivism due to these social structures. We also discuss vicarious trauma and the effect of substance abuse on not only clients, but on the stressful professional careers surrounding the criminal sphere.
Here’s to your health!
Staying healthy, vibrant and sharp is key to career development. This is the first instalment of the “On Health” series brought to you by the Law School Show and LexisNexis Canada. “On Health” is a three episode series covering physical fitness, nutrition and mental health. In this first episode, we get expert advice from Meredith Clinton on how law students can maintain physical fitness. Check out the FREE resources for law students from LexisNexis and the sample workout programs from Meredith Clinton below.
LexisNexis Canada Law Students Page
Lexis Practice Advisor Canada (free to law students)
Dr. Wolfgang Alschner is an empirical legal scholar specialized in international economic law and the computational analysis of law. He is co-founder of the investment treaty analytics portal www.mappinginvestmenttreaties.com and his research focuses on using social and computer science methods in order to empirically investigate international law.
In this interview we discuss the emerging field of empirical legal analysis, what impacts computer technology can have on the study and interpretation of the law, and the implications of incorporating AI and machine learning into a legal career.
Dr. Julie Macfarlane is a distinguished Full Professor at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. She is committed to Access to Justice research, and she is the Project Director of the National Self-Represented Litigants Project. Additionally, Professor Macfarlane has published extensively in the areas of conflict resolution, mediation, and legal practice, and she is named as one of Canada's 25 Most Influential Lawyers. If you are interested in developing a career in access to justice or in becoming a Law Professor someday, then this episode is for you!
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more about Professor Macfarlane’s work on access to justice, be sure to also check out Professor Macfarlane’s podcast, Jumping Off the Ivory Tower, at https://representingyourselfcanada.com/podcast/.
Interested in working for a full-service business law firm? Check out this episode before jumping into it! Jim Robson summered and articled at Blakes (One of Canada's top business law firms) before joining the firm as an associate. Jim started with the Corporate group and found his way into the Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group. We talk about his law school experience at the University of Toronto, on-campus interviews, competition lawyer's interactions with the Competition Bureau, a recent merger that Jim worked on, and much more.
Here is a link to the article that Jim mentions in the interview: Bass Pro/Cabela's: a case study of competitive retail mergers" by O'Melveny partner Ted Hassi and counsel Lindsey Freeman https://globalcompetitionreview.com/article/usa/1144867/bass-pro-cabelas-a-case-study-of-competitive-retail-mergers Please note: There is a paywall to access the article.
Hugh Verrier is the Chairman of White & Case LLP. He manages the firm's strategy as well as its operations worldwide. In this episode, we follow his career path from a graduate of the University of Ottawa's law program to his current third term as chair of a major international law firm. Tune in to learn more about his challenges and advice!
In this episode with Susana Lee at Cassidy Levy Kent, we discuss the unique aspects of International Trade Law. Susana comes from a science background, and applies her financial skills from her MBA degree in her daily work as an international trade counsel. Susana also comments on the importance of time management and team communication in a law firm. Interested in working with numbers and international clients? This is the episode for you.
Joel Miller has over forty years of family law experience. He was a partner and the family law chair of Ricketts Harris LLP. He still acts as counsel there but is also the lawyer behind the Family Law Coach. Over the years he noticed the significant growth of self-reps in family court who had good cases but lost 73% of the time when facing a lawyer on the other side. He helps to level the playing field by providing self-reps with cost-effective, accessible and transparent family law help in the form of legal coaching.
Gillian Akai is Chief Administrative Officer, Executive Vice President, and General Counsel at Postmedia Network Inc. Yes, all of those things at once! Obviously, Gillian is quite talented, but from experience I can tell you she is also honest and humble. I had the pleasure of talking with Gillian about the ins and outs of her current role, the path she took to get there, and who she is both as a person and a professional. This episode is chock-full of useful insights and tailored advice for the law student looking to shape a career that fits their skills and interests.
Anthony Daimsis has been teaching at the University of Ottawa since 2003. He is the current Director of the National Program, a program that leads to a dual JD/LL.L degree. He is also the Director of the common law's mooting program.
Prof. Daimsis teaches Contracts and Torts law, International Sales law, International Commercial Arbitration, ADR and legal writing. He also supervises the common law Jessup, Vis and FDI moot teams and serves as the faculty's moot program director. He has advised South Asian countries in the area of Foreign investment and investment treaties. Prof. Daimsis is called to the Ontario Bar (Barrister and Solicitor). He has recently joined Littleton Chambers (London, England) as an associate door tenant. He works with the National Judicial Institute, a not-for-profit institution committed to building better justice through leadership in the education of judges in Canada and internationally.
Before teaching at the university, he worked at an international law firm located in Austria, as an associate. His work focused on foreign investment disputes, telecommunications and underground resources, in addition to a number of international commercial contract and construction disputes resolved under the auspices of the World Bank (ICSID) and various international commercial arbitration institutions.
As a leading authority in his field, Prof. Daimsis is frequently approached to serve as an arbitrator in domestic and international commercial disputes and is a sought after speaker on the topics of international arbitration and international sales law, most recently travelling to Myanmar to advise its government entities on investment into Myanmar. He is on the ICDR panel of international arbitrators.
He is co-authoring the forthcoming International Commercial Arbitration and NAFTA Ch 11 Disputes from a Canadian Perspective. He is a contributing author for Dispute Resolution: Readings and Case Studies, 4th Edition, as well as International Business Transactions: Standard Forms and Documents and has edited a number of Business Law books used in business schools and MBA programs throughout North America.
In 2008 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Fellows and Legal Scholars of the Center for International Legal Studies for his contributions to its scholarly activities and publications and in 2011 was awarded the National Capital Award for teaching.
Prof. Daimsis is the lead instructor for the Professional Certificate in International Arbitration. This certificate aims to introduce senior lawyers to the world of International Arbitration, by covering the process from start to finish. For more information on the Professional Certificate, please follow:http://www.continue.uottawa.ca/program_EN.cfm?courseID=495&groupID=19&catID=4
Prof. Daimsis has recently delivered keynote addresses and lectures in cities, including London, New York, Naypyidaw, Stockholm, Tehran, to name only a few.
Adolfo Morais is an immigration lawyer living in Ottawa. He has a unique background as a foreign trained lawyer and also a Canadian lawyer. He came to Canada from Brazil with is family in 2008; as a newcomer, he had to face many challenges in life. Adolfo decided to continue pursuing the path as a legal professional. He spent five years in law schools and obtained two law degrees in Quebec and Ontario. He worked extremely hard to self-study French. Adolfo also took good care of his two young daughters during the education. Thanks to his positive attitude and efforts, Adolfo has become a successful immigration lawyer after he graduated from uOttawa in 2012. His story is inspiring for all law students.
Based in Ottawa, Stephen Dam is a sole practitioner in the areas of Real Estate, Estate Planning, Civil Litigation, and Family Law. In this interview, Stephen shares with us his experience from being a law student to starting his own practice. He also talks about the pros and cons of being a sole practitioner. If you are interested in becoming a sole practitioner, this episode is for you!
Marco sits down with litigator and arts & entertainment professional Roselyn Kelada-Sedra to discuss her web-series in development, Fail Better. They explore the fear of failure that's part and parcel with striving for perfection in imperfect professional environments; ones where racism and misogyny still rear their ugly heads.
Learn more about: - Fail Better, the series (failbetterseries.com) - Roselyn the actor (roselyn.ca) - Roselyn the lawyer (sabsaylaw.com)
Precedent Magazine and its student offshoot Precedent JD are the brainchild of Melissa Kluger, a graduate of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law. Melissa started out articling at Cassels, Brock & Blackwell LLP, spent two months on a secondment at the criminal law office of Edward L. Greenspan, and after being called to the bar practiced media law in Toronto. During her time as a lawyer, she saw a need for a publication that spoke to the lifestyle of the young lawyer, and the idea for Precedent was born. Today, every single law firm in Toronto gets an issue of Precedent magazine. Listen in to this interview to hear her story, to learn more about Precedent, and to hear Melissa's thoughts on the state of law today. And stay tuned for Part II, coming out soon!
In this episode, we interview two senior lawyers at a legal aid clinic, and discuss the role poverty plays in exacerbating individuals legal problems and opportunities for students to get involved in legal aid work.
Mike Laliberte
Mike is a senior staff lawyer at Neighbourhood Legal Services (London & Middlesex) and has worked at the clinic for over 25 years. He concentrates his work on social assistance issues and has engaged in many law reform efforts and enjoys participating in community development. Mike has chaired the OW & ODSP Advocates Group since 1995.
Although born and raised in the lovely town of Sarnia, Mike attended undergraduate studies at King’s College in London and completed his law degree at the University of Western Ontario Law School. He also has a teaching degree. Mike articled at a large law firm in London but much prefers practicing law at a legal clinic.
In 2017, Mike received a Canada 150 medal recognizing him for his contributions to our nation in all his years of service!
Kristie Pagniello
Kristie Pagniello has worked as a staff lawyer at Neighbourhood Legal Services (London & Middlesex) since 2001, having previously articled and practiced at Seabrook Epstein St. Marie & Miller in London. She has a Masters Degree in Sociology, with a Specialization in Criminology, and a Law Degree from the University of Windsor.
Kristie works on the social assistance side of NLSLM representing clients before administrative tribunals regarding Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Canada Pension Plan Disability, and Criminal Injuries Compensation. She has a particular interest in student development work and as such coordinates and supervises the student placements from King’s College School of Social Work, Fanshawe Paralegal Studies, and Ryerson’s Law Practice Program. Kristie is also a part-time professor at Fanshawe College in the Post Graduate Paralegal Studies program, teaching Tribunal Practice and Procedure.
Lucrezia Spagnolo is the founder and CEO of Vesta Social Innovation Technology. An online platform and app that allows victims of sexual assault and harassment to document their experience in real time. It was developed in consultation with survivors of sexual assault, lawyers, judges, law enforcement, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists to create a responsive, effective and user-friendly interface. So when victims are ready to report it can be used as evidence for criminal sexual assault and harassment cases.
Danielle Waechter, a lawyer at Forget Smith, practices mainly in the area of insurance defence litigation including bodily injury, accident benefits, and motor vehicle accidents. She completed her JD at the University of Ottawa. In this episode, Danielle shares with us her journey to where she is today, including a transition from a different area of law. Danielle also provides tips on how to make the most out of law school. Don't miss this episode!
Alison Babbitt is a UK- and Ontario-qualified project finance lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright's Ottawa office. In this episode, Ms. Babbitt talks about her international experience from a law student in Scotland and UK to an experienced project finance lawyer in Canada. She also gives current law students tips and advice on how to develop practical skills in law, which include the ability to pay attention to detail and to work collaboratively in a team. Finally, Ms. Babbitt talks about renewable energy as an emerging area of law. If you are interested in project finance law or are curious about how it is like to work at a global law firm environment, this is the episode for you!
Looking to start your own family practice? Check out this episode before you take that leap! Meagan LePage and Stephanie Smith decided to establish Court Coach LLP three years ago, a practice focused in family law, child protection services, and legal coaching. We talk about how they got started, the highs and lows of running their own business, and advice for anyone who is interested in exploring this path.
Whether or not you’ve considered opening your own firm – this is the podcast for you. Mike
Hook, lawyer, entrepreneur, and founder of Intrepid Law in Toronto, talks about the skills that
all lawyers should hone, regardless of entrepreneurial intentions. Hook talks about what
pushed him to start his own practice, and offers enlightening advice on how to tell whether
practicing in a big firm is for you or not. In addition to advising law students to make the most
of all challenges and opportunities presented to them throughout law school, Hook encourages
budding lawyers to believe in their own talents and skills. For those interested in taking a
professional risk, Hook speaks to the support of the legal community and trusting oneself, and
could make even the entirely risk-averse consider taking an entrepreneurial leap of faith.
Understanding that many students are currently going through the Toronto recruitment process, we are re-launching a few relevant episodes to help student prepare for their interviews.
Josh Smith and Karen Cheung sat down with two UOttawa students who were successful in the 2016 Toronto Summer Recruitment process. The four of them share their insights, reflect on the experience, and talk about methods to keep you sane throughout it all.
Understanding that many students are currently going through the Toronto recruitment process, we are re-launching a few relevant episodes to help student prepare for their interviews.
In this episode we give you two checklists: one to go through a day before your OCI & In Firm Interviews and a second to keep in mind during your OCI & In Firm Interviews.
Understanding that many students are currently going through the Toronto recruitment process, we will be re-launching a few relevant episodes within the next few days to help student prepare for the interviews.
In this episode, Susan Pak, Director of Student Programs and Human Resources at Stikeman Elliott Toronto shares what Bay Street interviewers are looking for in candidates during summer and articling recruitment. In addition, she discusses how the interviewers make hiring decisions. Listen in to learn how you can make yourself stand out in the interview process.
In this episode, Polly shares her experience transitioning from science into law. Reflecting on her 1L experience, she discusses some ways to tackle law school exams, prepare for classes, and balance school work with extra-curricular activities. She also talks about her experience with the Ottawa IP recruitment as a 1L and the type of interview questions that came up at the recruitment. If you are curious about the 1L IP recruitment, or just want to learn about how to survive 1L in general, tune in to give it a listen!
In this episode, David shares his articling job hunting experience, both the failures and the successes. He talks about strategies he used to look for articling after being unsuccessful in the formal recruits. He also talks about the challenges that come with being a 3L and not having an articling position. This is a worthwhile listen for those who are still seeking an articling position.
P.S. Don’t forget to also consider asking professors to help in your articling search!
Some of the resources mentioned in the episode
- Lawjobexchange
- Law School career centre
- Job Bank
- LSUC Articling Registry
- CBA/OBA Job postings website
- FACL Job Board (you need to be a FACL member)
David also talks about his bar exam experience.
In the 10-Minute Series, Rishi and Chris answer the 9 most common questions they’ve received since starting The Law School Show. One question per episode. Short and sweet and helpful. In this seventh installment the question is: What are the top 5 things to know about the bar exam? Enjoy!
If you’re interested in litigation, especially in the area of IP, then this episode is for you! Andy Shaughnessy, a partner in Torys' Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice, focuses mostly on IP litigation and dispute resolution. He has advocated in front of numerous courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal. In this episode, he shares his most daunting experiences, the challenges he faces as a litigator, and more! Tune into this fascinating episode!
Darcy is a Senior Associate at McMillan LLP (Ottawa) advising on all aspects of corporate and commercial transactions, general contract law, financial institution regulation and insurance matters. Darcy also has experience in the area of payments, having spent 3 months working with the team responsible for Canada’s essential payments systems on a secondment basis. Darcy is an alumni of the University of Ottawa where she obtained her LL.B. in 2010. She then went on to practice out of McMillan’s Toronto office for 5 years before returning to the nation’s capital. When not in the office, you might find Darcy hiking around Gatineau Park or otherwise relaxing at one of her favourite brunch spots.
In this episode, we have a candid conversation with Darcy. She tells us more about financial services, her transition from Toronto to Ottawa, and her experiences in law school.
In this episode, Chris sits down with Michelle Moldofsky (for the second time on the LSS) of the Moldofsky Professional Corporation. At the Moldofsky Professional Corporation Michelle provides legal advice in health law and corporate commercial law affecting not-for-profit health organizations. Prior to founding this company, Michelle was General Counsel at St. Michael's Hospital. Stay tuned to hear Michelle discuss her approach to making a successful career transition and the difficulties and opportunities she experienced along the way.
To learn more about Michelle visit:
Moldofsky Professional Corporation
Corporate Advisory Counsel, Law Practice Program
LinkedIn Profile
LSS Ep 20: Michelle Moldofsky, General Counsel at St. Michael's Hospital
Sam Witherspoon is the Founder and CEO of MiraLaw - a legal tech start up based in Ottawa. Focused on leveraging technology to address access to justice issues, MiraLaw has created a product, Thistoo, that is intended to help mitigate the A2J issues faced by parties in Family Law.
In this varied conversation, we talk about Sam's journey from law school to founding MiraLaw, the idea behind Thistoo and Miralaw's other product Compass, the future effect of technology on the practice of law, and the challenges of founding your own legal tech start up.
Sam recommends the book The Hard Things by Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. You can also find more info on MiraLaw here.
What resources are available for first generation students who are studying law? In this episode Brooke Longhurst and Dianna Robinson will be talking to us about the First Generation Network and why this network was created.
Brooke is a second year JD student at the University of Toronto. Before law school, Brooke completed her Master of Philosophy the University of Cambridge. She is the founder of the First Generation Network, and President of the organization’s UofT Law chapter.
Dianna Robinson is a third-year JD/MBA student at Osgoode Hall Law School and Schulich School of Business. She is the president of a group established to provide support to students who are the first in their families to attend post-secondary education; the Osgoode First Generation Network.
The First Generation Network was created at Osgoode Hall Law School in December 2015 with the aim of reducing the professional, social and financial barriers to law school faced by students who are the first in their family to attend post-secondary education. The Network expanded to University of Toronto Faculty of Law in September 2016. The Network has a strong focus on activities that involve members of the legal community who were also the first in their family to attend post-secondary education.
If you want to start a chapter at your own law school, email: UTLFGN@gmail.com
Check out the First Generation Network at your school: Toronto, Osgoode, Western, Ottawa, Windsor, and Lakehead.
Ever wonder what it is like to work at TD Bank Group? Jeff Smolkin, a Managing Counsel, leads and manages TD Bank's online and mobile service offerings, innovation and mobile payment initiatives and strategy, such as UGO Wallet and TD Labs, as well as TD Bank's FinTech. He shares how he transitioned to IP law and some tips to succeess like being open to trying new areas of law. Tune into this episode to learn more!
Sari de la Motte advises attorneys, corporations, and government organizations in the United States about non-verbal communication. In this informative episode, Sari gives tips on non-verbal communication for litigators in the courtroom and applicants at the job interview.
FORTE’s free voir dire guide: https://nonverbalforte.com/voirdireguide
You can find more about FORTE here: https://nonverbalforte.com/
Are you curious to learn what a career as a trademark attorney entail? In this episode, we sit down with Ms. Andrea Pitts, a trademark attorney from Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, and discuss how trademark prosecution is a niche, rewarding profession. Listen-in to gain advice and perspective from this accomplished in-house practitioner.
In this exciting interview, we sit down with one of the founders of Legal Cafe, a startup looking to enhance the communication between legal professionals.
Co-founded by Shaunt Tokmakjian and Ari Comert, LegalCafe, as the name suggests, is a warm and inviting place for lawyers to connect and support each other quickly and easily, at home or on their smartphones. What makes this idea unique is that it fosters the creation of an online legal community through technological innovation, cost-effectiveness and profit sharing.
LegalCafe aims to solve the following three problems: (1) Poor support networks: Without strong networking, or large firm support, lawyers, especially new lawyers, are often left without a proper support network. This has the potential of impacting quality of service for clients. (2) Redundant Research and Cost: Often times lawyers are looking for answers hundreds of other lawyers have already researched. (3) Community: Memberships to the various legal bar associations can be cost prohibitive especially for new lawyers. In addition to the annual fees which range in the hundreds of dollars, members are often expected to pay for the various events they attend. The goal of LegalCafe is to leverage technological innovation to create an online and effective community with low cost to members.
If you want to learn more about LegalCafe, check out www.legalcafe.ca.
Aaron Wenner is a father, a graduate of Harvard, a graduate of McGill Law, a coder and an entrepreneur. In this episode, Aaron tells us about the product he created, aptly called CiteRight. CiteRight is an intelligent legal assistant that formats citations, assembles books of authority, and notes-up precedents. It saves lawyers’ time and clients’ money, and makes drafting litigation documents smarter, faster, cheaper. Aaron tells us about why he decided not to work in a traditional legal job and the process he has lived in getting CiteRight to market.
Are you interested in learning more about corporate finance and securities law or mining law? Then tune into this episode featuring Linda Misetich Dann. She is a partner and Co-Head of the Capital Markets and M&A group at Bennett Jones LLP. She shares her journey as a law student to a partner, the challenges she faces within these practices, the qualities needed to succeed in these areas of law. This is a very interesting episode, so please tune in!
The OBA Institute - the largest legal CPD event in Canada this year will take place between Feb 6 - Feb 11. With events happening in both Toronto & Ottawa, as well as availability online, there is something for every stage of one's legal career. In this episode, David chats with Kim Cunnington-Taylor & Tim Kennedy, the Ottawa co-chairs of the program. The conversation talks about why both Kim & Tim became involved with the OBA, and the programs and resources available for law students and young lawyers at the OBA Institute in Ottawa and Toronto.
DISCOUNT CODES: Attending in Ottawa, in-person (15%): OTTAWA15, Student promo code for webcast (85%) STUDENT85
More info: http://www.oba.org/Institute/Home
Start the New Year with a fresh perspective! In this episode, Minister Catherine McKenna shares her journey from being a law student to being appointed Minister of Environment and Climate Change. She discusses the importance of carving your own path, of surrounding yourself with people that inspire you, and the importance of not losing sight of your goals and ambitions. This is a very special episode that you don't want to miss!
Are you curious on how to leverage your law degree into a career in Canada’s film and television industry? In this episode, Marco sits down with Allan Jolie-Coeur, the Vice President of Operations for the Shaw Rocket Fund. Allan draws on over 20 years of combined experience in entertainment law and content production and distribution to demonstrate the importance of being nimble in a constantly changing industry.
Guest: Allan Jolie-Coeur, VP Operations, Shaw Rocket Fund
Learn more about Allan and the Shaw Rocket Fund here: http://www.rocketfund.ca/
*This episode contains references to the film Good Will Hunting, which was produced and distributed by Miramax Films.
In the 10-Minute Series, Rishi and Chris answer the 9 most common questions they’ve received since starting The Law School Show. One question per episode. Short and sweet and helpful. In this sixth installment the question is: What are the top 5 tips for networking as a student? Enjoy!
This interview features Linda J. Godel, a partner at Torkin Manes LLP. She practices not-for-profit and charity law and also chairs the firm's practice group. In this interview, we talk about overcoming the challenges of developing one's practice, the important skills and characteristics in succeeding in law, and more. If you're interested in practicing charity law or just want to learn more about it, tune into this episode!
In this episode we talk with Victoria Wan about her experience working at a legal clinic. Victoria is a 3rd year law student at the University of Ottawa. She spent her second year and the subsequent summer working at a community legal clinic. Victoria is involved in many extra-curricular activities including being Co-Chairperson at the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers – University of Ottawa Chapter.
In the 10 Minute Series, Rishi and Chris answer the 9 most common questions they’ve received since starting The Law School Show. One question per episode. Short and sweet and helpful. In this fifth installment the question is: what are the top 5 things to remember as a second year summer student working in a firm? Enjoy!
In the 10-Minute Series, Rishi and Chris answer the 9 most common questions they've received since starting The Law School Show. One question per episode. Short and sweet and helpful. In this fourth installment the question is: What advice do you have on extracurriculars' in upper years? Enjoy!
Days ago, the Law Society of Upper Canada Professional Development and Competence Committee recommended ending the Law Practice Program following the completion of its current year. In this episode, André Bacchus, Assistant Director in the LPP Work Placement Office, speaks to this development. Plus, André describes with statistical support how the LPP has delivered success for its candidates and served the public by preparing skilled lawyers. If you have an opinion on the future of the LPP we urge you to share it with the LSUC.
To email the LSUC before the October 19, 2016 deadline: policy@lsuc.on.ca
The Law Practice Program Report “Three Years of the LPP”:
Law Society of Upper Canada Professional Development and CompetenceCommittee “Report on Convocation September 22, 2016"
Law Practice Program Candidate Experiences and Employer Perspectives VIDEO
LPP Experience VIDEO – Candidate Conversations
Other Law School Show Episodes featuring the Law Practice Program:
Ep 8 – Andre Bacchus, Assistant Director LPP Work Placement Office,RyersonU
Ep 58 – The Law Practice Program – up close and personal.
Ep 35 – News and Reviews about the Law Practice Program with AndreBacchus.
It’s still the beginning of the school year and we hope all of the 1Ls are adapting to law school well! Of course, there are still questions that are lurking. In this episode, David and Angela will be talking about effective ways to study, work-life balance, things we wish we knew in 1L and more. Tune in now!
2:34 - What would I have done differently in 1L?
4:25 - Legal writing challenge
5:20 - How to read cases
6:50 - Exam writing tips
9:45 - Time management advice
12:50 - What really helped in 1L
16:28 - Taking notes by hand or by computer?
19:40 - What are classes like in 1L?
22:00 - Mooting in 1L
26:55 - How to pick courses in 2L
In the 10-Minute Series, Rishi and Chris answer the 9 most common questions they've received since starting the Law School Show. One question per episode. Short and sweet and helpful. In this third installment the question is: What are your top 5 tips for success during the on campus interview process? Enjoy!
Incoming or future 2Ls, you’re wondering what to expect for 2L right? Of course, you’ve likely heard of on-campus interviews (OCIs). You’re probably also wondering how to succeed in them or how to do better in 2L in general. This episode featuring David Lu, a 3L and one of the hosts of this show, will answer your questions and/or worries! Enjoy!
Highlights of the episode:
1:15 – 3L course selection tips: take interesting courses or take courses that will be tested on the bar exam
2:46 – Tips for 2L
7:23 – Do 1L summer experiences matter for OCIs?
9:52 – OCI experience
12:37 – Do grades matter for OCIs?
14:19 – Government OCIS
17:03 – OCI logistics
20:50 – Firm tours and networking before OCIs
24:40 – What if OCIs don’t work out for you?
27:20 – Articling search experience
29:30 – Call day
In the 10-Minute Series, Rishi and Chris answer the 9 most common questions they've received since starting the Law School Show. One question per episode. Short and sweet and helpful. In this second instalment the question is: What should I do during first year summer? Enjoy!
For a Law School Show Letter on the topic click HERE
In the 10-Minute Series, Rishi and Chris answer the 9 most common questions they've received since starting The Law School Show. One question per instalment answered in under 10 minutes. Short and sweet. In this first instalment, the question is: What is the goal of 1st year and where should I focus my energy? Enjoy!
In this episode, we investigate toxic torts with Professor Heather McLeod Kilmurray. Professor McLeod-Kilmurray is a professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law who focuses on environmental issues and is a leading scholar in the area of toxic torts. Arguably, this is an area of torts, which can provide unique relief and remedies for negative environmental impacts to the public. Let's dive in!
Professor McLeod Kilmurray's Bio: https://llmphd.uottawa.ca/en/about/faculty/mcleod-kilmurray-heather
Nathan Fox is the founder of Fox LSAT, an LSAT tutoring company. We discuss Nathan’s law school experience and his decision to pursue a non-legal career after graduation, his own LSAT experience, and some very useful LSAT tips.
You can find additional tips at Nathan’s podcast at www.thinkinglsat.com/blog/. You can also find Nathan’s contact information on his website at www.foxlsat.com. Enjoy!
In this episode Rishi and Chris reflect on their articling experience at Stikeman Elliott LLP. They discuss topics such as typical hours, what they would have done different, and key pieces of advice. Tune in to give it a listen.
Stéphane Teasdale is a partner at Dentons Canada LLP with a fascinating career in that has allowed him to travel to many countries. He is the chair of the global Franchise and Distribution Law group and also co-leads the Corporate and Commercial Law group of Dentons' Montreal office. In this episode, we discuss how he went from being a litigator to a solicitor, what qualities good litigators and solicitors possess, what it is like practicing franchise and distribution law, and more. If you're not sure whether you should be a litigator or a solicitor, this episode may help solve your dilemma!
Episode Highlights: 1:20 - Introduction 6:00 - How he became exposed to franchise and distribution law 9:40 - How to stand out in interviews 15:00 - How to know if you are more of a litigator or a solicitor 18:00 - Traits of a solicitor 20:30 - From a lawyer to a partner 23:00 - Best parts of his job 26:00 - Working abroad 30:00 - Work-life balance 31:45 - Women and the partnership track
Timothy Sullivan is a family lawyer and civil litigator in Ottawa. In this wide ranging discussion, we talk about Timothy’s journey from law school to lawyer, the challenges of starting his own solo practice, and much more. If you are considering practicing in family law, civil litigation, or starting your own practice, this episode is for you.
For more information on Timothy, visit http://sullivanlaw.ca/ or follow him on twitter at @SullivanLawCA
Part 2 of 2 of this interview continues with Professor John Mark Keyes' experiences. We delve further into his responsibilities as the past Chief Legislative Counsel of the Legislative Services Branch at the Department of Justice. He also shares the crucial skills needed to be a good drafter. Finally, he talks about his transition as a professor and shares his inspiration for Executive Legislation. Enjoy Part Two of this interview!
Highlights of the episode:
0:48 - What was his drafting experience like?
6:00 - Challenges in drafting
7:00 - How do you manage the different clients' expectations?
10:23 - Responsibilities as a junior drafter
12:20 - The importance of teamwork within federal drafting
13:20 - How important is knowing French as a drafter?
13:43 - What skills are important to be a good drafter?
16:59 - Transitioning to the role of the Chief Legislative Counsel of the Legislative Services Branch
18:55 - Management responsibilities
22:25 - Are there other skills needed to be a good manager?
24:00 - Other managerial responsibilities
26:00 - What was his inspiration for his book?
30:10 - What motivated him to become a professor?
31:45 - Best parts and challenges of being a professor
35:52 - Recommendations of resources for people interested in drafting
37:28 - Career goal
We know that there are acts and regulations, but have you ever wondered how they come to be? Who drafts them? How do you even become a drafter? Professor John Mark Keyes has been a lawyer, a drafter, the Past Chief Legislative Counsel of the Legislative Services Branch at the Department of Justice, and the author of Executive Legislation. In this episode (Part 1 of 2), he shares with us the world of drafting, the tips to becoming a successful drafter, and his inspiration for his book. He also tells us how to be passionate outside of the area of law and how to manage change in one’s career. Have fun and tune in for Part II of this interview to learn more about drafting!
Highlights of the episode:
1:08 - Life outside of law
4:12 - How to balance his interests with his career
6:40 - Law school experience (overall thoughts, first year of law school)
9:13 - What would he have done differently in law school?
10:05 - Why law school?
11:42 - How did he develop his interest in drafting?
13:39 - Articling at the Ministry of the Attorney General
16:57 - Ruling out other interests
19:11 - Advice to law students who are still looking for their interests
21:09 - Transitioning from the Ministry of the Attorney General to a small law firm
27:30 - How a Drafting Program led to working at the Department of Justice
30:14 - What does a drafter do?
Susanne Gabriele and Andreas Kalogiannides are young entertainment lawyers who contribute to The Redline blog. With the blog, and in our discussion, Susanne (who also provides private wellness counseling) and Andreas share their stories on how mindfulness and authenticity help them each lead enriching professional and personal lives.
This is a relaunch of Episode 29 where we discussed bar exam preparation. This episode lays out everything you need to know about the bar in a concise and information packed discussion with Marco Figliomeni. Marco wrote and past the bar in 2014. He tells you about the materials - what they consist of and how they are laid out. He tells you exactly how he prepared his index, how he approached studying, and he describes the day of the exam. We hope you find this episode useful and wish you the best of luck for the upcoming bar exams. Enjoy!
Ever wonder if joining the law review is right for you? Curious about what responsibilities you'll have and if they are worth it in the long run? Both noble representatives of the Ottawa Law Review, Matthew Quintieri, Editor-in-Chief and Cassandra Ma, Executive Director, answer all these questions and much more. Get a look inside the workings of a team that shares top rate legal scholarship. And learn about the opportunity, struggle and learning that comes along with it.
Artists' Legal Advice Services has been providing free summary legal advice to artists for 30 years. To say the not-for-profit is successful is a wild understatement. ALAS embodies the ethos of helping that is so valuable in law. Listen in and learn from Paul Sanderson, ALAS Co-founder, Director and Duty Counsel, and Warren Sheffer, ALAS Director and Duty Counsel, as they describe ALAS's evolution over the past three decades, the elements integral to its continued high-calibre service and the legal needs of artists in today's market.
For more information visit:
ALAS website About Paul Sanderson
About Warren Sheffer
The second cohort to enroll in the Law Practice Program hasnearly completed the experience. And the feedback is very positive. The LPP nowhas a proven track record of equipping licensing candidates with the skills andexperience necessary for success in today’s legal market. In this episode wehear from André Bacchus, AssistantDirector of the Law Practice Program Work Placement Office. André discusses newadditions to the LPP including the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, work placementsand hire-back rates, and how the LPP continues to refine its offerings in orderto be on the forefront of industry trends.
LPP Live Information Webinar – Wednesday March 16that 12:00pm EST.
The LPP ‘For Candidates’ info page including the ‘A Day inthe Life of an LPP Candidate video.
Professor Craig Forcese is an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. He teaches national security law, public international law, administrative law and public law legislation. Following False Security: The Radicalization of Canadian Anti-Terrorism, a book he co-authored with Kent Roach, Professor Forcese has been referred to by many, including Maclean's Magazine as a top law professor in the country in the field national security law. In our conversation with him, we discussed his experience writing his recent book, work - life balance, how to build networks and relationships, his morning routine, and so much more! This episode is filled with some invaluable insights for law students and young professionals about mentorships, following opportunities, and not being afraid to reach out.
Jay Kellerman is the managing partner at Stikeman Elliott's Toronto office. He has more than 25 years of experience as a corporate lawyer. In our conversation with him, we discussed his path to becoming a managing partner, what it means to be a managing partner, his perspective on leadership, and the importance of passion. Jay also shared invaluable advice for students and young lawyers. This is a must listen!
Thomas Cottier is an Emeritus Professor of European and International Economic Law at the University of Bern and a founding and former Managing Director of the World Trade Institute. He has taught in Geneva, Germany and China and was also a member of the Swiss National Research Council from 1997-2004 and served on the board of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) Rome during the same period. In addition to academics Prof. Cottier als oserved Baker & McKenzie law firm as Of Counsel from 1998 to 2005. Most notably, Prof. Cottier served in the Swiss negotiating team of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tarrifs and Trade (GATT) a seminal piece of multilateral international law that governs international trade between the signatory nations.
Prof. Cottier sat down for a short conversation with Josh Smith to speak about his career as both a practitioner and academic. In this candid, thoughtful interview Prof. Cottier offers up his well-rounded opinions on legal career paths, careers in private practice v. academic research, academic collaboration, climate change, why law school debt and competition might be a ‘good’ thing and how to use one’s law school skills to shape the law, as well as one’s career.
If you’re thinking of choosing private practice or academics – you may want to listen to this podcast!
Josh Smith and Karen Cheung sat down with two UOttawa students who were successful in the 2016 Toronto Summer Recruitment process. The four of them share their insights, reflect on the experience, and talk about methods to keep you sane throughout it all.
Selena Lucien created the Ontario Small Claims Wizard – an online tool where litigants can prepare and compile their materials for Small Claims Court. In Part II, Selena and Marco extend their conversation into how legal technology tools are redefining law practice and the role of legal professionals.
Inaccessibility of legal services is symptomatic of an overloaded and inefficient court system. In an attempt to bridge this gap, Selena Lucien created the Ontario Small Claims Wizard - an online tool where litigants can prepare and compile their materials for Small Claims Court. In Part I, we discuss how the Wizard came about and how it helps self-represented litigants.
Part 2 of the Exam Prep Roundtable with Elsa Ascencio, Jasmine Landau, Brad Yaeger, and Harpreet Sidhu (2L students from the University of Ottawa). In this podcast, we discuss how to to study for a law school exam, emergency study tactics, and strategies for writing the exam.
Would you like to apply for a clerkship? We spoke to three students who secured clerkship positions: Samantha Cass (will be clerking for the Ontario Court of Appeal), Nick Howard (currently clerking for the Federal Court) and Erika Vandervoort (currently clerking for the Superior Court of Justice). Check out what they had to say about the application process and the work involved.
Elsa Ascencio, Jasmine Landau, Harpreet Sidhu, and Brad Yaeger are four successful 2L students at the University of Ottawa. We took the opportunity to speak with them and discussed their reactions when they received their first law school mark back, how to create a good summary, and how to conduct an effective study group. Stay tuned for Part 2 on their tips on how to prepare for law school exams!
Map Your Property has streamlined due diligence for land development. Using an intuitive and aesthetically pleasing interface, MYP provides access to information such as by-law zoning and planning regulations in three clicks. MYP can do in five minutes what would normally take multiple hours. In this episode, Devin Tu, Co-founder of MYP, talks about how he came up with the idea, the struggles and sacrifice involved in growing a startup, and the excitement involved in gaining traction. For more information about Map Your Property visit: http://www.mapyourproperty.ca/
The Legal Innovation Zone is an incubator fostering the growth of startups. The LIZ is challenging the status-quo of the Canadian legal industry. Hersh Perlis is Director of the LIZ and in this episode he talks about why the job appealed to him and what skills he brings to the table. Hersh also unpacks the LIZ detailing what support it provides startups, how you can get involved if you have an idea and what direction the LIZ is taking as it continues to grow at a super pace.
To learn more about the Legal Innovation Zone and Hersh Perlis visit: http://www.legalinnovationzone.ca/
The Program provides legal services to fast moving startups. Dentons has leveraged its vast precedent base and global law talent to craft a one-stop shop for startups. In this episode, Andre walks us through the Program and speaks to it in detail. If you're interested in technology, legal tech, startups and entrepreneurial ventures, this episode is for you. Enjoy!
To learn more about Andre and the Dentons Canada Startup Program visit: http://www.techstartupcenter.com/startup-program-0
Andre Garber works at the forefront of law and technology. In this episode we learn how he arrived there. Andre also shares spot on tips for law students and articling students. Plus, talks about how he found his groove within law and followed it to his current role as Director of the Dentons Canada Startup Program. To learn more about Andre and the Dentons Canada Startup Program visit: http://www.techstartupcenter.com/startup-program-0
We are excited to bring to you an insightful episode with the University of Ottawa's Common Law Dean, Nathalie Des Rosiers. She shares her failures and challenges she faced along the way and shines light on what it means to be a Dean of a law school. This is an inspiring episode that teaches about how to learn from your failures and come out on top!
Honourable Paul Crampton practiced competition law, authored a leading text on the subject and lectured at several law schools prior to getting appointed to the Federal Court in 2009. He attributes his successes to his ability to remain “switched on” - passionate, involved, active and committed to surpass expectations. In this interview, Chief Justice Crampton discusses the importance of staying “switched on” and offers other tips for success.
Shane Murphy is co-founder of Law Scout - an online platform that connects small businesses to lawyers who work online for upfront, fixed fees. Shane discusses how he transitioned from litigator to legal tech entrepreneur, the impact of technology on law practice and how new lawyers can develop their practice in this ever-changing terrain.
The Law Job Exchange Group lives by the motto of "Share a Job, Pay it Forward!" The LJEG is much more than a legal job posting site with A+ curation and search functionality. It is a basis of community within which job seekers can connect. Litsa built the site from the ground up. She talks all about how she did this, why she was motivated to create the service and how students and junior associates are benefiting from it every day.
This action packed episode is a highlight of the various recruitment focused interviews that we have conducted. Tune in for honest advice from recruiters, students, and practitioners about how succeed in any recruitment process!
For a list of our Recruitment focused episodes, please visit: http://thelawschoolshow.com/listen/category/podcast/recruitmentinsider/
Want to work in international law? The Executive Director of Canadian Lawyers Abroad tells us that it starts in law school. In this episode, you’ll find out how to improve your chances and how Canadian Lawyers Abroad can help. This is part 2 of Episode 33 - How to make smooth career transitions in law with Brittany Twiss.
Emilie Nicholas was involved in sports her whole life. Then she went to law school. She had experience articling at a big firm and working in house all before starting at MLSE. Now Emilie has come full circle and has one of the best sports related law jobs out there. Learn how Emilie navigated the career waters to end up in a fitting role.
We tapped into the archives and exercised production skills to build a highlight reel. Listen in to get advice and perspective from 4 accomplished, and honest, in-house practitioners. To listen to full LSS interviews with General Counsel: Ep 28 - Dan Ciraco: Senior Legal Counsel at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Ep 23 - David Allgood: EVP and General Counsel at the Royal Bank of Canada Ep 20 - Michelle Moldofsky: General Counsel at St. Michael's Hospital Ep 14 - Fernando Garcia: General Counsel at Nissan and Infiniti Canada
Following the graduation of the inaugural LPP class, Assistant Director, Work Placement Office, André Bacchus, discusses feedback from students and employers, hire-back rates, job placements and what's in store next for the LPP.
Our conversation with Professor Anthony Daimsis lays out everything you need to know about Mooting! This is Part 2 of our conversation.
Professor Daimsis is the Common Law Moot Court Coordinator and a professor at the University of Ottawa. He has been coaching University of Ottawa moot teams for over a decade and his coaching has led teams to achieve exceptional results both nationally and internationally, including winning the Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in 2011 and 2015. To learn more about Professor Daimsis’ mooting successes, visit: http://commonlaw.uottawa.ca/15/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7972&Itemid=891
This episode focuses on various topics including preparing the oral arguments, structuring arguments, and tackling questions. This episode features all this and more – Tune in!
Brittany Twiss’ career trajectory is not a straight line. She combatted sexual exploitation of children in Thailand, practiced at prominent family law boutiques in Canada and then became the Executive Director of Canadian Lawyers Abroad in 2013. Listen to her honest and candid advice on how to make smooth transitions in a legal career. If you are interested in more than one area of law, this episode is for you.
Stay tuned for Part II of this interview to learn more about CLA and the field of international law.
Our conversation with Professor Anthony Daimsis lays out everything you need to know about Mooting! This is Part 1 of our conversation.
Professor Daimsis is the Common Law Moot Court Coordinator and a professor at the University of Ottawa. He has been coaching University of Ottawa moot teams for over a decade and his coaching has led teams to achieve exceptional results both nationally and internationally. To learn more about Professor Daimsis’ mooting successes, visit: http://commonlaw.uottawa.ca/15/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7972&Itemid=891
This episode covers a wide range of topics including the importance of mooting during law school and things to do in 1st year to better position yourself for success in competitive mooting in upper years. We also discuss how to excel during the moot tryouts, steps to take once you receive the problem, and how to become a better team member. This episode features all this and more – tune in!
How to be a child protection lawyer?
Vasu Naik is a family and child protection lawyer in Ottawa. She advocates for children and their families when Children's Aid gets involved. Vasu opened her own practice in child protection defence less than two years after she was called to the bar in Ontario in 2010. Before she moved to Canada, Vasu practiced intellectual property law in India, Singapore and Sweden. In this episode, she discusses child protection, social justice, international IP work and the secret to running an efficient practice.
Leila is an example of what happens when you truly follow your interests. After graduating law school on her own terms she started a music business. Then she started a law firm. Then she started another business providing legal services along side her law firm. Today, Leila Banijamali surfs and provides high-end legal services to tech startups in the world mecca of tech startups, SF, CA. She tells us all about how she got there and what you can do to realize your career passions. To learn more about Leila visit: Her law firm's website at bedrocksf.com And her online legal services company at startupdocuments.com
This is episode lays out everything you need to know about the bar in a concise, information packed discussion with Marco Figliomeni. Marco wrote and past the bar in 2014. He tells you about the materials - what they consist of and how they are laid out. He tells you exactly how he prepared his index and how he approached studying. Finally, he describes the day of the exam. To contact Marco: Marco FigliomeniStudent-at-Law at Costa Law Firm PCDal law grad (Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie)Follow on Twitter: @MarcoFig88Email: marco.fig88@gmail.comCan connect on LinkedIn To read Marco's publications:* "The Song Remains the Same: Preserving the First Sale Doctrine for a Secondary Market of Digital Music” in the Canadian Journal of Law and Technology (available on LexisNexis Quicklaw and Westlaw) * "Grassroots Capitalism or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Financial Risk in the Exempt Market and Love Equity Crowdfunding” in the Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies (https://ojs.library.dal.ca/djls/article/view/4755)
We all have a feel-good memory that involves the CBC. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is a household name that delivers top notch content across the airwaves. A big reason for this is the people that work there - they believe in public broadcasting. Dan Ciraco is Senior Legal Counsel at the CBC. In this episode, he talks about what the job requires and how he got there, the culture at the CBC, and his secrets to prioritize and stay motivated.
To learn more about Dan and the programs he is involved in visit:
Intellectual Property Law and Technology Intensive Program
http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/programs/jd-program/clinics-intensives/intellectual-property-law-technology-intensive-program/
Just Magazine
http://www.justmag.ca/editorialBoard.html
If you are a law student in Ontario you should be a member of the Ontario Bar Association. OBA membership gets you networking opportunities, mentorship opportunities, access to specialized and practical learning…and so much more. Best of all, membership is free! In this episode David Sterns, Second VP of the OBA and Nicolas Joubert, uOttawa, Common Law English, Law School Student OBA Ambassador tell you exactly how you can get involved with the OBA and the direct career benefits that result.
To get a hold of Nicolas you can email him at njoub083@uottawa.ca or follow him on Twitter at @uOttawaOBA
Here is a list of other important contacts at your law school:
Student Division Executive
· University of Windsor - Elana Anzel-Sivkin (Chair)
· Queen's University - Leah Gensey (Vice-Chair)
· University of Western Ontario - Blake Jones (Past Chair)
Law School Student Ambassadors
· Lakehead University - Alison Morris
· York University (Osgoode) - Kate Julien
· University of Toronto - Billi Wun
· University of Windsor - Michael Ditkofsky
· University of Ottawa, English Common Law - Nicolas Joubert
· University of Ottawa, French Common Law - Jessica Smith
Articling Student Ambassadors
· University of Toronto - Arieh Bloom
· Queen's University - John McIntyre
· University of Ottawa - Zac Resnick
· University of Western Ontario - Alana Sharpe
Upcoming OBA events around you:
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Toronto
- The Nuts and Bolts of Investment Canada Act Reviews for Young Lawyers – February 26, 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm at 79 Wellington Street West, 33rd Floor, TD South Tower
- More Bullet-Proofing for Your IT Law Practice: Professionalism, Ethics and the New Rules of Professional Conduct – March 2, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm at Twenty Toronto Street Conferences and Events (20 Toronto Street, 2nd Floor)
- Your First Civil Trial – March 6, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm at Twenty Toronto Street Conferences and Events (20 Toronto Street, 2nd Floor)
- Your First Franchise Law Client – March 10, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm at Twenty Toronto Street Conferences and Events (20 Toronto Street, 2nd Floor)
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London
- Insight from the Bench: Practical Advocacy Tips for Young Lawyers – March 26, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm at
The River Room Cafe & Private Dining (421 Ridout Street North)
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Ottawa
- Ottawa Outreach Event (Women Lawyers Forum) - February 23, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm at BLG offices
- The Risks and Rewards of Marketing Yourself Online – February 25, 7:45 am - 9:00 am at Nelligan O'Brien Payne offices
- Career Connections – February 26, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm at Ottawa Convention Centre
- War Museum Tour and Networking Reception - March 12 or March 26 (to be determined) from 6:15 pm
- 9:00 pm at the National War Museum & Mill Street Brew Pub (1 Vimy Place and 555 Wellington Street respectively) - Put on by the Young Lawyers Division - East in collaboration with the Student Division Executive
- Effective Administrative Tribunal Practice – April 22, 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm at Army Officers' Mess - Main Dining Room (149 Somerset West)
For all upcoming OBA events visit http://www.cbapd.org/province_en.aspx?prov=ON
How do you get the most out of Career Connections 2015 and other networking opportunities? This year’s event includes 19 social justice roundtables, 66 mock interviews, 11 panels and an afternoon career fair. We asked legal professionals attending Career Connections for some networking tips. This episode features Natalie Zinman from Gowlings' Toronto, Jessica Fullerton from Nelligan O'Brien Payne LLP, Andrew Astritis from Raven Cameron Ballantyne & Yazbeck, Michael Bossin from Community Legal Services-Ottawa, Stacy Keehn from Career and Professional Development office of the University of Ottawa Law School, and Jason Mercier, a third-year student with a Career Connections success story. Enjoy!
Money is a tool and getting better at using it takes knowledge. In this episode, Greg Moore shares his financial acumen for the benefit of past, present and future law students. Greg is Manager of Professional and Small Business Banking at Scotiabank. He talks about the best way to set-up financing and banking in preparation for law school. Then, he shares ways to manage your money throughout law studies in order to graduate with as little debt as possible. Finally, he gives advice on how to repay your loans after graduation. For more information, you can email Greg at grega.moore@scotiabank.com.
As the Director of Intelligence Policy, Ritu is responsible for providing insights which shape many of our country's laws. It's a rare treat to speak with a professional with this level of public influence. In this episode, she tells us how she got there and what it's all about. Ritu also talks with honesty about what makes a good boss and how not getting hired back after articles was hard but ultimately contributed toward finding success in line with her interests. She shares great insights about mentorship & the importance of following one's gut! Tune in & find out about a Special Announcement as well.
In the lead-up to the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the Public Law Group of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law hosted a panel discussion titled “A Conversation on the State of the Rule of Law in Canada.” The event was held on November 4, 2014. The panelists included Robert Walsh, The Honourable Justice David M. Paciocco, Irwin Cotler, MP, and Dean Nathalie Des RosiersFor more information: http://www.uottawa.ca/media/media-release-3070.html
Illustrious doesn’t quite get us there. David Allgood’s career exemplifies the heights you can reach when you understand yourself, the intricacies of your profession and the needs of other people. Entering his last year as EVP and General Counsel of the Royal Bank of Canada, David is still hungry for challenge. The Law School Show wishes Mr. Allgood nothing but the best obstacles to conquer and most enriching learning in retirement. Listen to how a career of prestigious experience shapes advice. Enjoy.
Imagine signing an offer letter to do articles. Locked. Only to have completed all but 70 days of 3L when you learn the firm you were committed to has folded. Leaving you jobless. How would you feel? What would you do? Will Tao tells us exactly what went through his mind and precisely what he did to kickstart and succeed in finding articles afresh. Will is currently articling at Larlee Ronsenberg Barristers & Solicitors in Vancouver. To learn more about Will visit http://www.larlee.com/lawyers/will-tao/.
The Law Practice Program has revolutionized the lawyer licensing process. In this episode of the LSS, we speak with Anne Levesque, Director of the French LPP at uOttawa. Anne graciously and honestly answers all the important questions about the program and describes how it stacks up to traditional articles. Note, this episode is hosted by Olivia Lee and is in French. Enjoy.
She identified what she was interested in, set on a path to achieve it and overcame adversity along the way. Michelle Moldofsky is General Counsel at St. Michael's Hospital. Her story is honest and inspiring. Tune in and better understand how to calmly move in the direction of your career dreams.
Nathan Piche is a student who was hired by Gowlings during the 2014 Ottawa recruitment process. He gives crucial insight from the perspective of a candidate and shares precisely what made him successful. Nathan also talks about what he would have done differently in retrospect. Get the advantage that he himself didn’t have!
Ottawa recruitment is fast approaching and you will benefit from knowing what Leeann Beggs has to say. Leann is the Director of Student and Associate Programs in the Gowlings Ottawa office. She is integral in deciding who the firm hires during recruitment and tells you exactly what she is looking for throughout the process.
Experience an example of somebody who married their personal interests with their law career. Discover that challenges will present themselves but they will also pass. It’s part of the scenery on the path to success. Listen to Tanya Woods’ story. Tanya is VP of Policy and Legal Affairs at the Entertainment Software Association of Canada. For more about Tanya and ESA visit: theesa.ca
What is the benefit of working 'in-house' and how do you become general counsel of a company? How is it different from working in-firm? Fernando Garcia is General Counsel for Nissan Canada and Infiniti Canada. He lays it all out for us and shares a compelling and eye opening discussion about his life and his career. Listen, learn, gain perspective and move forward!
Warren Bongard has had his finger on the pulse of the legal market for nearly 2 decades. He is the President and Co-founder of ZSA Recruitment. Warren, a former lawyer himself, specializes in matching lawyers with career jobs. He knows exactly what employers are looking for and precisely what makes candidates stand out. And he graciously shares it all in this episode of the LSS. For more information about Warren Bongard and ZSA Recruitment visit: www.zsa.ca/consultants/profiles/warren-bongard/
Entertainment law. Sounds like something I would love, but what does it actually mean to practice it? How do you break into the game? What does it take to get established? David Steinberg is a preeminent Canadian entertainment lawyer with decades of experience and a practice that reaches into the US. In this episode of the LSS, he answers these questions with clarity and smile-making sincerity. Enjoy. For more information about David visit www.dentons.com/en/david-steinberg.
In this episode we unpack Michael Bird's story of starting his own practice over 20 years ago and discuss decisions he has made along the way which have shaped his practice. He practices in the areas of real estate, civil litigation, mental health law, among others. For more information, you can reach Michael at: mpbird@ripnet.com.
In this episode we discuss what it takes to build a law firm from the ground up. Jason Ward, founder of Wards PC, talks about his decision to leave Bay Street lawyering and start his own firm, the early challenges presented by the entrepreneurial venture and the keys to its success. To learn more about Jason and Wards PC visit www.wardlegal.ca and www.hauntyourhome.ca.
In this episode we bring to an interview with André Bacchus, Assistant Director, LPP Work Placement Office, Ryerson University. Some of the topics of the conversation include the mandate of the LPP, the curriculum, work placements through the LPP Program and student feedback thus far. Hope you enjoy this insightful episode!
In this episode, we bring to you a conversation with Steven Birken. He shares his law school story, including insights about not getting a job through the 2nd year Toronto recruitment process and 3rd year articling recruitment.
In this episode, we bring to you a checklist to go through a day before your OCI & In Firm Interviews and a checklist of items to keep in mind during your OCI & In Firm Interviews.
In this episode, we compiled a list of interesting/unique/obscure questions that students have been asked during the OCI and In firm interviews.
In this episode we bring to you an interview with Kathryn Esaw. She practices commercial litigation with a focus on bankruptcy and insolvency law at Stikeman Elliott LLP.
In this episode, the LSS brings to you a student round table in which students discuss their summer experiences at the Ministry of the Attorney General, World Intellectual Property Organization and a Leading Business Law Firm.
In this episode of The Law School Show, we bring to you a student round table in which students who went through the Toronto OCI Process discuss their experience and share insights about the application process, OCI, call day, infirm interviews, and the social events.
The Law School Show, Episode 1 – Susan Pak, Director, Student Programs and Human Resources, Stikeman Elliott LLP