Women are again sharing warnings about of a group of men with a van trying to pull women into it.
This time: Watch out for four men with a red van near Dundas & Bathurst.
This was an issue in the area last summer as well.
Keep your eyes peeled & yourself/your friends safe.
Law is a profession that has a sneaky way of making people who are very smart feel like they have no idea what they’re doing. So, don’t worry; you’re doing fine. In fact, you’re probably doing quite well. If not, almost anything can be fixed (except a missed limitation period).
I was catcalled on my way to the grocery store, & this time I took the approach of screeching at the dude like a pterodactyl from hell.
Results of this study: Works like a freaking charm; will be repeating.
I get that I don’t have kids & such. My life is objectively “not hard” in the pandemic.
But I also don’t have a close partner/family support system.
I am not sure how I can keep doing this w/out a real vacation, & w/out seeing my brother, or my friends.
2020 is still hard.
It’s really weird when people ask me what I did over the weekend during the pandemic.
Like, I stood in front of the fridge with the door open and ate shredded cheese from the bag on more than one occasion.
What else am I supposed to be doing? Stay home.
You can be against the “Freedom” Convoy & everything associated with it. You can also be concerned about the use of the Emergencies Act & steps taken by the government (like the bank account freezes) & the implications for the future.
These are not mutually exclusive concepts.
“I interpret the law as it was written by a bunch of racist old white dudes who didn’t have deodorant or modern hygiene at a time when slaves were a thing & I wouldn’t have been able to work or vote.” 🙄🙄 but don’t worry, I’m not infusing views into it. 🙄🙄
Amy Coney Barrett on originalism: "That means that I interpret the Constitution as a law... I understand it to have the meaning that it had at the time people ratified it. That meaning doesn't change over time and it's not up to me to update it or infuse my policy views into it."
Just got my first dose of Pfizer, all thanks to a tip from
@VaxHuntersCan
! 💉
(& I spent less time waiting in line to get it than I did trying to book an appointment through the Ontario website yesterday….)
What’s your best mentoring advice for law students in 5 words or less, even if it’s super cheesy (even better!)?
My (very lame) line from earlier this week:
“Litigation is all about collaboration.”
Possibly an unpopular opinion, but I think the whole “aggressive litigator” vibe is tired. No one wants to deal with someone who is constantly teetering edge of sharp practice. Keep the adversarial nature where it belongs - in the litigation process itself, not your persona.
One thing I always tell my mentees is that lawyering doesn’t have to be your entire life & identity. There is nothing unprofessional about being a whole person.
Sure, I work as a lawyer. I also love reading romantasy, chilling with my cat, snacks, travel, & converting my van.
On Zoom, one of the attendees was wearing a Canadian flag shirt & asked us where our pride & Canada gear was. My first thought was, “Oh, no - he’s one of those ‘Freedom’ Convoy people.” It turned out that he was actually just really into the Olympics.
What a time to be alive.
The best part of today? Not only that I argued my first appeal & had a fantastic time doing it, but also that it was before a panel comprised entirely of women ONCA judges! 🙌Definitely a memorable
#WomenInLaw
career moment. ☺️
Some personal news: Tomorrow is my last day at BLG.
While I’ve had a great time working with my colleagues, I’m looking forward to advancing my career with some exciting new opportunities & adventures. Where? Firm announcement coming up in May!
“60% of male managers now say they're uncomfortable mentoring women”
Wait, I fixed it for you:
60% of male managers can’t work with 50% of the population, clearly aren’t doing their jobs properly.
#WomenInTheWorkplace
Reminder that the most junior people in the legal profession likely need you to give them some sort of encouragement/permission to not feel obligated to work wild hours.
I am excited to share that I have joined
@DLA_PiperCanada
!
I am looking forward to continuing to build my commercial litigation & civil fraud practice. Please continue to keep me in mind for referrals, speaking opportunities & consults. Bring on the investigations & injunctions!
“A comprehensive new study by McKinsey and Lean In shows how stressed and exhausted many professional women are. And many of them are rethinking what they want from their work lives.”
I'm not working in April while I take time off bw firms. Most ppl have asked what I am going to do with my free time. The answer? A whole lot of not a lot.
We often feel like we always need to be doing 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, but downtime with a bit of laziness is really luxurious.
I made a decision that, from now on, I am going to try to send at least a couple of notes each month to people I enjoyed working with (whether at the firm I am at or external) to let them know. Practicing law can be such a downer sometimes, so why not. I sent the first one today.
I am so very excited to share the next step in my career: The launch of my law firm,
@LuceoLegal
!
I’m looking forward to spending more time doing more of the work I love & connecting with the community.
My practice will continue to focus on commercial litigation,
Ontario is re-opening too soon. It’s frustrating bc we’re risking being stuck in another round of this for......bars & gyms?
I understand people are stir crazy, businesses need to get back in the game, etc. But if we end up locked down again, in the long run, isn’t that worse?
Many are struggling w spending so much time w their partner/family, but as a single person who lives alone, isolation is a very different experience. I’m grateful to have amazing colleagues&friends who keep in touch.
If you know someone isolated solo: reach out. It means a lot.
Very early in my legal career, a partner told me that I wasn’t the “right person” to be drafting factums or doing research on appeals & complex commercial matters. Now, it’s the vast majority of the work I do, & I really enjoy it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not enough.
Pro tip for all of the articling students getting fitted for robes right now: Get the waistcoat at least an inch bigger than you think you need. You’ll be glad you did after a few years in practice, trust me.
I hate how people characterize leaves as “time off.” It happens for everything - mat leaves, medical leaves, mental health leaves, etc. You know it’s not actually a break, right? It’s necessary time to address other pressing, time-consuming issues that can’t work with working.
People like to ask why
#firstgen
life is a “thing.”
Let me tell you, the look I get when someone asks me what my parents do & I say, “My dad loves running the town landfill & my mom is an amazing waitress,” is enough to show that being honest is often hard-to-impossible.
“A Toronto CEO has raised $53 million in capital while pregnant with twins, all while refusing to work with any investors who questioned her pregnancy.” 👏
Do you like to use “!” sometimes in emails to indicate enthusiasm? Stop deleting them. There’s nothing wrong with being stoked! Women shouldn’t have to write “like men” to be respected.
Why does the
@LawSocietyLSO
have to email about fees on a Saturday? What’s wrong with the last Monday through Friday or the following Monday through Friday?
People never forget the lawyers (both colleagues & opposing counsel) who yelled at them or otherwise treated them abusively during their first years of practice. That kind of conduct is out there - I know this from my own experience. Do not be one of those lawyers.
Normalize sharing salary & bonus information. The only people that keeping it quiet serves are those at the top. We’ll never have pay equity without pay transparency.
Not surprising that
#WomenInLaw
are:
- Likely to be mistaken for anything but a lawyer;
- Often relegated to office housework;
- Penalized for assertive behaviour;
- More likely to be interrupted;
- Generally paid less; &
- Penalized for parenting.
It’s
#PrideMonth
, so here’s a “fun” fact about me:
I only started admitting openly that I’m queer in the last few years. I often hid it at work, bc I was worried about being judged. I was worried about not being acceptable. I was worried about hate, & about being avoided.
1/x
It never fails to blow my mind how many people seem to mix up the concepts of litigating aggressively on behalf of your client & being a jerk. You can be an effective advocate without the latter part.
When people say "you don't look like a lawyer," the translation for what they're really saying is: "You don't look like an older white man in a fancy suit."
Despite what others may say, never forget that if you're a lawyer, *you are* what a lawyer looks like; don't change.
I’ve heard several lawyers (of varying vintages) say, “Oh, I’m just not good with technology.” This isn’t an excuse that flies anymore. Being able to work with technology is part of practicing competently now. If you don’t know how to do ____, guess what? It’s time to learn.
I'm single, my family lives in Sask, & I haven't seen my brother in over a year (thanks, pandemic 🙄).
So, this Family Day wknd, I'm grateful for my close friends, my cats, red lipstick, white wine, & you strangers on the
#LawTwitter
internet. I couldn't do it all w/out you. 💝
Here’s your regular reminder that many people don’t want to have children, & we don’t enjoy hearing “you’ll change your mind” or “you’d get it if you had a family” or “no kids yet?” or “you don’t know what tired really is until you have baby” - particularly in the workplace.
Very sad that my grandmother passed away today. 😞 She was a badass - the kind of person who went dancing on her birthday well into her 80’s. She’s the reason that I go to the gym now, bc I want to be able to carry my own groceries & be active the way she was, regardless of age.
I know it's not for everyone for many reasons, but I like WFH & hope it continues to be an acceptable norm once the pandemic is over. I accomplish way more in a day, both professionally & personally, now that I am not confined by the presumption that presenteeism = productivity.
If you would have told me in 2015, when I graduated from law school, that eventually I’d be on a large law firm’s website with fabulously purple hair, I’d likely have seriously doubted your sanity.
It’s been slightly less than a decade, but here I am, living my best life. 😂⬇️
I had an amazing first day at
@BLGLaw
& I’m so excited to be part of the firm’s Commercial Litigation practice group! I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.
If you need to contact me, my new email is: bneedham
@blg
.com
I’m a little late to the party given my time off & starting a new job, but I am stoked to share that I have been recognized by Lexpert as a “Leading Lawyer to Watch” for Corporate Commercial Litigation.
I can’t even count the hundreds & hundreds of non-billable hours that I’ve done in my career. So many lawyers (often
#WomenInLaw
) do so much non-billable work that goes unrecognized, unappreciated, & uncompensated.
It’s particularly noticeable & problematic at large law firms
All of the
#WomenInLaw
who have started their own firms recently are really inspiring. Seeing people make their practice and firm work for them, rather than the other way around, makes it clear that law does not have to be done the way it always has been “just because.”
Is it just me, or is everyone else now so used to wearing a mask in public that it’s almost kind of preferred? I don’t have to interact with random strangers & no man has told me “you’d be so much prettier with a smile” in over a year.
Sadly not a great start to the fall, as my Grandpa recently passed away from COVID. Unfortunately, too many of my family members in Alberta & Sask remain unvaccinated due to their "political" views on vaccines (Grandpa was vaccinated; others around him were not).
Get vaccinated.
Small lessons from the bench:
When the judge told the other side, “There’s a difference between frustration of contract & being frustrated by your contract.”
I still find that one funny. Yes, I’m super cool. 😂
While we’re shaming
@RodPhillips01
(who def deserves it) about mid-pandemic travel, don’t forget that many of our established & esteemed colleagues at the bar are away on beaches, too, despite their efforts to keep it quiet. Privileged & entitled nonsense, no matter who it is.
@gscLawFirm
Hi Gordon, thank you for your feedback and support during this transition! The gender neutral Barristers’ Lounge is officially opening Tuesday, September 3. We will be posting signage today.
So, I finally caved & joined the backpack club in lieu of carrying my large work purse.
I cannot believe I waited this long. My hands were free! My shoulder doesn’t hurt! I can walk without it sliding off of my arms!
I don’t think I can ever go back to a big purse now.
A new call I’m working with told me that our file was the first time her name had been put on a pleading; she was very proud & I was excited for her. Not only is she learning, but she is (& feels) involved.
So, here’s your regular reminder: Have you checked on a junior today?👩🏼💻
I absolutely love working from home, but also: People who live in larger homes who preach about "disconnecting" (staycations, pandemic "time off," etc.) don't know how hard we have to work to ignore our desks (& work) when we can see them from the bed, the couch, the kitchen...
One thing I can’t stand is other lawyers getting snappy w my assistant, or the clerks or articling students I work with. They’re just doing their jobs (& are stuck working w me, which is a lot already 😂).
Pick on someone your own size - that is, if you think you can manage it.
I know there are issues here about a lack of willingness to learn, but how do we have so many people who, for example, think the rights system in America applies in Canada? Perhaps we need to be teaching people (including children) how to spot misinformation & disinformation.
When people tell you that you can’t move firms, or that it’s bad for your career, don’t believe them.
I am at the third firm I have worked at. This month, it became the firm that I have practiced at as an associate the longest (not incl. articling).
Do what’s best for you.
One of my pet peeves in life is how professionals (including lawyers) think everyone else is stupid bc they’re not a professional of the same profession.
Basic tech competency is a requirement for being a lawyer. It never ceases to amaze me how many members of the bar haven’t figured that out yet or are simply refusing to learn.
I’m finally dating someone who responds to a grumpily inflected “It’s fine whatever” with “We’ll take an order of guac & chips/noodles/bruschetta/fries/charcuterie, asap please” and I think this is what an adult relationship looks like for me.
Glad to hear that several firms (including the one I’m at!) have announced that their offices will closed on Friday to give people an extra long weekend to relax as we continue on in (slightly less restrictive) pandemic life.
There has been a lot of focus (fairly so) on the news re a certain lawyer from Ottawa & his reprehensible conduct. Similar conduct is far more common than people like to pretend it is; there are plenty of men in law at firms big & small who women in law warn each other about.
Remember when, if you had a short motion, you’d have to show up to court at 10am & possibly sit there all day until it was your turn? Now, it’s so nice to get a motion scheduled for a digital hearing at a specific time. The cost savings for clients & the efficiency is excellent.
I’d like to remind all of the summer law students out there that you’re not doing a bad job. You are simply learning how to do something that you don’t know how to do, & that is often a hard task.
Thank you for your message. I am out of the (virtual) office. My access to email & voicemail is necessarily limited by the fact that I am drinking beer on the dock. I will be delayed in responding. Cheers. 🍻
Real Talk: As a first generation lawyer with a student debt remaining & no safety net (ie, family-based financial support), the pandemic is definitely a stressful time. I encourage everyone to keep it real, stay in touch with colleagues/friends, & continue to support one another.
Things I have been shamed for in the last ~5 years as a woman in law:
- Hair (blonde);
- Boobs (size?);
- Tatoos (not ok?);
- Weight loss (ok ish?);
- Weight gain (not ok?);
- Heels (ok ish?);
- Sneakers (not ok);
- Divorce (ish?)
You do you, bc this gets too annoying to deal w.
This is not a 1920’s headline:
“Female lawyers should not be required to come to work in high heeled shoes....Baroness Hale, the Supreme Court president, said she is still aware of firms at which women are prohibited from wearing flat shoes at work.”
I’m already telling people that I’m going to be out of the office for a week in February for “vacation” bc I am sure as hell not making the same mistakes that I did in 2020.
I don’t care if there’s nowhere to go. Take. All. Of. Your. Vacation. Days.
It really does baffle me that the legions of experienced lawyers who run law firms don’t seem to see the liability & risk that could arise from having associates who are overworked, burnt out, or otherwise struggling to cope during the pandemic.
If you’re in the legal profession and having a bout of “not-good-enough-itis”:
You’re enough. You’re crushing it. You’re doing the damn thing. Go, you! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Maybe this is just me, but as the lockdown goes on, I’m really started to get used to how I look without makeup as “normal.” To be clear, this is not a bad thing.
Licensing examinations (scheduled to be written from March 8 to 11, and March 22 to 25, respectively) cancelled to protect the public interest and the integrity of the examination process. Read the news release:
“...women partners often do double or triple the amount of non-billable...work that is incredibly valuable to firms, such as recruiting and mentoring talent, but they don’t get credit towards compensation in the same way that business origination does.”
Random advice of the day: You need a mentor. You need a sponsor. You need peer mentors. Their support is absolutely invaluable.
I wouldn't be where I am today without the amazing colleagues, friends, & mentors of all ages & stages who have gone to bat for me over & over again.
Yes; there are bigger issues out there than the gender pay gap on Bay St.
But, think of it this way:
If some of the richest, whitest, & most privileged non-men in our profession (or really, anywhere) can't get equity, what does everyone else think is going to happen to them?
Highlights of today: An articling student called me cool & a judge mistook me for lead counsel on a matter (& my colleague, who is actually the (male) senior counsel, rolled with it as I made our submissions). An excellent way to end the week.
Over the last year-ish, I had several (older/less internet savvy) lawyers mention to me that (they think) Twitter is a waste of time.
IMHO, they’re wrong. I have met so many cool people from
#LawTwitter
that are now colleagues, contacts, & friends. How is that a waste of time?
Also, in the spirit of moving matters along, to all of my fellow childless lawyer colleagues: If you are working/dealing with someone who has kids at home, always offer to speak at whatever is easiest for them (morning cartoons? after bedtime?) even if it’s not great for you.
I look back on every time I was told my views on equity, diversity, & inclusion were “too much” or “too soon,” and just laugh bc I know Gen Z is about to come in & torch the place; they’re going to make me & my generation look so careful & conservative by comparison.
Hello, law students of
#LawTwitter
.
Whether you received an offer yesterday or not, you are worthy & you are what the next generation of lawyers looks like.
This career is 100% choose-your-own-adventure.