We all have good intentions but let’s be honest, figuring out how to really disconnect can be tricky – regardless of the time of year. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for enjoying some down time over the holidays, I thought I’d share a few tips that work for me. Give them a try this year and take a moment to truly un-plug and soak up time with your friends and family.

I’ve never subscribed to the whole “be masculine to be successful in law” thing. I am authentic at work. I often wear mini skirts. I am known for my empathy. And after attending the Trial Lawyers’ Association of British Columbia’s (TLABC) Annual Women Lawyers’ Retreat, I have been thinking more about the need for women to more actively support other women in our profession. For almost 20 years, I have heard female lawyers talk about the “boys’ club”. Men are notorious for supporting each other in this profession. Why aren’t women?

(You can find this article on page 23 of the January 2023 Edition of The Advocate!) Launched on International Women’s Day in March 2020, Life in Law (LiL) is the brainchild of two female partners at regional law firm Harper Grey LLP, Kimberly Jakeman, KC and Una Radoja. After attending a conference for women lawyers in San Francisco in 2019, Kimberly and Una began talking about how they could make a real difference in the retention and mentorship of women in this profession. While formal, structured mentorship programs for women lawyers already existed, they identified a gap in the availability of unstructured and informal mentorship programs that presented a more relaxed and open forum to discuss the unique challenges faced by women in law. Enter LiL, an informal and confidential platform, a “safe space” for women to connect, discuss, and…

Leadership is a multi-dimensional task. Sometimes it involves decisiveness and making judgment calls that aren’t easy to make. Other times, it involves encouragement and leading by example. It can include taking care of what seems like minutiae, and doing tasks “under the radar” to keep the work flowing with an appearance of being seamless. Sometimes leadership seems like a tiresome and thankless endeavour; however, my viewpoint is that its importance should not be underestimated, and its value is often intangible. There are many ways to become a good, and even great, leader – especially if you’re open to leading from the heart.

I don’t know about you, but I always get a bit of a thrill when I see a female lawyer as a character in a movie, TV show, or book. It immediately has me connecting with the character, and I get a fun boost from seeing professional women represented in meaningful ways. Because reading fiction books is my favourite way to de-stress after a workday, today I’m bringing you some recommendations for contemporary fiction books featuring female lawyer main characters.