This is the third post in my series exploring and sharing success stories of women who have shattered glass ceilings in various industries. The purpose of this series is the highlight their journey, challenges they overcame, and impact they have had on paving the way for other women in the workplace. Read my piece on Clara Brett Martin, here.    Beverly McLachlin One cannot discuss women who have broken glass ceilings without mentioning the obvious – the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin. Beverley was the Chief Justice of Canada from 2000 until her retirement in 2017. Beverley was born and raised in the small town of Pincher Creek, Alberta. She obtained her law degree from the University of Alberta (my own alma mater) and was called to the Alberta Bar in 1969 and to the British Columbia Bar in 1971. In…

In today’s competitive legal world, building your professional presence is key to growing your career. It is also much more than just showing up – it is about getting involved, making an impact, and becoming a trusted voice in your field. Here are a few tips to help you boost your visibility both at work and in your community.   Be Proactive in Your Workplace Visibility within your law firm or workplace is the foundation of your professional development and so this is a great starting point. Regular Check-ins: Seek out opportunities by regularly checking-in with senior associates and partners within your team. Don’t be shy to go door knocking to find out what your colleagues are working on and if there is anything you can do to help. This is essential to keep partners and mentors aware of your…

One of the (many) demands on lawyers in private practice is building a book of business. There are several ways that one can do this. What is important is that whatever business development means you choose to use, you are authentic in doing so. I am a huge proponent of leveraging social media to build your book. I was initially very skeptical about how useful social media could be in marketing my legal services to potential clients or referral sources. When the firm hired its first social media coordinator, I asked that we go for a coffee so that he could convert me. He succeeded. I argued that posting on social media would not bring in a file. (I have since learned personally that this is not true – work can land on your desk via a post.) The social…

This is the second of my series exploring and sharing success stories of women who have shattered glass ceilings in various industries. The purpose of this series is the highlight their journey, challenges they overcame, and impact they have had on paving the way for other women in the workplace. Read my piece on Justice Rosalie Abella, here.    Clara Brett Martin A pioneer for women in law, Clara Brett Martin was the first female lawyer in Canada. She began her long journey towards becoming a lawyer in the late 1800s. At the time, the Canadian government barred women from being lawyers and prohibited them from voting. (As well as from being legislators, coroners, judges or jurors.) Clara was born in 1874 and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics at the age of 16. From there, Toronto’s Trinity College…

Practicing law can be tough and the idea of the adding onto it the requirement and in fact necessity, to develop your own client base, can be overwhelming and daunting. Most of us are not comfortable with “networking”, working a room at a cocktail party, introducing ourselves, selling our services. While all these activities can definitely help you develop a client base, they are not the only way. You will find that putting your strengths to work to develop your client base will make the process not just successful, but a lot more fun. Just as we are all instructed to be true to ourselves in how we practice law and present our cases, the same is true for building a client base. The most effective way to build that base is by being true to yourself, utilizing your own…