Dear Cooped Up: First of all, we want you to know you are not alone. Many of us working from home find that the line between our personal and work time has blurred and it seems we are tending to invest a lot more time on the work side.

On January 22, 2020 I was delighted to present at the CBABC Women’s Law Forum Victoria section meeting on new ways of practicing law to facilitate keeping women in practice. While women have been participating in the legal profession in BC in equal or greater numbers than men for more than a decade, we represent only about 34 percent of all practicing lawyers in the province and only about 29 per cent of lawyers in full-time practice, according to the Law Society of BC. These numbers represent a lot of lost talent. This is such an important issue and I was so pleased to learn about the unique Life in Law initiative that was established to provide a solution that goes beyond traditional approaches to help lower the attrition rate of women lawyers. There are many synergies between Life and…

Dear Hoping to Take a Leap: Speaking from personal experience, I had mixed feelings about leaving private practice to go in-house in 2009. While I was excited about new opportunities and (with a then toddler and a preschooler at home) the promise of a better work life balance, I felt I was giving up on private practice and the traditional path towards partnership. Like many, I think I had a healthy dose of impostor syndrome in not fully recognizing my value as a lawyer beyond billable hours and attracting new clients.

As women in law supporting women in law, we understand first-hand the strength of a collective of women and how beneficial it is for us to come together and support each other. Black Women Connect Vancouver came to our attention as one of the few organizations that provides that same sense of community for black women in Vancouver. This amazing collective empowers black women across the lower mainland by providing connection, support, and resources to help them feel united and strong. We encourage you to learn more about them by visiting their website here.

“My one piece of advice to up and coming lawyers is to learn how to prioritize. One of the most important skills successful lawyers have is being able to plan ahead for what needs to be accomplished and how to make it happen. This is applicable not only to your job, but also making time for things that are important to you outside of the office.