What qualities make an excellent lawyer? My observation from practicing for over twenty years is that the best lawyers are not necessarily the ones who got the top grades in law school or secured the most prestigious clerkship. Instead, the most successful lawyers are the ones who understand emotional intelligence and employ it in their practice. They use it to find and keep clients and to work productively with colleagues and staff. They also understand the importance of utilizing this tool when dealing with opposing counsel and during mediations and in court. Not to promote stereotypes, but this skill seems to come more naturally for woman. So what is it and how can­­ you harness it and use it as a superpower? Emotional intelligence is the capacity to recognize and effectively manage emotions in ourselves and others. It is a…

I hate work-life balance. I realize that statement is a bit controversial and may seem jaded to some. Work-life balance has been the buzz phrase for what seems like the last decade. Everyone seems to be striving for “work-life balance”. And if they are not striving for it, then they ought to be striving for it because it is the great saviour of how professional women can survive their careers. It is nauseating. But before you stop reading (and, for those looking for an employment or career change, before you retract your resume from Lerners LLP), hear me out. There are (I hope) legitimate reasons why I hate “work-life balance”. Here are my top three: 1. When I became the Chair of the firm, I did a number of interviews. Almost all, if not all, of my interviews involved what…

I recently completed a course for which I am extremely proud. I wanted to share about my accomplishment, but oddly I found myself feeling guilty for it. Should I really share about my achievement? Did I “deserve” to talk about it? Is it really a big deal, which deserves sharing with others? After some contemplation I came to the realization that we, as women, tend to shy away from sharing our accomplishments. This is a problem.   Second guessing ourselves is engrained As women, we often second-guess ourselves. For example, I used to constantly seek the validation or advice of those around me, even for the smallest issues. Perhaps this is engrained from a young age, when females are taught to be submissive, to obey rules, to be polite, and to be quiet. In turn, it seems we are (over…

This is the fourth post in our series on The National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada published by the Université de Sherbrooke, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association in December 2022 (the “Report”). In this post we will dive into the “dark side of billable hours” as explored in the Report. As you know, the billable hour model is the traditional performance indicator used within legal practice. It sets a target of 1,500 billable hours per year on average in Canadian private practice. However, the Report concludes that despite its effectiveness in measuring economic success, this model poses significant risks and social consequences for the well-being of legal professionals. As it turns out, billable hours don’t tell the whole story. According to the findings, billable hours only capture around 67.9%…

Dear Contemplating Change: You have bravely expressed a stuck feeling that is common among lawyers. And you have wisely expressed a truth: you have options. As a lawyer, you have likely invested a lot of energy and time into developing your expertise. And you are curious about professional change. You want to repurpose the valuable tools, materials, and structures you currently have and build something new that fulfills you. I believe that each choice you make in your professional life helps you in making the next one, regardless of how related the choices may seem. There are often threads of connection between the interests, skills, and talents that a person has developed over the years. These threads can teach you what work lights you up (and what work does not) and which avenues to explore as you move forward in…