New lawyers get the answers to their ‘taboo’ questions

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • Many new or soon-to-be lawyers have questions about their careers and the Toronto Lawyers Association (TLA) has the answers, says executive director/library director Joan Rataic-Lang.

The Association is offering New Lawyers Townhall: Taboo Topics – Ask us Anything, an online forum on Feb. 3 from 12-1:30 p.m., a free session that Rataic-Lang says will give those new to the legal profession a good head start to their careers.

“The idea is to help young lawyers get questions answered in a safe environment,” she tells LegalMattersCanada.ca. “Sometimes people hesitate to ask questions, afraid of how it will be interpreted. For example, you may be thinking of changing practice areas. How do you ask someone at your firm without letting them know that you are looking for another job?

People have chance to ask questions anonymously

“You may also be having an issue with someone in the office or you are not receiving the proper mentoring. There are situations where you might not feel comfortable discussing certain issues. Our forum gives people a chance to ask questions anonymously. It is almost like a group mentoring session.”

The TLA has gathered a diverse panel of lawyers with different work experiences that include: Alisha Athanasiou, founder, Athanasiou Law P.C.; Sayeh Hassan, staff lawyer, Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms; Stephen Mullings, co-managing partner, Dutton Brock; and Reuben Rothstein, associate, McMillian LPP. Topics include:

• finding success in mistakes;
• work/life balance;
• dealing with imposter syndrome;
• building the career you want; and
• making sense of workplace cultures.

Juda Strawczynski, director of PracticePRO, LAWPRO, will be the moderator. This program is free for members and friends of the TLA. 

‘We tried to make sure that we got different levels of experience’

“We tried to make sure that we got different levels of experience. We have lawyers who are newer calls to the bar and some with years of experience,” says Rataic-Lang. “We have someone who works in her own practice, someone who is in a firm and even a co-managing partner. We have made it very diverse by practice areas, years of expertise and firm size.” 

She says the panel will keep the conversation going if people hesitate with questions to ensure everyone’s issues are covered.

For more information and to register, click here.

Rataic-Lang points out that membership with the TLA is free to Licensing Candidates and New Calls, while law school students can become a friend of the TLA at no charge. 

Excellent resource for new lawyers

She says the TLA offers excellent resources and programs to new or soon-to-be lawyers, including an hour-long session called Beyond the Basics in Westlaw Canada Research. Running from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 27, the forum will give members the chance to take their research to the next level.

Participants will learn about finding tools to retrieve primary and secondary sources efficiently; tips and insights for maximizing research; how folders, history, and alerts can help workflow productivity; and gain an insight into some of the “hidden gems” available to subscribers, including Black’s Law Dictionary.

There is no charge for the session, which contains 60 minutes of Professionalism Content but registration is required to receive the instructions to sign in.

For more information and to register, click here.

‘TLA wants to ensure young lawyers have what they need to succeed’

“The TLA wants to ensure young lawyers have what they need to succeed,” Rataic-Lang says. “But we are about more than just education. We also recognize an up-and-coming lawyer each year with TLA’s Emerging Excellence Award, which is given at our annual Awards Gala.”

This year’s winner is Stephen Aylward, Barrister and Solicitor at Stockwoods LLP, Toronto.

The TLA has also has rescheduled its annual Awards Gala, it will be held on May 10 at the Steam Whistle Roundhouse. Tickets will go on sale shortly.

Former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour will receive the TLA Award of Distinction in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the legal profession.  Isfahan Merali will receive the Honsberger Award.

More from the Toronto Lawyers Association:

TLA online forum examines Indigenous child welfare act