TLA leads the way in upcoming Women in Law Program

By Tony Poland, LegalMatters Staff • The ability to lead is an art, says family lawyer Jennifer Gold, who will share her insights with her colleagues at the Toronto Lawyers Association’s (TLA) fifth annual Women in Law Program in October.

“The number of women entering the legal profession has increased significantly in the past decade,” says Gold, partner at Wood Gold LLP who practises family law, mediation and wills. “Law can be a challenging job; especially if you have family or other care obligations. What I am hoping to see with this influx is more women reaching leadership levels. I believe we are starting to see that. Women are creating their own law firms, like myself and my partner. They are reaching partnership levels at firms. 

“One thing they don’t teach you in law school is how to be a good leader,” she tells LegalMattersCanada.ca. “A program like this one offered by the TLA is beneficial to those who are in leadership roles or who are not yet in leadership roles because from my perspective, leadership is an art, not a science. It’s a journey and so important because good leadership can have amazing effects on an organization. It can engage a team and lead to alignment toward a common vision. When you see good leaders, you correspondingly see great organizations.”

Gold will moderate the TLA session, which will be held on Oct. 18, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and feature panellists Faren Bogach, founder, Construct Legal; Victoria Crewe-Nelson, vice president, Underwriting & Customer Service and Secretary at LAWPRO; Crystal O’Donnell, founder and CEO of Heuristica Discovery Counsel LLP; and Christina Porretta, chief legal officer at BDO Canada.

‘Authentic leadership the biggest predictor of employee’s job satisfaction’

According to the association, research shows “authentic leadership is the biggest predictor of an employee’s job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and workplace happiness.”

The panel will examine:

• What leadership means.
• Finding a leadership style.
• The values of being an authentic leader.
• How being authentic helps achieve personal leadership goals.
• The value of allyship and mentoring.
• How to network.
• The value of diversity and inclusion.
• How to have the uncomfortable conversations about such matters as money, promotion, feedback and mistakes.

The session will be held at the TLA lounge and includes a mix and mingle session. The program comprises one hour of professionalism content and 15 minutes of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion training. For details, click here.

Many skills are needed to be an effective leader

“The notion some people have of leadership is that it is all about top-down power,” says Gold, who is a mentor to other lawyers and past president of the board of directors of the Women’s Law Association of Ontario. “Certainly, leadership involves power and agency.  However, to be truly effective and work positively for your organization, there are other skills that are needed such as the ability to be authentic, to inspire, to communicate the vision, have brave conversations, be inclusive and compassionate, self-regulate and manage triggers, use collaboration and be generous to others and yourself.  That is what you see in the best leaders.” 

When Gold set up their own practice with Frances Wood, she “sought to create an alternative to the traditional law firm and thereby achieve work-life balance and a diverse workplace.” She is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

“I believe in women mentoring women, especially those who are moving up in their careers. I want to see them represented at the top,” says Gold, a 2017 recipient of the Lexpert Zenith Awards celebrating the advancement of women in the legal profession and 2021 recipient of the Ontario Bar Association’s Award of Excellence in the Promotion of Women’s Equality. “Whether it is a woman or a person from an equity seeking group, it is important to offer support.  Everyone can benefit from discussions about leadership styles and how that can evolve.  As a leader, there is always room to grow.”

She says she is a firm believer in shared experiences.

‘You can benefit from the wisdom of others’

“It is extremely important. I wish I had some of the mentorship that is now offered when I started out. I sort of preceded by trial and error,” says Gold. “In the past few years, I have taken courses to be a better leader and mentor. I believe you can benefit from the wisdom of others. 

“There may be common challenges that we face as women in seeking equality or being heard or having a place at the table,” she adds. “Discussing the challenges in reaching some of these leadership levels or sharing the challenges faced by those as they lead, especially as a woman, is invaluable. It is not just about identifying those challenges but finding a way to overcome them.”

The TLA session has something for licensing candidates, new calls, senior associates, or those at the partnership or other leadership level, Gold says.

“Even if you have been a leader for a number of years, there is always an opportunity to self-reflect and gain knowledge,” she says. “The program is not just about leadership, but leading authentically. That does not necessarily mean putting all your emotions on your sleeve. It has more to do with being true to yourself and your values and to respect your team and their needs. 

“This event is appealing because not only will you be hearing from a panel that is well known in the legal community and greatly respected but there will be a Q&A session and mixer afterward. Even if you don’t want to put a question to the panel in a group, there is an opportunity for one-on-one discussion. It really promotes a great deal of engagement and collaboration with the attendees.”

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