Canadian Lawyer 4Students

Fall 2008

Life skills and career tips for Canada's lawyers in training

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COMPILED BY J EFFREY H. WAUGH T I P S from the 1 2 3 4 5 T O P Canadian Lawyer 4Students wanted to know how managing partners in the country got to the top and what advice they could offer aspiring young law students with partnership ambitions. We asked the following questions: How do you balance your professional commitments with your family and social life? What's the most stressful part of your position, and how do you deal with it? What are the most important skills and attributes for a law student with partnership ambitions to develop? When you were a law student, what was your favourite class, and why? Where's the best place to go in your city to celebrate the latest business deal? John Rogers — managing partner, Stewart McKelvey, Halifax 1. It would be a lie to say that it is not a constant challenge. Good planning is the key. I make sure all the "can't miss" family events like birthdays, graduations, and sports and other events are in the calendar long before any professional commitments might arise. Same thing with family vacations — they are planned well in advance. Professional commitments tend to come in predictable cycles, so, on the flipside, my family knows I am not available on the night of the Chamber of Commerce dinner or a firm event, for example. It does get easier as the kids get older, too. 2. Being the managing partner of a law firm is often likened to herding cats; I prefer the analogy of "aligning stars." Whatever your choice, neither is stress- nor risk-free. If you don't enjoy what you are doing and have fun doing it, stress is likely to eat you up. To keep stress at bay, I run and cycle with a "fairly" competitive group of friends. I enjoy the exercise and the collegiality, and it seems to help keep things on an even keel. I also have places and times where cellphones and BlackBerrys aren't on or do not even work. There are times when just thinking about those places takes all the stress away! 3. With all the advances in technology that provide lawyers with flexibility about where and when we do our work, it is still a profession built on relationships. Having strong people skills allows you to build relationships with more senior lawyers as a junior, and with clients as a more senior lawyer. Good business-development skills are a combination of business acumen and strong people skills. The most important attributes are impeccable ethics and a strong work ethic. 4. Professor Graham Murray's first-year property course at Dalhousie Law School. While I am sure we did learn something about property law, it was more about life, literature, and learning. It was unusual and at times frustrating, but those lessons have been far more lasting. 5. Ten or 15 years ago in Halifax there were probably only a few high-end restaurants that people would consider to celebrate significant events, including business deals. These days, however, there are a significant number of places to choose from — many with private rooms, if you want the celebration to be more discreet. Halifax has come a long way in providing more sophisticated choices of where to celebrate events with business colleagues, so I wouldn't say there's a "best" anymore. C ANADIAN Lawyer 4STUDENTS S EPTEMBER 2008 13

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