Canadian Lawyer

Mann, proud winner of the Smith Shield mooting competition. The law school also put on Pith & Substance, a variety show, once a year. In his first year, he wrote a skit for his group and a new tradition was born. Mann, who has a joint LLB and masters of public administration degree, also fell in love with labour law en route to finishing law school. Not surprisingly, that love affair also included another opportunity to act. In his second year of law school, former dean of law Innis Christie spoke to Mann���s class about a course in the administration of collective agreements. This course, his favourite, was very hands on, says Mann. ���It inspired me.��� Perhaps best of all it included a moot court. Looking ahead to life after law school, Mann identified McInnes Cooper as the region���s pre-eminent firm for labour law. Upon graduation, Mann went to work there and his interest in administrative and educational law was sparked ��� and opportunities to crack up colleagues emerged. When Dalhousie created the position Mann now holds, it looked for someone with a strong background in administrative law. ���They want to be secure on judicial review,��� says Mann. In his position, Mann is responsible for all of Dalhousie���s judicial student conduct, tenure, and academic appeals. Despite the serious day job, he has always managed to tickle his funny bone ��� and that of others. His fervour for funniness was fuelled at McInnes Cooper. Each year the articling clerks put on a skit as part of the holiday festivities. Three guesses who was front and centre? Mann went to a friend at a local film company and did a comedy sketch on film. It was no small feat. A crew and producer were involved. Mann, who hosted his call to the bar dinner and has emceed weddings, was later invited to do a web series created by the post-production team for Trailer Park Boys. In fact, when they wrote the pilot for Phone Whores, a sitcom about a call centre, they wrote the part of the call centre manager with Mann in mind. Unfortunately, fate hung up on the creative venture. Other doors opened, however. A former colleague at McInnes Cooper suggested a fundraiser at the local Yuk Yuks comedy club, and Mann found himself once again in front of an audience. ���I just did it,��� he says. ���I loved it.��� The 37-year-old currently performs his stand-up act several times a month and just wrapped shooting season two of Moderation Town, a web series about an Internet company that moderates chat rooms from a fishing village. Mann won a contest for the part. He entered at the suggestion of his assistant. The set and the series are largely populated by comics, says Mann. ���It felt like comedy fantasy camp.��� That fantasy is grounded in reality. ���The work looks easy. It���s not,��� says Mann. ���The days are long.��� The process of making a film is also disconcerting, he notes. ���It���s been eye opening for me. You may not see final product until seven or eight months later. It���s like seeing it for the first time,��� says Mann. The comedic lawyer���s success ��� whether standing in front of the camera, a comedy Seriously, watch Moderation Town. club audience, or starryIt���s funny. You can find it at eyed newlyweds ��� is tinyurl.com/moderationtown. due in part to his train- ing as a lawyer. ���In law school you had to just stand and present conclusions. It was yours, and it wasn���t a character. There was no disconnection,��� says Mann. The result, he says, is increased confidence. ���Confidence helps with the acting and vice versa.��� The synergy goes beyond this, however. ���Legal work and performing go hand in hand,��� says Mann. ���To do [art] meaningfully you need an anchor in the real world.��� For Mann, getting laughs is part of who he is ��� but his passion is part-time. ���Life is big. I get these kicks in when I can.��� In addition to a demanding full-time job, the Cape Breton native has five young children, ranging in age from two to 13 years. It was his older kids who ultimately spurred him to move from McInnes Cooper to Dalhousie in 2010. ���They were used to the fact that my work life was unpredictable,��� says Mann. ���I realized I didn���t want life to look like that.��� The seemingly traditional path Mann opted for as a young man has proven to have a few hilarious twists and turns. It���s a rollercoaster ride he wouldn���t have forsaken ��� and he encourages others to get on board. ���I tell people unequivocally ��� do something. You don���t know where things will lead. Plunge in,��� says Mann. It appears there may be some divers in the family. William, Mann���s oldest child, watches stand-up at home with his dad and is funny. ���We have a real kinship,��� says Mann. ���We have a special language.��� No kidding. ntitled-1 1 A family���s foundation is one built on tradition. We welcome you to ours. Diamond & Diamond d Personal Injury Lawyers Jeremy Diamond Sandra Zisckind Counsel to Diamond & Diamond Barrister and Solicitor Member Ontario Bar & Florida Bar A family tough to beat! When a family works together it creates a unity that makes them stronger as a whole. Sandra Zisckind, Isaac Zisckind and Daniel Diamond have merged together with Jeremy Diamond to create one powerful team in the eyes of the law. Diamond and Diamond Lawyers want to welcome Sandra, Isaac and Daniel to their new offices located at 5075 Yonge St. suite 701, right across from Mel Lastman Square just north of Sheppard Avenue. Isaac Zisckind Counsel to Diamond & Diamond Daniel Diamond 1-800-567-HURT ��� Referrals respected. Toronto ��� 5075 Yonge Street Suite 701. www.CANADIAN L a w ye r m a g . c o m March 2013 25 13-02-07 6:58 AM

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