Life skills and career tips for Canada's lawyers in training
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50715
Practising litigation Practising litigation CANDACE EVERARD GRAMMOND, Pitblado LLP, Winnipeg + PROS: • You become very observant by learning how to read people including their moti- vations for certain actions as well as their body language. • You become a great strategist by seeing - how your strategy and the timing of decisions can aff ect the outcome of your work; sometimes seemingly small tactical de- cisions can have a huge impact on the result. • You learn to think on your feet because it is inevitable that the witness or the court (or both) will say or ask something that you don't expect. When this occurs, you learn to appear outwardly calm even though your mind might be saying, "Th ink brain, think of an answer!" As an aside, I fi nd that it helps immensely if your feet are well-dressed while you are thinking on them — I take that one very seriously!!! CONS: • Litigation isn't for people who don't like the energy of a dispute. CYNTHIA BENSON, Stewart McKelvey, Saint John, N.B. + PROS: • Litigation allows you to work on a wide ar- ray of complex and challenging issues. • Litigators will learn great strategic skills and how to think quickly on their feet. • You aren't exactly Alan Shore, but it is a little like television! • Litigation can be fast-paced with many un- expected twists and turns. - CONS: • In this economy, clients are increasingly reluctant to allocate re- sources to proceed to trial and are looking for expeditious alter- natives, such as mediation. As a result, it may be challenging for associates to gain valuable courtroom experience. • Litigation can be aff ected by legislative changes. For example, "cap" legislation or tort reform may adversely aff ect the volume of personal injury litigation. • Litigation is, by nature, adversarial, even if lawyers are profes- sional and courteous. If you don't enjoy confl ict, don't become a litigator. ■ EFFICIENT LEGAL RESEARCH STARTS HERE NEW EDITION POCKET DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN LAW, 5TH EDITION DAPHNE A. DUKELOW, B.SC., LL.B., LL.M. When it comes to researching a point of law or simply understanding a legal term, you can rely on the new fifth edition of the Pocket Dictionary of Canadian Law. This portable guide gives you convenient access to more than 16,000 Canadian legal definitions. Alphabetic tabs, cross-references to more specific applications, and running heads help you find everything quickly. NEW IN THIS EDITION • 2,959 new and revised entries, including 1,478 new definitions • Expanded coverage of Aboriginal, Administrative, Commercial, Environmental, Family, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Medico-legal and Securities law AVAILABLE RISK-FREE FOR 30 DAYS Order online at www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 ORDER # 983688-64519 $52 Softcover approx. 650 pages July 2011 978-0-7798-3688-8 Shipping and handling are extra. Price subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. Untitled-4 1 C ANADIAN Lawyer 4STUDENTS 7/20/11 11:03:08 AM F all 2011 45