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CROSS EXAMINED A real all-star J Matthieu Proulx plays for the Alouettes and is part of the legal team at Lapointe Rosenstein Marchand Melançon LLP. BY MIKE KING unior lawyer Matthieu Proulx probably works out a little harder than most of his colleagues. After all, Proulx has to be in top shape if he's going to play a sixth season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. A new addition at Lapointe Rosenstein Marchand Melançon LLP, the six-foot- one-inch, 210-pound Proulx began training in January to see how he feels while mulling dual careers in law and professional football. "I'm still con- sidering returning [to the Als] and some lawyers here are encouraging me to continue playing," the fierce competitor told Canadian Lawyer. His mind will be made up this month. "We're very proud to have him on board," says firm partner Francis Meagher. "He's made a point to identify himself as a full-fledged member of our team and has already shown abilities as a litigator." While articling with Marchand Melançon Forget LLP in December 2008 (that firm merged with Lapointe Rosenstein LLP at the beginning of 2010), Proulx won the first case he pleaded in Quebec Court. Proulx, who turns 29 on April 16, is still savour- ing both being hired by the firm in December and winning the Grey Cup trophy on the last play of the 97th annual fall classic championship game in Calgary two weeks before reporting for work. Often injured the past few seasons and after the Als suffered a heartbreaking title loss in their own backyard when they hosted the 1998 Grey Cup at Olympic Stadium, he considered quitting football last year. But perseverance paid off and the defensive back returned and was selected as an East Division All-Star for the first time in his pro career. He passed the provincial bar and was sworn in last July, then was the last of 30 candidates interviewed by MMF. "They hired me even under the conditions that I was still playing football for six months of the year," Proulx recalls. "They were very generous with me." He sees many parallels between making a living on a sports field and in the legal field, noting both require "focus, discipline, passion, and teamwork." Hitting the books was as important as hitting opponents while he studied law at Université Laval in Quebec City while starring for the 20 M ARCH 2010 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com