Life skills and career tips for Canada's lawyers in training
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50901
I 'M THE GUY WHO IS OUT THERE AT THE FOREFRONT REPRESENTING THE F IRM AND I 'M AN OPENLY GAY MAN. ANDRÉ BACCHUS University of Toronto Faculty of Law professor Brenda Cossman says she's seen a shiſt in law students' attitudes. Cossman teaches family law. Twenty years ago, when same-sex marriage was discussed, some students would say things "that today we would just think that's horrible, and homophobic and terrible but at the time . . . it was part of the discourse," says Cossman. Today, when same-sex marriage comes up, "it's completely uncontroversial to students, which is a pretty remarkable change." Cossman and Short are part of a growing number of out faculty at Can- adian law schools. According to an LSAC survey, it's rare for a Canadian law school not to have LGBT faculty — though not every Canadian law school participates in the survey. At UBC's law school, queer students and faculty meet for drinks. Cheers for Queers gives stu- dents "a casual opportunity to talk to somebody who has been successful and is queer," says Nevens. "Th ey can create a role model relationship." Th e LSAC survey also shows nearly every Can- adian law school has a club for LGBT law students. Nevens co-chairs UBC Outlaws. Edmonds co-chairs Osgoode Hall's OUTlaws. Barlet is the co-ordin- ator of OutLaw McGill. For Vancouver-based lawyer Anna- bel Kim, coming out began when she was a student at the University of Vic- toria law school, where she joined the LGBT law students' club. Socializing with other queer law students was com- forting, says Kim. "It was just nice to identify and know that there are other queer law students and other supports." In addition to off ering queer law stu- dents a chance to meet and socialize, the clubs oſt en discuss issues such as whether to come out in job applications. Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Stike- man Elliott LLP, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Ogilvy Renault LLP, and Heenan Blai- kie LLP. Th e conference builds a sense of community. It's easy to feel isolated at law school when you are studying a new profession, in a new school, with people you don't know, says Edmonds, a direc- tor of Out on Bay Street. But then you come to a conference and you see there UBC law students told career services they'd like a panel about issues such as the transgender experience and gender expression more broadly, such as cloth- ing, makeup, and demeanour that may be expected and pressure to conform to heterosexual gender norms. Brian Yuen, a 2008 call and Univer- sity of Victoria law school graduate, says he feels law schools are a little more for- ward-thinking than the actual business C ANADIAN Lawyer 4STUDENTS SPRING 2011 15 "Every year we have a lunch, where we invite members of the faculty and other students that have been through the [application] process and been open about themselves to talk. For me, that was incredibly helpful my fi rst year," says Barlet. Th e same topic comes up at Out on Bay Street, an annual conference for LGBT students in business, law, and consulting. In 2010, over 60 LGBT law students from across Canada attended the event where they networked with gay and lesbian law students, out law- yers, and representatives from sponsor fi rms like Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Torys LLP, Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Davies are dozens and dozens of other LGBT law students, and you meet law fi rm representatives and out lawyers. "And that's really encouraging." At the conference, fi rm representa- tives tell students, "'We just want the best students. It doesn't matter what acronym or letter you identify with,'" says Edmonds. But some worry not all fi rms are as open-minded. Parsons recalls being advised by a career coun- sellor that when applying to fi rms in Calgary to think twice about including his affi liation with LGBT organizations. Edmonds recalls a law fi rm recruiter asking what LGBT stood for. In addition to the question of whether to be out to potential employers, LGBT 'TO HAVE THIS HUGE SHOW OF SUPPORT AND FOR ME, TO BRING A MALE GUEST TO THE GRADUATION CEREMONY,' I SAID, ' THAT TO ME WAS SOMETHING I WAS VERY, VERY EXCI TED AND PROUD ABOUT.' PRESTON PARSONS