Life skills and career tips for Canada's lawyers in training
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50904
E.M. (Lisa) Vogt B.C. regional managing partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver 1. Like everything else that is difficult but ultimately rewarding, I work at the balance. Constantly. As professionals, we exercise balance in all that we do, so in many respects work-life balance is no different. But it is fundamentally important. What works for me is organizing my day so that I always have breakfast with my family (yes, very early, at 6:45 a.m.) and I get home for dinner at 6:30 p.m. almost every night. This sometimes means working at home in the evenings, but in this, lawyers are no different from other committed professionals. Weekends are family time. 2. Anticipating and managing the often-conflicting expectations of my partners. I deal with stress by acknowledging how much I enjoy what I do: because law is satisfying on both an intellectual and social level; because I am surrounded on a daily basis by interesting, engaged, and intelligent people; and because, on many days, what we do is actually fun. I deal with stress by reminding myself to be grateful. Chocolate is also helpful. 3. In no particular order: the ability to multitask, to be resilient, to be inquisitive, to want to be challenged, to accept criticism, to have a sense of humour, and to find mentors among the partners you work with and model yourself on them. 4. Contracts, because it was so civilized. It made sense of the world. Consideration, mutual agreement, and even peppercorns made sense to me. These were rules that were based on fair dealing. Torts was just messy. 5. We often host special dinners with our clients and lawyers to celebrate. Best places are Brix in Yaletown and Caffé dé Medici on Robson. Chuck Russell managing partner, McLennan Ross LLP, Edmonton 1. This gets much easier as the kids are grown up. It used to be very difficult to manage travel on business while they were younger. 2. Internal complaints about one another. You spend so much time trying to smooth over hurt feelings, implement decisions which are seen by some to be favouring others unfairly, etc. It is very wearing. 3. The willingness to work, and good legal skills. You can be immensely talented, but if you are not willing to put in the effort when the client needs the work to be done, you are unlikely to enjoy long-term success with clients. 4. Tax. It just came naturally, which is strange given that I am an insolvency/ restructuring lawyer by trade. 5. Bonterra in Calgary, Violino in Edmonton. 14 S EPTEMBER 2008 C ANADIAN Lawy er 4STUDENTS Jane Steinberg firm managing partner, external, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, Ottawa 1. It is actually quite easy for me to achieve a proper work-life balance today. I love my work, and so it is a pleasure for me to go to work. My brain gets tested every working day, and I like that. However, I would not love my work as much as I do if I did not have the appropriate respite from it. I have a cottage and love to loll about on the dock. Pulling out weeds can also be strangely satisfying. I'm hooked on current events and devour newspapers. I am a hopeless cook, so I love it when my eldest son cooks for me. My dogs and I never forego our walks to Bridgehead for lattes! Sometimes, I even tackle idiot-proof needlepoint. It is obviously easier for me to manage today, at the ripe old age of 55, than it was when my kids were younger. To the parents of young children out there, who might be ready to throw in the towel if they only knew where to throw it, I would say: be organized, focused, and disciplined every minute you are at work and you will be surprised how many hours are left over for you, your partner, and your children. 2. I am the most stressful part of my position. Sometimes, I feel that I should be getting much more done than I actually am, and I set unreasonable expectations for myself. I deal with this by banging my head repeatedly on my desk. When that doesn't work, I put pen to paper and prioritize. When I've listed my tasks in order of priority, I clear my desk of absolutely everything (including the blood from the head-banging). I then place on my desk my coffee (it would be green tea if I had a purer spirit) and the papers relating to the task that I have marked No. 1 in priority. I am then back in control and working effectively on task No. 1. 3. There are many important skills and attributes but remember that in many places you work, there will be mentors to guide you. The following are important, not necessarily listed in order of priority: a commitment to teamwork; a willingness to push your brain beyond where it would normally want to go; pride in an excellent work product; recognition that the law is a service profession and any good firm is going to insist you serve up the best you've got to give; and an abiding interest in people, clients, and our world, because to succeed you're going to have to be able to work well with people, serve clients faithfully, and be knowledgeable about the global environment. 4. Torts. Donoghue v. Stevenson. The snail in the bottle of ginger beer. It was the first thing I understood at U of T law school. 5. Lago Bar and Grill at Dow's Lake, owned by the inimitable Dale Hill.