Keeping-Tabs-Winter-2024
Stay up-to-date on news and events from our Young Advocates' Standing Committee (YASC) with Keeping Tabs.
Stay up-to-date on news and events from our Young Advocates' Standing Committee (YASC) with Keeping Tabs.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
PRACTICE PIVOT<br />
The Pursuit of Practice:<br />
Changing Practice Areas<br />
as a Junior Lawyer<br />
Narmada Gunawardana (she/her), Davies Howe LLP<br />
While I was in law school, I got it into my head<br />
that the area of law I began working in would<br />
be my area of practice in for the rest of my<br />
legal career. This was misguided. I have since<br />
learned that lawyers often move around. However,<br />
changing practice areas as a young lawyer<br />
can be daunting. I changed practice areas<br />
within one year of being called to the bar and<br />
these are the things I found most helpful.<br />
Learn the law<br />
Learn the substantive law of the practice area<br />
to which you wish to change. This will give<br />
you the knowledge you need in your future<br />
position while also equipping<br />
you with the ability to<br />
show your interest to potential<br />
employers. In my experience,<br />
a genuine interest in a practice<br />
area and a willingness to learn will<br />
open many doors. There are a<br />
number of resources you can use<br />
to gain this knowledge: events<br />
run by one of the 15 practice<br />
groups at The Advocates’ Society,<br />
set up alerts on CanLII<br />
for new decisions, or sign up for<br />
articles on mondaq.<br />
Pitch your transferable skills<br />
This is an exercise in advocating for yourself.<br />
As a lawyer, you have already begun to develop<br />
the skills that will make you effective in any<br />
practice area. However, the onus is on you to<br />
show the employer how your skills are transferable<br />
to their specific practice area. This is<br />
particularly true if you are working with recruiters,<br />
who may be looking for a specific list<br />
of past experiences. Even if you don’t have<br />
specific experiences, you likely have comparable<br />
experiences and other assets that will help<br />
you succeed in that role. Keep a list of those<br />
experiences and skills at the ready.<br />
Network, network, network<br />
This can be stressful, particularly if you are<br />
cold-contacting partners or attending events<br />
where you don’t know anyone. However, for<br />
me, nothing was as helpful in changing practice<br />
areas as networking. Every communication<br />
I had, whether it was an email, phone<br />
call, or coffee chat, led me to gain valuable<br />
insight on how best to maneuver the change.<br />
Networking helps you build connections and<br />
informal mentors who can refer you to firms<br />
that are hiring. These connections can also<br />
give you real insight into the experience of<br />
working in that practice area. This allows you<br />
to make a more informed choice on your potential<br />
move.<br />
Be patient and keep at it<br />
If you are determined to move to a new practice<br />
area, I personally believe it is a question of<br />
when and not if it happens. I recommend that<br />
you are realistic with your timeline and patient<br />
with the process. When I was looking to make<br />
the change, I was given the following helpful<br />
advice - you will get your shot and when you<br />
do, take it and run with it.<br />
WE ARE<br />
LCM ATTORNEYS.<br />
WE SPEAK<br />
LITIGATION.<br />
In less than a decade since its founding in<br />
2014, LCM Attorneys has established itself<br />
as one of the most trusted litigation<br />
boutiques in Montreal.<br />
With wide-ranging expertise and true<br />
commitment to understanding our clients’<br />
needs, we can handle the most challenging<br />
matters, providing skilful advocacy,<br />
insightful advice and practical solutions.<br />
To celebrate our 10th anniversary,<br />
we decided to refresh our image.<br />
New logo, new website.<br />
Visit lcm.ca<br />
6<br />
Ed. note: For TAS members, the online Mentoring Portal is a great place to connect with other<br />
members who practice in a variety of areas of practice. Learn more about the portal here.