Advocacy Matters - Spring 2024
Keep up to date on what your fellow Society members have to say in Advocacy Matters.
Keep up to date on what your fellow Society members have to say in Advocacy Matters.
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Q: The <strong>2024</strong> Winter Summit: The Big Chill Ottawa conference was the first destination conference<br />
specifically geared towards mid-career advocates. How did it differ from other TAS<br />
conferences geared towards junior or senior lawyers, like Fall Forum and Fall Convention?<br />
A. Jennifer Hunter: Our focus was on creating content, and engagement, specific to mid-career<br />
lawyers. The session topics were intended to look at familiar topics, such as mentoring and business<br />
development, from the particular lens of someone who has been practicing for 10+ years.<br />
We also wanted to introduce new specific topics, such as entering management for the first time,<br />
and how to be a “Happy Lawyer”. We also wanted to take advantage of peer mentoring, so we built<br />
in a lot of discussion and networking opportunities.<br />
Q: The conference was held in February<br />
<strong>2024</strong> at the Fairmont Château<br />
Laurier in Ottawa. Tell us why this<br />
location was chosen, and what made<br />
it an ideal location for the Winter<br />
Summit?<br />
A. Brian Duong: Ottawa is a central<br />
location for delegates from coast to<br />
coast. It is also home to the Supreme<br />
Court of Canada.<br />
Q: What was the most memorable part of the<br />
conference for you, and why?<br />
A. David Thompson: I most enjoyed the<br />
roundtable discussions we had after several of<br />
the panels. It was reassuring to hear from so<br />
many peers that they struggle with the same<br />
challenges, no matter how successful they appear<br />
to be. Everyone was so down-to-earth,<br />
willing to listen and share ideas for dealing<br />
with those challenges.<br />
Q: While the conference focused on programs and discussions surrounding essential leadership<br />
skills, next-level business development strategies, and practice pointers from mid-career<br />
leaders, what other opportunities and events were participants able to take advantage<br />
of during the three-day conference?<br />
A. Erin Durant: The participants benefited from a lot of downtime in Ottawa and were able to<br />
check out Winterlude, attend the Supreme Court of Canada tour, and dine at local restaurants.<br />
There were a lot of new and deepened connections made between advocates at the social events.<br />
Q: What were some of the key takeaways you learned from speakers presenting at the<br />
Winter Summit?<br />
A. Brian Duong: Mid-career lawyers should not hesitate to put their hands up to take on greater<br />
leadership roles within their organizations.<br />
Jennifer Hunter: Take risks. Whether that is putting your name forward for management,<br />
or taking time back from a busy workload, now is the time to build the practice<br />
and the life you want.<br />
27