Advocacy Matters - Spring 2024

CHAIR CHAT
Chair Chat
Steven G. Frankel (he/him),
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
This issue of Advocacy Matters is bittersweet
for me because it’s my last issue as Chair of
MASC, before I step off of MASC for good. This
term has really zipped by even faster than I expected
it would. I’m incredibly proud of what
we’ve accomplished together with our Winter
Summit (The Big Chill) in Ottawa as the highlight
of the past 12 months. More than that,
though, I feel privileged to have been involved
with this terrific Committee for the past six
years and to have met so many amazing people
and advocates along the way.
I’m sure I’ve said this before, but through my
work on MASC it’s become clear to me just how
vital mid-career lawyers like us are to the present
and future of the profession. We’re senior
enough to have some influence but we still have
plenty of skin in the game because our best
years are ahead of us. And boy, do we care. Not
just about the administration of justice and the
art of advocacy, but also about our role in the
system, about one another as individuals, and
about ensuring that talented young advocates
have the support systems around them to be
able to excel in the profession.
All of this is reflected in the articles featured in
this jam-packed issue of Advocacy Matters. Joe
Thorne and Jeff Van Bakel deliver Part II of their
series on delay in the civil justice system, this
time focussing on potential long-term solutions.
Jeff and Wade Poziomka have also contributed
a piece on the dissolution of law firms, in the
wake of Minden Gross’ decision to wind down
its operations. Megan Keenberg and Lisa Marie
Buccella have, individually and together, written
three articles that deal with the important
issues of mentor burnout, stress management
and active listening. Mana Khami corralled the
Chairs responsible for staging the Big Chill in a
roundtable discussion about the highlights of
our inaugural Winter Summit and what to expect
for future years with this conference. Eric
Morgan contributed a piece sharing perspectives
from Canadian lawyers who work at major
international firms, and Jordan Glick provided a
fresh look at the age-old (four-year-old?) backto-the-office
versus work-from-home debate.
With that, I will say farewell but not goodbye. I’ll
be at TAS’ End of Term Dinner on June 26, 2024,
and I hope everyone reading this will join me
there. Please come say hi, whether you know me
or not. I also plan to stay involved in the work
of The Advocates’ Society going forward. In the
meantime, I know I leave the stewardship of this
Committee in excellent hands under the leadership
of our next Chair, Sonu Dhanju-Dhillon.
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