I had the benefit of completing a bachelor's degree at a Canadian University, and my experiences prior to law school fostered my desire to study law. I like to learn, and becoming a lawyer means that I will never stop learning.
I spend a lot of time writing emails, reviewing documents and speaking on the phone. Every day looks a little bit different, depending on what projects or transactions I have on the go. My practice has not been significantly impacted by Covid. It is a social practice (I talk to many people every day) but I do not have to have in-person meetings. My practice is almost entirely paperless, so I rely a lot on technology.
I chose my current role because of the diversity of work. I have a broad corporate practice which allows me to work on a range of different projects (including with both public and private companies). While the nature of work and substantive foundational components are the same, each company is different and this allows me to continue to learn new things on a daily basis. In other words, this role prevents me from being bored.
My particular practice area is notorious for being unpredictable and requiring a significant amount of hours. These things are true, but (as I have learned) not unmanageable. I didn't think that I would work in mergers and acquisitions, business law or capital markets for exactly the reasons I noted before. A turning point for me was when I realized that I could do this job, and that I had the ability to make the role what I want it to be.
Law school is about learning a way of thinking. While all of the course content is not necessarily helpful in my career, my studies helped me to learn how to think – how to look at problems in a certain way, communicate the issues, and be able to solve them.
I am Canadian and I wanted an international experience. This, however, can cause difficulties in becoming accredited in Canada. As a foreign student, I wanted to choose a highly ranked university to avoid some of the accreditation issues and stigma I knew I would face returning to Canada. I also loved that the campus was urban and allowed me to explore London while pursuing my studies.
I chose my degree subject because I knew that I wanted to become a lawyer. I had the benefit of completing a bachelor's degree at a Canadian University, and my experiences prior to law school fostered my desire to study law. I like to learn, and becoming a lawyer means that I will never stop learning.
Sometimes work doesn't come first – we need to remember that work is always important, but we are always balancing many priorities.
Consider your options and where you see yourself in 5 years. Think about what you want to get out of your career and which employer can help you achieve your goals. A targeted career search will help you to find the right employers and roles for you.
Living in an amazing city filled with history, and the friends that I made worldwide.
Many – I have been fortunate to have wonderful mentors and teachers who have helped me to build my skills and understand how to navigate my career.