Off The Tracks (Off The Tracks)

In this episode, we sit down with Peter Tonge as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series, Second Life. Peter is a former public servant and retired criminal defence lawyer. Currently, Peter runs a consulting business that specializes in disability and inclusion issues, is a podcast host, and is the Executive Director of the Manitoba Wheelchair Sport Association. In this episode we discuss the long lasting physical and attitudinal barriers lawyers with disabilities face in their careers, how Peter found his way in a variety of career paths, and how Peter found his niche in podcasting.

Follow Peter on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/peteratonge

Subscribe and listen to Peter’s podcast, “Talking Rotary,” by clicking here: https://talkingrotary.org/

Follow Peter’s podcast here: https://www.mswa.ca/

Check out Manitoba Wheelchair Sports here: https://www.mswa.ca/

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

In this episode, we are joined by Amy Matychuk. Amy is the Founder and Principal Lawyer at Prison and Police Law, a law practice dedicated to advocacy on behalf of those experiencing mistreatment while detained or imprisoned. She previously clerked at the Provincial Court of Alberta and the Nunavut Court of Justice. In her spare time, Amy enjoys powerlifting.

Immediately following her two clerkships, Amy niched down and began her solo practice. As the only lawyer in Alberta who practices in the niche of prison and police misconduct, Amy takes us through how and why she niched down, and the unique challenges of her practice. Amy shares her brilliant strategies for setting boundaries with clients and strategically protecting her time and work flow. We also learn about Amy’s experience living in Nunavut and her favourite candle hack.

Work with Amy through Prison and Police Law

Follow Amy on Twitter

Follow Prison and Police Law on Instagram 

Learn more about the Alberta Police Misconduct Database. Amy is on the board for the Alberta Police Misconduct Database Association, which is spearheading an important effort to collect documents related to police misconduct in Alberta all in one searchable place.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

Content warning: This episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Service available 24/7/365 by calling 1-833-456-4566.

In this episode, we sit down with Anisha Nag, a law student at Osgoode Hall and a summer student at Erin’s law firm, Erin O’Rourke Law. We discuss how Anisha came to attend law school on a part-time basis, the fear of disclosing mental health challenges, and how much sleep we all truly need.

Follow Anisha on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/anisha_nag

Follow Anisha’s lead and read Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

In this episode we are joined by Vanshika Dhawan. Vanshika is a 3L student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Outside of law, Vanshika is a writer and designer. We were curious about how the pandemic has impacted law school experiences and once we read Vanshika’s recent article, “An Open Letter to the Law Students Barely Holding it Together,” we really wanted to have her on the podcast. In this conversation we discuss how the pandemic has led to a loss of casual law school acquaintances, Vanshika’s experiences working throughout law school, and her love of young adult fiction.

Follow Vanshika on Twitter: https://twitter.com/vdhwn

Read Vanshika’s piece “An Open Letter to the Law Students Barely Holding it Together”: https://ultravires.ca/2021/10/an-open-letter-to-the-students-barely-holding-it-together/

Learn more about Vanshika’s work: https://vanshikadhawan.com/

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

In this episode, we are joined by Lindsay Traves and Charlotte McGee. Lindsay and Charlotte are both Senior Legal Recruiters at Shopify. Lindsay previously worked in sales and sports marketing, and later practiced as a lawyer in insurance defence. Charlotte previously worked at a record label, and later practiced law at a boutique wills, estates, and capacity litigation firm. In our conversation, Lindsay and Charlotte fill us in on what recruiters are looking at when helping place candidates in new positions, how to apply for a job when you are lacking the exact level of experience the role is looking for, the OCI setbacks they experienced in law school, and how to unburden yourself of anxiety with facing problems that are not your responsibility.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

This episode was produced in partnership with Lawbrokr, legal’s first customer experience platform powered by lawyers. To learn more, visit lawbrokr.com and see how you can join the movement to become a modern lawyer.

It’s our birthday…tomorrow! In this episode, we talk through and reflect upon all that we’ve learned over the past year. Erin talks about the difference between doing things she wants to do versus things she should do, Piper reflects on the realization that nobody has everything all figured out, and we discuss how rejection is just redirection.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

We’re back! We are so excited to be launching season two of Off the Tracks with a brand new series. Michelle Thompson joins us as the first guest of our Second Life series. This series explores the stories and insights of people who began legal careers and later transitioned away from law, and also those who had full careers prior to becoming lawyers. Michelle transitioned away from practicing law immediately after articling and is now a public legal educator in Toronto. In this episode we discuss the process of figuring out the difference between what type of lawyer and what type of “not-lawyer” you want to be, how to take action when you don’t enjoy where you are at in your career, getting off the law conveyer belt (going “off the tracks” if you will!) and the importance of celebrating a-typical life milestones.

Follow Michelle on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jmthompsonlaw

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

In this episode, we are joined by Gina Alexandris. Gina is the Founder and Chief Enthusiasm Officer of her own Coaching and Consulting Company. She is an ever-evolving career champion of current and emerging professionals, and creator of innovative and inspiring programs, especially for those who are underserved. Gina is a life-long learner and in addition to her law degree from Osgoode Hall, she also holds a Masters of Education degree in Adult Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, and a Certificate of Completion for the Art and Practice of Leadership Development Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. Gina is also a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, having completed the Coaching program from the Co-Active Training Institute and holds an Associate Certified Coach credential from the International Coaching Federation. 

Throughout her career, Gina has consistently built programs from the ground up. She talks us through how many of these programs came to be and have evolved, including Toronto Metropolitan University’s Law Practice Program. Further, Gina shares an important perspective about why she consciously does not use the word “alternative” to describe different career paths in the legal profession and beyond. Gina also tells us about her most recent project, the Career Conversations Book Club, and what drove her to create this free resource for leadership development. 

Work with Gina through her coaching practice

Learn from Gina on LinkedIn

Follow Gina on Instagram

Register for the Career Conversations Book Club 

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In the finale of Off the Tracks, we talk about what led us to start this project and the reasons we are concluding it now. We also discuss our word of the year, the episodes that deeply resonated with us, and what working together on the podcast taught us about friendship. 

Off the Tracks Podcast was designed to explore what it looks like to do law differently. If you’re ever looking to gain insight into off the tracks legal careers and conversations, we encourage you to stream an episode to help guide you to the answers you’re looking for in your own life. 

Whether this is the first time or seventy-second time you’ve listened to an episode, thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

If you’re looking to get in touch with us in the future, you can find Erin at Erin O’Rourke Law (erin@erinorourkelaw.ca) and Piper at Ontario Bar Exam Coach (piper@ontariobarexamcoach.com). 

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we are joined by Erika Misasi. Erika is the Founder and Principal Lawyer of Misasi Legal. Through Misasi Legal, Erika provides legal services and strategic advice to businesses, artists and creatives, and athletes and sports organizations. Erika is an enthusiast of the arts and entertainment, and sports and technology. And, Erika happens to be one of our former law school classmates!

Erika shares the moment she realized she could go out on her own and open her own firm – and how she subsequently quit her job the very same day. She also discusses her path to licensing, including the innovative education and hands-on training she received in the Law Practice Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. Erika presents tangible advice for any law student or new call looking to get started in sports or entertainment law. And best of all? Erika reminds us about the importance of being your own biggest fan.

Work with Erika through Misasi Legal

Follow Erika and Misasi Legal on Instagram

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Sherifa Hadi as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series about law school debt. Sherifa is a lawyer, legal researcher, a vocal advocate for accessible education, and works in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space. We discuss the lack of education about the actual financial costs of law school and a legal career, having multiple applications for student professional lines of credit rejected, the social isolation that stems from financial stressors, taking a year off of law school, and doing things that scare you.

Follow Sherifa on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/sherifahadi

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

In this episode, we sit down with Odelia Bay and Ilia Sumner, to discuss the Canadian Association of Lawyers with Disabilities (CALD). The goal of this new organization is to connect lawyers and other legal practitioners from across Canada, both persons with disabilities and those who are allies, to create a network for community building and advocacy. We discuss the stigma associated with disabilities in the legal profession, disclosing or not disclosing a disability to an employer, navigating law school with a disability, and the benefits of hiring someone with a disability.

As a new podcast, we do not have the finances or resources to create transcriptions of each episode. We acknowledge the barrier this poses to individuals with auditory disabilities. As time goes on, we will actively work towards becoming increasingly more accessible to all and appreciate Odelia and Ilia for bringing this to our attention.

Learn more about the Canadian Association of Lawyers with Disabilities here: https://caldacjsh.wordpress.com/

Follow CALD on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cald_acjsh

In the episode, Ilia mentions a report out of the United Kingdom titled “Legally Disabled.” Find that resource here: http://legallydisabled.com/research-reports/

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

This episode was produced in partnership with LawyersInHouse.com, a law firm composed of former in-house counsel. To see how they can provide insightful, pragmatic, and solutions-focused legal services to you and your legal department, visit LawyersInHouse.com.

In this episode, we are joined by Deepak Iyer. He currently works as Legal Counsel, Technology at First Canadian Title Company Limited. 

In this conversation, Deepak shares about what he’s learned from making 4 job changes early in his career. We also speak about how Deepak’s experience beginning his career in mid-sized cities helped him gain hands-on exposure to complicated files and thorough mentorship. Deepak debunks the myth that you need to wait to go in-house until you have “enough” private practice experience under your belt! And finally, Deepak shares insightful ideas into how law schools can innovate new programming to help graduates be more practice-ready.

Learn from Deepak on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

This episode was produced in partnership with LawyersInHouse.com, a law firm composed of former in-house counsel. To see how they can provide insightful, pragmatic, and solutions-focused legal services to you and your legal department, visit ⁠LawyersInHouse.com⁠.

In this episode, we are joined by Cheyenne Arnold-Cunningham. Cheyenne Arnold-Cunningham was born and raised in Ontario and currently lives and works as a visitor on the traditional territory of the Ts’uubaa-asatx, Ditidaht, and Quw’utsun peoples in British Columbia. She is Métis with mixed European ancestry and is a member of the Métis Nation of BC with Métis roots and ancestry in St. Albert and Lac Ste. Anne Alberta and the historic Red River Métis community in Manitoba. 

Cheyenne works as in-house counsel at the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), largely working to support the acknowledgement, protection and exercise of First Nations' title and rights while also assisting to support the UBCIC and the First Nations Leadership Council in their legislative reform work to align provincial and federal law with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She also works as a researcher at the Indigenous Law Research Unit at the University of Victoria and is the founder and owner of Dakota Law and Consulting. 

In this conversation, Cheyenne discusses the broad experience she has gained working in-house, including representing the UBCIC alongside co-counsel at the Public Order Emergency Commission Inquiry. Cheyenne shares about her law school experience and the importance of staying grounded in your truth of how you want to craft your career. We also discuss the importance of teaching Indigenous Legal Orders in law schools and how this coursework positively enriches a legal education. And, Cheyenne shares important networking tips for anyone seeking their first job post-articling! 

Learn from Cheyenne on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@offthetrackspodcast⁠, check out our website ⁠offthetrackspodcast.com⁠, or connect with us by emailing ⁠podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com⁠.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? ⁠Click here⁠ to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Olympian Tugba Karademir as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series, Second Life. Originally from Turkey, Tugba moved to Canada when she was twelve to pursue her athletic craft as a figure skater. She went on to compete at the highest levels, at 8 Worlds competitions and 2 Olympics, and coach athletes to success at national and international levels. In 2015, Tugba did a 180 turn and went to law school. She now practices in the areas of litigation and family law. In this episode we discuss how knowing the rules of figure skating inspired Tugba to become a lawyer, how she hopes the legal profession continues to evolve, and her experience being a flag bearer at the Olympics.

Follow Tugba on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/tugbak85

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

This week, we are holding space to bear witness and mourn the 215 children whose remains were found at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. In lieu of the episode we planned to release this week we released this short episode with links to important educational resources, podcasts hosted by Indigenous creators, and organizations to donate to. If it is within your means, please join us in donating to the Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society and the First Nations Caring Society.

Donate:

Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society (BC): https://www.irsss.ca/donate

First Nations Child & Family Caring Society: https://fncaringsociety.com/donate

Reports and Reading:

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada final report: http://www.trc.ca/about-us/trc-findings.html

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: https://nctr.ca/

Reclaiming Power & Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/

The long history of discrimination against First Nations children: https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/october-2016/the-long-history-of-discrimination-against-first-nations-children/

Podcasts:

The Trauma-Informed Lawyer hosted by Myrna McCallum: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-trauma-informed-lawyer-hosted-by-myrna-mccallum/id1514824294 

Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/missing-murdered-finding-cleo/id1166556648 

Unreserved: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/unreserved/id1030476712

In this episode we are joined by Vanessa Locicero. Vanessa is a lawyer and mentor who helps entrepreneurs energetically align with the legal side of their business through her signature legal empowerment and education program, Legally Lit. Vanessa’s mission is to promote access to justice for entrepreneurs and small businesses so people can reclaim their economic sovereignty and pursue their soul’s purpose on a secure legal foundation. In this episode we discuss why Vanessa left downtown Toronto to practice in Collingwood, how she weaves mentorship and empowerment coaching into her business, why she values relationships over transactions, and how her previous career as a chef fuels her long standing dream of opening a restaurant.

Follow Vanessa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soul.attorney/

Learn more about Vanessa’s legal education and empowerment program, Legally Lit, by booking a discovery call here: https://calendly.com/thesoulattorney/discoverycall

Download Vanessa’s free e-book, “The 7 Steps you need to take to get Legally Lit in 2022” here: https://www.subscribepage.com/7-steps-to-legally-lit

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

In this episode we are joined by Karen Dyck. Karen’s exciting career has involved working in the public, private, non profit, and academic sectors in a mixture of practicing and non-practicing legal and law adjacent roles. In this conversation Karen shares all she has learned from her non-linear career path, and we discuss the human and private experiences professional resumes are not structured to show, how to build bridges when transitioning between roles, and learning to be content in the present moment.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

This episode was produced in partnership with Lawbrokr, legal’s first customer experience platform powered by lawyers. To learn more, visit lawbrokr.com and see how you can join the movement to become a modern lawyer.

In this episode we are joined by Amanda Doucette. Amanda is a problem solver who loves showcasing the human side of professional careers. By day, she is a lawyer, helping her clients navigate the complex world of tax and assisting business owners with wealth transition. By night, Amanda creates educating content about tax and estate planning issues through The Tax Chick Blog and The Tax Chick Podcast. Amanda has been selected by peers as a leading practitioner in the 2021 and 2022 edition of The

Canadian Legal Lexpert (Estate and Personal Tax Planning) and was the winner of The Lawyers Monthly Women in Law 2021 Award in recognition of her outstanding legal expertise and contribution to the area of tax litigation.

In this conversation, Amanda shares how she fell into tax law – with no background in math, tax, or business – and how she approaches tax law differently than most in her field. We learn why Amanda created The Tax Chick Blog and The Tax Chick Podcast. (Check out The Tax Chick Roadmap to find a Tax Chick Podcast episode that will be most helpful for you!) Amanda also shares about her experience going back to school for her Masters of Law in Tax, and she raises an important question about who we get an education for. Also, if you live in Ontario and own the license plate “TXCHICK,” Amanda wants to hear from you!

Connect with Amanda:

Send her an email, thetaxchickpodcast@gmail.com

Follow The Tax Chick on Instagram

Read The Tax Chick Blog

Listen to The Tax Chick Podcast by clicking here, or find it on all major streaming platforms

Learn from Amanda on LinkedIn

Subscribe to Amanda’s newsletter, “Musings of a Tax Chick”

Find helpful tax and estate planning resources: https://linktr.ee/thetaxchick

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we are joined by Krista James. Krista is a lawyer, writer, feminist, and community organizer. Krista most recently served twelve years as the National Director of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law before starting a new role in January 2023 as a Policy Director at Vancouver Coastal Health.

Krista gives us a behind the scenes perspective of what it looks like to work in nonprofit leadership. She poses an important conversation: how can we redefine human resources to think more holistically about individuals? Krista also shares how she found alignment in her career and the importance of determining the work you enjoy doing and where your talents lie.

Connect with Krista on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

It’s our birthday! In this episode, we sit down and discuss all that we’ve learned in the past 12 months. Erin talks about doing things that scare her, Piper dives into feeling old and young at the same time, and we discuss our favourite parts of doing this podcast.

For our birthday, we hosted a fundraiser workout class led by Alessia Scauzillo, the creator of one of our favourite workout platforms, A Sculpt Body. For a 7-day free trial to A Sculpt Body, click here: https://asculptbody.com/. Through the support of our friends and community, we were able to raise $800 to benefit the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. To support the Clinic and learn more about their important work, click here: https://www.schliferclinic.com/

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

For our birthday, it would mean the world to us if you could please take a moment to subscribe and leave us a review.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

This episode was produced in partnership with Lawbrokr, legal’s first customer experience platform powered by lawyers. To learn more, visit lawbrokr.com and see how you can join the movement to become a modern lawyer.

In this episode we are joined by Laura Comfort. Known to some as “the most interesting woman in the world,” Laura holds four degrees from the University of Calgary. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Laura completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Kinesiology and then went on to earn her Bachelor of Nursing. As a nurse, Laura worked with Alberta Health Services in the areas of general medicine and community and mental health. Now, Laura practices law with Cuming & Gillespie, a boutique personal injury law firm in Calgary. Laura’s practice focuses primarily on serious personal injury and medical negligence claims. Outside of her academic and professional achievements, Laura has represented Canada internationally on the Canadian National Wrestling Team and has recently competed in some local fitness competitions.

In this conversation, Laura shares how her non-linear journey to the legal profession helped her leave behind feelings of doubt and uncertainty to find her place in the world. Laura thoughtfully explains how to navigate the reality that most of her clients are not calling or coming to her on their best day by managing and maintaining clear client expectations right from the very first client intake session and through the life of a file. Laura shares sage advice about how to check-in with yourself, and re-check-in to ensure you are living a life that fulfills your current dreams and goals.

Learn from Laura on LinkedIn

Follow Laura on Twitter

Follow Laura on Instagram

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

This episode was produced in partnership with LawyersInHouse.com, a law firm composed of former in-house counsel. To see how they can provide insightful, pragmatic, and solutions-focused legal services to you and your legal department, visit LawyersInHouse.com.

In this episode, we are joined by Vivian Ntiri. Vivian is an in-house lawyer, part-time cake artist, runner, and avid reader. She completed the dual JD program at the University of Windsor and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. She began her career in private practice at a large Bay Street firm and currently works as in-house counsel at Moneris. She loves Afrobeats, Gospel music, TV, and movies.

In this conversation, we learn about how Vivian found her way to law school and why she chose the cross-border dual JD program. She shares how she transitioned out of private practice and what she loves most about working in-house. Vivian’s story is a great reminder that it’s never too early in your career to begin working in-house. 

Learn from Vivian on LinkedIn

Learn more about the JD Bridges Foundation

Learn more about Avenue: Black Undergraduate Law Internship Program

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

We are so excited to be celebrating one year of the podcast! In this solo episode, we discuss what the past year has taught us, how creating the podcast together has helped us feel less alone, the importance of celebrating your wins, and what we are each working on this year.

A big thank you to you (yes, you!) for tuning into the podcast this year. We are so grateful for each and every download, subscriber, and review. Stay tuned for our next series, Going Solo, premiering next week!

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

This episode was produced in partnership with Lawbrokr, legal’s first customer experience platform powered by lawyers. To learn more, visit lawbrokr.com and see how you can join the movement to become a modern lawyer.

In this episode we are joined by Pauline Chan. Pauline has over a decade of legal experience in a national firm, as in-house counsel, and as a solo practitioner helping businesses of all sizes, from sole-proprietors to multinational corporations. She recently joined the legal tech platform Goodlawyer as a Lawyer in Residence because she is passionate about expanding access to legal help for small businesses and on the other side, improving the future of the law for historically marginalized lawyers. Pauline also has experience owning and running a barre fitness studio, giving her first-hand experience of what it takes to help small and mid-sized enterprises succeed.

In a previous life, Pauline worked as an energy economist and later had a career in marketing and co-owned an insurance agency. In this conversation, Pauline tells us about the life event that led her to pursue a legal career. She also shares about her experiences teaching barre fitness classes and owning a fitness studio, how a discovery call with Goodlawyer changed the trajectory of her career, and we discuss the gap in knowledge about how trauma impacts an individual’s ability to perform in the workplace. Pauline also reminds us that it’s okay to never fully settle into one single career.

Learn from Pauline on LinkedIn

Follow Pauline on Instagram

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Ashley Syer as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series, Going Solo. Ashley is a lawyer, mediator, and founder of Syer Law, Gastown Mediation, and The Lawyer Incubator. The Lawyer Incubator is the first project of its kind in Canada, where Ashley provides mentorship and support to lawyers starting their solo practices. In this conversation Ashley tells us about how she landed her articling job while waitressing, why she doesn’t always take monetary retainers from her clients, and her experience spending a week disconnected from work while on a river boat in the Amazon.

Work with Ashley: Syer Law / Gastown Mediation / The Lawyer Incubator

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we are joined by Monica Chohan. Monica completed her joint law and Masters of Public Administration degree at Queen’s University. She began her legal career in the federal public service, and then moved to in-house roles as a regulatory lawyer in “Corporate Canada.” After leaving in-house practice, Monica launched Chohan Law and Wilbrod House Consulting. From 2017-2020, Monica also worked part-time alongside the founder of an organization focused on the well-being of girls called Dandelion Dance. Today, Monica continues to run her own legal practice through Chohan Law, where she provides governance training and related advisory services to not-for-profit boards. She also conducts workplace investigations and is in the process of developing a related meditation practice. Alongside her work at Chohan Law, Monica also provides strategic advisory and facilitation services through her business, Wilbrod House Consulting.

In true Off the Tracks fashion, Monica loves doing things differently. Monica shares stories with us about a rebellious stage in her youth – as in how she rebelled by almost going to medical school. We also speak at length about how being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult can lead to many “aha” moments. Monica shares the beauty and heartache behind her work with the now defunct Dandelion Dance program in Ottawa, and how it had nothing to do with dance and everything to do with building safer creative communities for girl-identifying children and youth.

Work with Monica through Chohan Law

Work with Monica through Wilbrod House Consulting

Learn from Monica on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we are joined by Lucas Kilravey. Lucas is an established and enthusiastic advocate for access to justice and equity, diversity, and inclusion in the legal profession. He began his commercial real estate practice in the Toronto office of Borden Ladner Gervais LPP (BLG), and now practices at Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP in their New York office.

During his time with BLG, Lucas served as Chair of BLG’s national 2SLGBTQ+ employee resource group and, among other initiatives, founded 2SLGBTQ+ Firm Hop recruitment initiatives by partnering with 40 law firms across Canada and 2SLGBTQ+ mentorship programs within BLG and with partner firms across the country. Most recently, Lucas co-founded and chaired the planning committee for the PRISME law conference and co-founded and oversaw the incorporation and formation of the Canadian Association of LGBTQ2S+ Lawyers (CALL). Lucas currently serves as the inaugural President and Chair of CALL and is an active member of WeilPride.

Lucas participates in and spearheads so many important community initiatives, sometimes it’s easy to forget he also practices law on top of everything else! Lucas shares about his experience starting law school in his thirties, how he more than doubled the size of Osgoode’s Pro Bono Students Canada chapter, and how he got his articling role in big law through the formal Toronto articling recruit. Lucas also gets real about New York lawyer salaries and what drove him to help create CALL.

Connect with Lucas on LinkedIn

Connect with the PRISME Conference on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Amy Grubb as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series, Going Solo. Amy is a lawyer, legal consultant, and Clio Certified Consultant. She is the Founder of Grubb Legal Consulting, a company that helps lawyers build more profitable practices. In this episode, Amy shares the story of how at ten years of practicing law she left the business law group at a national law firm to figure out what she wanted to do next in her career. Amy tells us how opening an online gift shop launched her into the world of entrepreneurship and led her to start her own practice and later, her consulting business. In this conversation we also explore the difference between a coach and a consultant, how Amy sets fun quarterly goals to celebrate her success, and the unsuspecting place kiwis are grown.

Work with Amy / Follow Amy on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we are joined by Catie Fenn. She is a lawyer turned life coach for young professionals, helping them to find more purpose, passion, and personal alignment in their lives. Catie began her career in litigation and practiced for 6 years. For 5 of those 6 years, she also built a coaching, retreat and digital course personal development business. 

Catie shares how and why she started her business, and why she’s returned to simultaneously practicing law after stepping away for 5 years. Catie is an expert at helping people find their next right step and she teaches us how to cultivate a strong sense of self trust. The three of us also dive into breakup stories and our experiences reframing failure.

Work with Catie

Follow Catie on Instagram

Follow Catie on TikTok

Learn from Catie on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Off the Tracks! In this episode, we briefly introduce ourselves, the podcast, and the conversations we hope to share with you in the future. We talk about the role that brought us together, our shared birthday, and how we envision a career off the tracks.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

In this episode, we are joined by Kenya-Jade Pinto. Kenya-Jade is an Indo-Kenyan-Canadian documentary photographer, filmmaker, and lawyer. She grew up chasing crabs on the Kenyan coast, before moving to Alberta’s foothills as a teen. Her hyphenated worldview informs her work where she focuses on non-fiction and narrative projects that navigate themes of displacement, belonging, and access to justice. 

When Kenya-Jade began law school, she didn’t see the archetype of the career she wanted reflected anywhere. So, she went out and carved her own creative path. We discuss how to build a sustainable unique career path, taking calculated risks, and we learn what a film producer actually does. Kenya-Jade also gives us an exclusive behind the scenes look at her new photo exhibit, “Storytelling, Migration Journeys, and Technology,” which premiers today (March 28) at the Berkman Klein Institute for Internet & Society at Harvard University. 

Work with Kenya-Jade by clicking here

Follow along with Kenya-Jade’s work on Instagram and Twitter

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 
Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode we are joined by Rebecca Tripp. Rebecca is a licensed paralegal, regulated Canadian immigration consultant, Notary Public, and she recently opened her own law office. She provides legal outsourcing services along with immigration representation, immigration coaching, and unbundled paralegal services. Rebecca also happens to be our very first guest who did not attend law school and we learned a great deal about the path to becoming a licensed paralegal. In this episode we discuss how the paralegal profession is largely misunderstood by the legal profession and the general public, the role of an immigration consultant, how Rebecca works within two complementary professions, and when not to swim in the ocean at night.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

This episode was produced in partnership with Lawbrokr, legal’s first customer experience platform powered by lawyers. To learn more, visit lawbrokr.com and see how you can join the movement to become a modern lawyer.

In this episode we are joined by Pam Hrick. She is the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF). Pam provides leadership, support, and direction to LEAF’s work to advance gender equality through litigation, law reform, and public education. Before joining LEAF, Pam practiced law at Stockwoods LLP. She clerked for the Hon. Justice Thomas Cromwell at the Supreme Court of Canada and the Hon. Justice David Stratas at the Federal Court of Appeal. Pam currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s Administrative Law Section. Pam has been a longtime advocate for women and for 2SLGBTQ+ communities. She is the Chair of the Board of Management of The 519, a city organization that advocates for the inclusion of 2SLGBTQ+ communities. She has been recognized as a Leader to Be Proud Of, by Start Proud, a Precedent Setter by Precedent Magazine, and a Douglas Miller Rising Star by the Canadian Bar Association.

In this conversation, Pam shares with us the common thread she’s woven throughout her time in politics, private practice, academia, and now at LEAF. We also discuss the combined role of Executive Director and General Counsel, what’s lost when a leadership table isn’t represented by diverse perspectives, and how crucial trans inclusivity is within feminist advocacy. Pam also fills us in on how many Broadway shows she’s seen (spoiler: it’s a lot!) and what she’s looking forward to this baseball season.

Get involved with LEAF today!

This conversation zeroes in on legal technology and the importance of building deliberate relationships to make your career soar. Aaron shares with us the biggest challenge with legal tech today (it’s not what you think!), how he has created the training he wishes he’d had access to in the early stages of his career, and the importance of creating cohesive and effective systems.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Braden Lauer, a franchise and corporate commercial lawyer in Vancouver. In 2020, Braden joined the newly founded firm, macushlaw. The firm’s tag-line is “law with a pulse,” and we wanted to learn more about what this means to Braden. In addition to practicing law, Braden is the co-founder of a franchise consulting business, as well as the Chief Legal Officer of a blockchain investment group. In 2014, Braden was crowned the winner of CBC’s reality television show, Canada’s Smartest Person! We discuss how Braden accidentally ended up in law school, what it means to be a B-Corp, controlling your own narrative in life, and Braden’s creative retirement plan.

Follow Braden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradenwithab

To work with Braden visit: https://macushlaw.ca/ or https://www.goodlawyer.ca/profile/bradenlauer

Learn more about Braden’s franchise consulting business: https://thefranchisekickstarter.com/

Learn more about Braden’s work with the Tsukiyomi Group:https://tsukiyomigroup.com/

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

We’re back! After a longer-than-planned hiatus, we are so happy to be launching Season 3 of Off the Tracks. This episode begins with brief life updates from us before diving into our conversation with Stephanie C. Mitchell. 

Stephanie is a keynote speaker who focuses on clear communication and believes in the power of words to both connect us and pull us apart. She has a journalism degree and law degree. Stephanie has extensive experience working with lawyers, judges, engineers, and other professionals. She believes that everyone has their own unique voice and should sound like themselves. Stephanie has lived all over the country and currently resides in Courtenay, British Columbia.

After attending law school, Stephanie immediately paved her own off the tracks route by not seeking articles or getting called to the bar. Instead, Stephanie pursued many fulfilling paths including broadcast journalism, legal career advising, and now, entrepreneurship as a Speaker and Coach. In this conversation, Stephanie shares some of her favourite writing and speaking tips for lawyers, including the importance of bringing more silence back into communication.

Work with Stephanie

Learn from Stephanie on LinkedIn

Follow Stephanie on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

This episode was produced in partnership with Lawbrokr, legal’s first customer experience platform powered by lawyers. To learn more, visit lawbrokr.com and see how you can join the movement to become a modern lawyer.

In this episode we are joined by Aaron Baer. Aaron previously summered, articled, and practiced on Bay Street where he became an equity partner at the age of 29. Needless to say, Aaron’s career started off as anything but “off the tracks.” Nowadays, Aaron is the Co-Founder of 4L Academy, a modern legal training program for law students and lawyers, and the Co-Founder of Build Your Book, which teaches lawyers modern business development and sales skills. He is also a Partner at Renno & Co, a boutique law firm dubbed “Canada’s digital law firm.’ This conversation zeroes in on legal technology and the importance of building deliberate relationships to make your career soar. Aaron shares with us the biggest challenge with legal tech today (it’s not what you think!), how he has created the training he wishes he’d had access to in the early stages of his career, and the importance of creating cohesive and effective systems.

Follow Aaron on LinkedIn

Learn from Aaron through 4L Academy

Grow your practice with Build Your Book

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode we are joined by Samantha Peters. Samantha is a lawyer, LLM candidate at Queen’s University Faculty of Law, and the current Director of Legal Initiatives and Public Interest at Black Femme Legal. Samantha is also a frequent commentator and writer on workers’ rights, sexual and gender-based violence, social policy and critical race theory in Canada. In this episode Samantha asks the important question: who does the law protect and serve? We also discuss how Samantha has found empowering and soul nourishing work, the need for ongoing support for Black law students, why abolishing the bar exam is so important, and the power of a delicious mushroom quinoa risotto.

You can find and follow Samantha’s work and writing in many cool spaces online:

Follow Samantha on Twitter: ​​https://twitter.com/SamPetersTO

Follow Black Femme Legal on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackfemmelegal/

www.SamanthaPeters.ca

www.BlackFemmeLegal.com

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

In this episode, we are joined by Jenn Varzari. Jenn is a litigator, fitness business co-owner, wife to a CFO/rapper, and mom to two feisty yet fantastic young boys. After law school, Jenn spent almost 12 years working for a large corporate law firm doing energy litigation. In 2016, when promised a legal role that would permit her “a rich personal life,” she departed big law to join Aviva Trial Lawyers as their first in-house litigation counsel in Calgary. This role change indeed provided her with time to revisit her passion for physical movement, music, and connection via training for and working as a group fitness instructor and eventually co-creating kin+fit, a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive fitness community that continues to stay true to its philanthropic roots.

Jenn shares about her experience realizing she didn’t want to become a partner at a law firm and how she made her transition out of Big Law. Jenn began auditioning to be a fitness instructor at 40 years old and she talks us through how this process and the communities she found and built have changed her life for the better. Jenn also shares her advice for junior lawyers and her peers, and reminds us that it’s never too late to change your mind, or take a big leap of faith.

Join the kin+fit community in Calgary

Follow kin+fit on Instagram

Connect with Jenn on LinkedIn

Connect with Jenn on Instagram

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we are joined by Erin Zipes. Erin has been a lawyer for eighteen years and has spent half of those years working in tech. She previously spent over seven years at Shopify, serving in a variety of roles including Vice President Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Erin is currently the Chief Legal Officer at 1Password, a password management security software company. Outside of work, Erin also is a Founding Partner of Backbone Angels, a collective of angel investors who invest in women and non-binary founders with a focus on investments in Black, Indigenous, and Women of Colour-led companies.

Erin shares with us the many turning points throughout her career and how she ended up working in tech. By the time Erin left Shopify, she was managing 75 people and we discuss the reality of lawyers as managers. Erin describes her “failure to launch” after articling and how that setback impacted her career outlook. Erin also gives us a behind the scenes look at angel investing and shares how and why Backbone Angels focuses on entrepreneurs who might otherwise not get the funding they need.

Connect with Erin on LinkedIn

Follow Erin on Twitter

Learn more about Backbone Angels

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this final episode of Off the Tracks’ Going Solo series, we are joined by Faren Bogach. At the time of recording, Faren’s firm, Construct Legal, had only been open 6 weeks and this episode explores her perspectives as a new founder.

Faren is an innovator; she is the Founder of Pay Prompt, a legal tech software that provides people with construction law legal information without the need to contact a lawyer, and as the Founder of Construct Legal she has implemented a maximum billable hour policy.

In this conversation, Faren shares how she prepared to go solo after 11 years in Big Law, how fear has played a role in her career, and the importance of having good people around you in legal practice and in life. Listen to the end to hear Faren discuss the perks of working from home, including her newfound Pokemon battle skills.

Learn from Faren: LinkedIn / Twitter

Work with Faren: Construct Legal / Pay Prompt

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Elsa Ascencio as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series about law school debt. Elsa is a workers’ rights lawyer based in Toronto. She is the proud daughter of Salvadoran refugees and being raised in a low income community. We discuss what drew Elsa to workers’ rights law, the intersections of mental health and student debt, the financial cost of seeking mental health support, and her creative business.

Follow Elsa on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/elsaasce

Check out Elsa’s business, The Crafty Lawyer here: https://www.instagram.com/craftylawyer_/ and https://craftylawyer.ca/

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

In this episode, we sit down with Kier Munn as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series, Second Life. From bartending, to working as a refrigeration and airconditioning mechanic, to being a lawyer; Kier’s career has taken many twists and turns. He currently works in the provincial public service at the Office of the Worker Advisor and as a part time instructor in occupational health and safety/disability management. In this episode we discuss Kier’s experience failing out of law school and subsequently re-doing his 1L year, coming to understand his late in life ADHD diagnosis, and his love for his horse Denni.

Follow Kier on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/kiermunn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

This episode was produced in partnership with LawyersInHouse.com, a law firm composed of former in-house counsel. To see how they can provide insightful, pragmatic, and solutions-focused legal services to you and your legal department, visit LawyersInHouse.com.

In this episode, we are joined by Sacha Fraser. Sacha earned her law degree from Queen’s University. Her non-linear career path has gone through many phases, including 6 years off the tracks in three different business roles before returning to law and General Counsel positions at Xerox and now, IBM. Sacha is an avid tennis player, photographer, mixologist and playlist curator. 

In this conversation, Sacha shares about how working in-house can provide meaningful opportunities to become immersed in the business of the organization. Sacha explains how a big risk – taking a business role at Xerox – ended up being a great reward! She also gives fantastic tips about email hygiene and reclaiming time in your workday. And, we learn the sweetest reason why Sacha’s children grew up loving Wednesdays! 

Sacha is a mixologist and in an Off the Tracks first, we’re sharing a cocktail recipe with you today! Here’s Sacha “The Justice” recipe:

• A little less than one ounce of St Germaine

• A little more than one ounce of fresh lime juice

• Simple syrup

• Pour it over ice 

• Top with prosecco 

• To make it a mocktail, use an elderflower drink instead of St Germaine

Learn from Sacha on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Thijiba Sinnathamby as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series, Going Solo. Thijiba is the principal lawyer of TSJ Law, a boutique family law and estate firm in Oakville. Thijiba works extensively with women who have experienced gender based violence. She is also a part-time Staff Lawyer at Luke’s Place and volunteers regularly with the Women’s Centre of Halton. In this conversation, Thijiba tells us about her process of seeking out advice from other female identifying lawyers prior to starting her own firm and how she pays this mentorship forward, the importance of becoming choosier when taking on clients as your practice grows, and her strong belief that there’s room in the legal profession for every solo lawyer to take up space and win.

Work with Thijiba / Follow TSJ Law on Instagram / Follow Thijiba on Twitter 

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

For the final episode of our debt series (for now!) we sat down with the multitalented Sukhpreet Sangha. Sukhpreet is a lawyer, artist, and educator. After beginning her career as a criminal defence lawyer, she later transitioned to working at a community legal clinic where she practiced poverty law. Now, Sukhpreet works at a non-profit organization where she teaches law to newcomer public high school students and runs other related programs. We discuss how Sukhpreet paid off $100,000 in student loans within 7 years, how social justice lawyering is inaccessible for those with high debt loads, the dispiriting nature of staying in a job you don’t enjoy, and our respective theatre endeavours.

Follow Sukhpreet on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/SukhpreetSangha?s=20

Learn more about Sukhpreet’s theatre collective, Informal Upright here: https://informalupright.weebly.com/

Learn more about Yellow Bellies, an audio drama directed by Sukhpreet here: https://theatreofthebeat.ca/yellow-bellies

Read more about Sukhpreet’s debt journey here: https://sukhpreetsangha.medium.com/albatross-unslung-ab0cc19a1f96

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

In this episode we are joined by Aman Costigan. In 2018, Aman had a seemingly “on the tracks” career: she had just made partner at the firm she had been with since articling. After years of feeling like she wanted more in her life, Aman decided to take action in 2019 to create a life she loves. She started on a path towards building her own “Empire of Freedom” by bringing fun and adventure back into her life and starting her own business teaching yoga to lawyers (Beyond Yoga for Lawyers). In this conversation Aman shares with us the “now what?” moment she experienced after becoming a partner at her firm. We also discuss what led Aman to create Beyond Yoga for Lawyers, how she works “hard stops” into her week to create strong work/life boundaries, and how to get closer to your core values. We also discuss the importance of finding a routine that works for the current season of your life – and we learn how Aman is in the midst of a very big upcoming life change!

Learn more about Beyond Yoga for Lawyers and join the private Facebook group

Follow Beyond Yoga for Lawyers on Instagram

Connect with Aman on LinkedIn

This Saturday, April 16 from 8-9am Mountain Time, Aman is teaching a free yoga class for lawyers and law students. To get the Zoom link, join her email list by clicking here. 

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

Content warning: This episode discusses sexual assault, rape, and experiences interacting with police. If any of these topics are triggering for you, we encourage you to forgo listening to this episode. To find crisis support in your region (within Canada) please visit: https://endingviolencecanada.org/sexual-assault-centres-crisis-lines-and-support-services/.

In the season finale of Off the Tracks, we sit down with Ava Williams. A Western Law alumna and now a civil litigator at Thomson Rogers, Ava is a strong advocate both in and out of the courtroom. In 2017, the Globe & Mail published Unfounded, a 20-month-long investigation into how police handle sexual assault allegations. Ava’s experience was featured as one of the central storylines throughout the investigation.

In this episode we discuss how and why Ava chose to become involved in the Unfounded investigation, the trauma that accompanies reporting a sexual assault, the profound impact Ava’s story has had on Erin and Piper, and the power of hearing someone say “I believe you.”

Thank you for supporting our first season. Off the Tracks is taking a summer hiatus and we look forward to bringing you new episodes in Fall 2021.

Follow Ava on Twitter: https://twitter.com/avanwlaw

Read Part 1 of Unfounded and navigate to all subsequent articles here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/investigations/unfounded-sexual-assault-canada-main/article33891309/

Read about Ava’s experience reporting and the text of Sadie’s note here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/investigations/what-its-like-to-report-a-sexual-assault-36-people-share-their-stories/article34338353/#5

Read a profile of Ava within this article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/investigations/unfounded-these-canadians-are-working-on-the-front-lines-of-a-changing-system/article37305356/

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Today we are joined by Aladdin Tingling Diakun. Aladdin is a Certified Executive Coach for new planet professionals, a corporate lawyer for small and mid-size enterprises, and a circular economy board chair with nearly 2 decades of experience in climate and sustainability. 

In this episode, Aladdin takes us through the story arc of how he came to attend law school as a mature student, how he emerged from articling a shell of his former self, and now, how he centres wellness at the forefront of his career. We also get curious about Aladdin’s climate advocacy and sustainability work and we learn how everyone can get involved at their own pace. Aladdin also expands our minds by explaining how climate change impacts every area of the law – even areas you would never initially expect! As a coach, Aladdin is highly skilled at asking insightful questions, including the one he leaves us with in this episode: what does it mean to find wellness in the context of such rapid change and discontinuity?

Learn more about Impact Zero

Learn more about Lawyers for Climate Justice

Learn from Aladdin on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Leah Klassen, Associate at Wolseley Law in Winnipeg. The tag-line at Wolseley Law is “doing law differently,” and Leah has been embodying this ethos since she graduated law school. From holding a role in Pro Bono Students Canada’s (PBSC) national office, to articling with the Legal Help Centre of Winnipeg, working in family and fertility law in the GTA, and now working for a progressive and innovative law firm back in Winnipeg, Leah’s legal career has consistently been focused on access to justice initiatives. We discuss our shared love of PBSC, setting and following boundaries in your professional life, what it means to be “doing law differently,” and Leah’s future career as an operator of a magic school bus.

In this episode, we refer to a 2016 student debt article Leah is quoted in. Read that article here:  https://www.cba.org/Publications-Resources/CBA-Practice-Link/Young-Lawyers/2016/handcuffs

Leah references the Canadian Bar Association’s The Every Lawyer podcast, specifically the following episode, “Conversations on Calls to action 34-40 — Indigenous people in the justice system.” Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/39YhwAX1fAcYupVP4r6jjo?si=eI7SXurUQeGoVU6Qr1UNJQ

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

In this episode, we sit down with Samantha Clarke as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series, Second Life. Samantha is an award winning International wedding and portrait photographer, business coach, educator and mentor. Prior to founding her photography business, Samantha worked in the clinic system in the areas of employment and disability law. In this episode we discuss how Samantha juggled being a full time lawyer and part time photographer, the power of niching down your business, the importance of charging your worth, and what Samantha has learned since becoming a mom.

Find Samantha’s website here: https://www.samantha-clarke.com/

Follow Samantha on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/samanthaclarke/

Subscribe to Samantha’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/samanthaclarkea

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Hi! We're Erin and Piper, we're friends navigating life and the legal profession together, in our own way.

This passion project grew out of asking each other the question “what does it look like to do law differently, and what does that even mean?” Off the Tracks will host guests bi-weekly as we explore all of the diverse ways to practice law (or not!), be a lawyer, and stay true to your authentic self. Our goal is to spark a larger conversation about the diversity of experiences in the legal profession. We’ll be keeping things light and breezy while tackling complex and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about student debt and finances, mental health, diversity and inclusion, charting your own path, a-typical legal careers, and more.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us! 

- Erin & Piper

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

This episode was produced in partnership with Lawbrokr, legal’s first customer experience platform powered by lawyers. To learn more, visit lawbrokr.com and see how you can join the movement to become a modern lawyer.

In this episode we are joined by Leena Yousefi. Leena is a multi-award winning family lawyer, accredited mediator, and the founder of YLaw, the fastest growing female-led law firm in Western Canada. She has been named as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada, one of Business in Vancouver’s Top 40 under 40, and voted as the #1 top-rated Vancouver Divorce Lawyer in British Columbia. Leena has won over 90% of her family law cases since 2013. In 202, she was named by Lexpert as the only family lawyer in Canada to become the Rising Star of the legal profession. In 2022, she was chosen as one of the Top 50 Change Makers in Canada by the Globe and Mail and had YLaw rank in the Top 10 Innovators’ List of Canada.

Leena, a self-described outsider, gives us an inside look at many professional failures which have led her to this point in her life. This conversation also takes a deep dive into the holistic ways Leena approaches law and business. We learn how Leena positions her colleagues to do work they love, why and how YLaw transitioned to a 4-day work week and what impact this has had on the firm as business, and why she took her entire team (and their families!) on an all expenses paid one-week vacation.

Learn more about legal coaching at YLaw

Learn from Leena on LinkedIn

Follow YLaw on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

Today we are joined by Paula Price. Paula began her career as a lawyer and now runs her own executive coaching business for lawyers. She coaches lawyers at all levels to help them create greater career satisfaction, whether that means developing practice skills to thrive in the job they're in or making a career transition. Paula is also a podcaster and produces a weekly podcast called The Joyful Practice for Women Lawyers where she shares resources, strategies and interviews to help lawyers thrive in practice.

Paula’s legal career has taken many forms. She has worked extensively in private practice as a litigator, spent time as a contract research lawyer, built her own on-going lawyer coaching business, and designed and delivered public legal education programs for a non-profit organization. We dive into what motivated Paula to leave private practice – and what drew her to coaching – and how to find career and life experiences that feel aligned with your core values and goals. Paula also takes us through why it is important for lawyers to think about legacy building early in their careers and how a coach can help you craft a career trajectory that reduces burnout.

Work with Paula through Uplevel Lawyer Coaching

Listen and subscribe to Paula’s podcast, The Joyful Practice for Women Lawyers

Learn from Paula on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we are joined by Shaun Bernstein. Shaun Bernstein is the owner and Chief Storyteller of The Write Stuff Agency, a content writing business based just outside Toronto. A journalist turned lawyer turned storyteller, he helps professionals and businesses better tell their stories through all forms of online content and copywriting. 

Before starting his own business, Shaun held many roles throughout his legal career including: practicing as a lawyer, full-time document review and marketing at a Bay Street law firm. He shares what he has learned throughout his experience transitioning from practicing to non-practicing status, and back again. We dive deep into the current state of mental health in the legal profession and Shaun also talks us through the “3 week rule” to help lawyers figure out the difference between needing to take time off from practice or needing to step away from the profession altogether. 

Work with Shaun through The Write Stuff Agency

Learn from Shaun on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 
Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode we are launching a brand new series, Going Solo. In this series of episodes, we will speak with lawyers who have made the leap and opened their own law firm.

In this episode we are joined by Jennifer Chan. Jennifer is a workplace litigator who represents employees, small to medium-sized businesses, and non-profit organizations in employment disputes. She also practices workers’ compensation law. In this conversation, Jennifer explains how there is increased job security as a solo practitioner, how she is currently growing her practice, the mental cost of paying off student debt, and her love of poker and the Toronto Raptors.

Follow Jennifer on Twitter. / Work with Jennifer. / Learn from Jennifer’s student debt journey.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode we are joined by JP Rodrigues. JP is the Paralegal Program Coordinator at a number of the TriOS College campuses, a legal instructor, and a criminal defence lawyer. JP is the creator and host of Justice in Pieces, a live podcast where guests from the legal profession offer their advice to JP’s students. After guesting on Justice in Pieces, it was our turn to put JP in the hot seat! In this episode we discuss how not initially securing an articling position changed the trajectory of JP’s career, the role of overnight telephone duty counsel, and his experience becoming a viral sensation and celebrity in China.

Follow JP on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/justiceinpieces

Find Justice in Pieces episodes here: https://www.justiceinpieces.ca/

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

This episode was produced in partnership with Lawbrokr, legal’s first customer experience platform powered by lawyers. To learn more, visit lawbrokr.com and see how you can join the movement to become a modern lawyer.

In the season finale of Off the Tracks we are joined by Daniel Steinberg. Daniel is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lawbrokr, a platform helping connect consumers with lawyers for everyday legal needs. Armed with a professional background in sales and partnerships, and an academic background in business and accounting, Daniel first became immersed in the world of legal tech while working at Clio.

All of Daniel’s insights share a common theme: the power of confident sales skills and perseverance. In this episode, Daniel shares with us why he was driven to become a Founder, how and why Lawbrokr introduced “Curiosity Days” for the entire team, and how to reframe setbacks as opportunities. Daniel also poses an important question: what exactly do lawyers sell? This episode is for anyone looking to up their sales confidence in any industry, especially the legal profession.

Connect with Daniel on Linkedin

Follow Lawbrokr on Instagram

Follow Daniel on Twitter

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Kaye Booth as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series, Going Solo. After starting her family law practice at a large firm, Kaye opened her own firm, Empathy and Advocacy Family Lawyers in 2021. Empathy and Advocacy Family Lawyers operates solely with accessible, flat rate pricing for family law clients. Since first opening her solo practice, Kaye has now brought on an Associate and together they work to provide counsel for individuals who cannot afford an hourly lawyer, but also do not qualify for legal aid. In this conversation, Kaye shares how she harnesses her kindness and uses it as a superpower, the importance of recognizing the humanity in everyone you meet, accepting that you’re never going to know everything, and how the proudest moment of her career involved zero dollars and one delicious cake.

Work with Kaye / Follow Empathy & Advocacy Family Lawyers on Instagram

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

This episode was produced in partnership with LawyersInHouse.com, a law firm composed of former in-house counsel. To see how they can provide insightful, pragmatic, and solutions-focused legal services to you and your legal department, visit ⁠LawyersInHouse.com⁠.

Please note: this episode has some unexpected technical glitches we were unable to clear in the editing process. 

In this episode, we are joined by Bindu Dhaliwal. Bindu is a seasoned professional with more than 15 years of experience in sustainability and environmental, social, and governance. A lawyer by training, Bindu began her career in the litigation department of a major Canadian law firm and clerked at the Ontario Court of Appeal. Currently, she is CIBC’s Senior Vice-President, ESG & Corporate Governance, responsible for its ESG strategy, disclosure, governance and engagement activities. In her role, Bindu also oversees CIBC’s Corporate Secretary function, Whistleblower Program, and Client Complaints Appeals Office.  

In this conversation, Bindu gives us a behind the curtain look at environmental, social, and governance legal roles. We also dive deep into advice about how to course correct career decisions and how speaking up for what you want can help you achieve your career goals. 

Learn from Bindu on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@offthetrackspodcast⁠, check out our website ⁠offthetrackspodcast.com⁠, or connect with us by emailing ⁠podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com⁠.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? ⁠Click here⁠ to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Glynnis Hawe as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series about law school debt. Glynnis is a fourth-year associate at Paliare Roland LLP, a mid-size litigation boutique in Toronto. We discuss paying off approximately $150,000 in student debt, the price of law school tuition, the psychological effects of monstrous debt, feeling “behind” in life due to law school debt, and Glynnis’ unique pre-law line of work.

Follow Glynnis on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/GlynnisHawe

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

This episode marks the beginning of our series about law school debt. Throughout this series, we will be speaking with lawyers who have had a variety of diverse experiences with law school debt.

In this episode, we sit down with Karly Lyons. Karly is currently completing the lawyer licensing process in Ontario and is the co-founder and director of Legal Listening, a Canadian Law Blog Award (CLAWBIE) winning legal audio podcast. A peer of ours from Windsor Law, we have long admired Karly’s activism and advocacy on access to justice issues and structural problems within the legal profession and beyond. We discuss how Karly’s decision to go to law school as a mature student has impacted her experiences in the profession, the rising costs of real estate, how salary information in the legal profession is often clouded in secrecy, the de-regulation of law school tuition, and Karly’s collection of quarantine hobbies.

Follow Karly on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/KLyo23

Learn more about Legal Listening here:  https://www.legallistening.com/

Follow Legal Listening on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/LegalListening

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Hernaez as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series about law school debt. Jeff is an associate at Lawson Lundell LLP in Vancouver. We discuss rolling separate loans into one repayment plan, how law school debt impacts career decisions for years to come, taking a hybrid approach of paying off debt and simultaneously building savings, and grand prize money on reality television shows.

Follow Jeff on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/JeffHernaez

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

This episode was produced in partnership with LawyersInHouse.com, a law firm composed of former in-house counsel. To see how they can provide insightful, pragmatic, and solutions-focused legal services to you and your legal department, visit LawyersInHouse.com.

In this episode, we are joined by Christine Holmes. Christine is the Founder and CEO of LawyersInHouse.com. With diverse legal and business experience, Christine founded LawyersInHouse.com on the principle of making legal services more accessible and the legal industry more diverse and inclusive. Her specialties include general commercial law, IT, privacy, advertising, employment, leasing and working within regulatory environments. She has provided legal services to a broad range of clients, from senior executives and in-house counsel of large national and multinational corporations to small businesses and startups. Christine is passionate about changing the legal industry for the better for both her clients and her team.

In this conversation, we learn about Christine’s entrepreneurship journey and why she created LawyersInHouse.com. Christine emphasizes how each in-house work environment is different, and shares insights about her experiences working in-house at both Cineplex and Pepsi. We also dive into why Christine has built a remote-first company and how she fosters community within her remote team. 

Work with Christine through Lawyers in House

Learn from Christine on LinkedIn

Follow LawyersInHouse.com on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with David Danielson as part of a continuation of Off the Tracks’ series, Going Solo. David is a founding partner of DK Law in Ottawa, a firm he opened with his friend from law school directly after they completed their articles. Prior to his legal career, David worked as a computer scientist with the federal government. We kick off this episode by sharing how Kijiji brought David and Piper together way back in 2014. We later dive into how David has used the referrals to build his practice, his experience teaching in the Paralegal program at Algonquin College, how he sets clear expectations with his clients, and how a single speeding ticket led David to appear at the Court of Appeal in Quebec. (You can find David’s speeding ticket journey on CanLii here and here!)

Learn more about the Law Society of Ontario referral service here.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode we are joined by our friend and law school classmate, Micah Pirk O’Connell. After articling at a litigation firm in Toronto, Micah transitioned to a non-practicing privacy role within Nova Scotia’s provincial public service. Prior to law school, Micah and his partner traveled across Canada performing folk music professionally. In this episode, Micah shares his thoughts on the doors a law degree can open for you, his challenging experience not being hired back after articling, the importance of showing up as your full self throughout law school and recruitment processes, and his experience playing a gig at a tiny Bavarian Schnitzel Haus in Kimberly, British Columbia.

Find Micah’s music here: http://micahoconnell.weebly.com/

Find Micah’s rare books and comic Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/rare_books_and_comics/

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

In this episode, we are joined by Chevin Commock, who also goes by Sebastian. Chevin is the Manager of Legal Initiatives at The 519, a Toronto based organization committed to the health, happiness, and full participation of 2SLGBTQ+ communities. In this role, Chevin is responsible for managing the administration of The 519’s existing legal clinics and services, legal education work, and other access to justice initiatives. Chevin is a Jamaican native who relocated to Canada in 2015 as a refugee claimant. Chevin is a Leo, and lover of nature and the outdoors.

Chevin has seen and experienced the law in-action from many vantage points including as a newcomer to Canada, a paralegal, and through his work at The 519. Chevin shares how he first interacted with The 519 by accessing newcomer services and how his involvement with the organization has evolved. Chevin talks us through the scope of The 519’s important initiatives including the Trans ID Clinic, Refugee Mock Hearing, and Case Support Programs. We also discuss the importance of chosen family and Chevin’s exciting future in the legal profession.

Live in Toronto? Volunteer at The 519!

Follow The 519 on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter

Connect with Chevin on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In this episode we are joined by Erin Cowling. Erin is the Founder and CEO of Flex Legal Network, a network of experienced freelance lawyers who assist sole practitioners, law firms, and in-house legal departments on a project or contract basis. Erin is a freelance lawyer, writer, legal career consultant, and frequent speaker on topics like women and the law, business development, and innovative legal practices. She became a freelance lawyer after spending 7 years as a corporate litigation associate on Bay Street and 8 very long months as an estate litigation associate. In this episode, Erin shares about her experience quitting her job as an associate without having another job lined up, and how this seemingly rash decision at the time led to the creation of Flex Legal Network. Erin also shares what a day-in-the-life of a freelance lawyer looks like, why it is her mission to help lawyers fall back in love with practicing law, and a funny story from when she used to be a wedding dress model.

Work with Flex Legal Network

Follow Flex Legal Network / Erin on Twitter

Follow Flex Legal Network on Instagram

Connect with Erin on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In the third season finale of Off the Tracks, we are joined by Joshua Lenon, the Lawyer in Residence at Clio, an intuitive cloud-based legal practice management solution.

This episode dives deep into the intersections of law, technology, and innovation! Joshua shares about launching his own immigration law firm – while commuting weekly between Canada and the USA and working his day job – early in his career. This experience introduced him to Clio, a cloud based legal software company, which allowed him to be in 2 places at once. Years later, Joshua is a member of the Clio team, and he breaks down what working as Clio’s Lawyer in Residence entails. We also chat about Joshua’s sand volleyball hobby and a wild fact about Saskatchewan’s trust accounting rules!

Follow Joshua on Twitter

Read Clio’s 2023 Legal Trends Report here

Learn more about the Clio Cloud Conference here

Curious about starting your own law firm? Get Clio’s free guide here

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@offthetrackspodcast⁠, check out our website ⁠offthetrackspodcast.com⁠, or connect with us by emailing ⁠podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com⁠.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? ⁠Click here⁠ to learn more and access services.

In this episode, we sit down with Litsa Dantzer, the founder of Canada’s largest legal career community, Law Job Exchange. A law grad herself, Litsa transitioned into a career as a legal recruiter; she currently works at Shopify in Talent Acquisition and runs a legal career coaching service outside of business hours. We discuss why it’s useful to see a financial advisor even when you have little to no money, the discrimination faced by job seekers who have been accredited through the National Committee on Accreditation, how we take care of our physical and mental health, and our musical capabilities.

Find Litsa here:

Law Job Exchange: https://lawjobexchange.ca/ / https://www.facebook.com/groups/lawstudentjobs

or

Legal Career Coach: https://www.legalcareercoach.ca/

In the episode, Litsa refers to the Mindful Lawyer Canada. Find that resource here: https://www.maneeshagupta.com/work/mindfulnesslaw

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

Trailer Music: There Ain't No Other Way - Jingle Punks

Support by RFM - NCM: https://youtu.be/fb5KRcivopU

This episode was produced in partnership with LawyersInHouse.com, a law firm composed of former in-house counsel. To see how they can provide insightful, pragmatic, and solutions-focused legal services to you and your legal department, visit LawyersInHouse.com.

In this episode, we are joined by Avi Weiss. Avi is the Founder of Counselwell, a community that supports the professional and personal development of in-house lawyers. He also works as  Senior Legal Counsel at Coinsquare, an IIROC-regulated cryptocurrency trading platform operating in Canada.

In this conversation, Avi takes us through the two big setbacks he experienced throughout his career. He also discusses what in-house life is all about and how Counselwell helps advance the careers of in-house lawyers, through community and tailored programming.

Learn from Avi on LinkedIn

Learn more and join Counselwell

Attend the Counselwell Summit 2023

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 
Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

In our first non-series based episode of season 2, we are so excited to be joined by Rachael Kwan. Rachael works as a Senior Manager in the Competition Law Compliance Program at Scotiabank. Prior to the role, she was a litigation lawyer and worked in the non-profit sector. In this episode we soak up Rachel’s “big sister Virgo energy” as she dishes insightful advice about her alternative path to practice, the benefits of mentorship, classism in law school, and her financial secret weapon.

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

- Erin & Piper

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services: https://www.cba.org/Sections/Wellness-Subcommittee/Wellness-Programs

This episode was produced in partnership with Lawbrokr, legal’s first customer experience platform powered by lawyers. To learn more, visit lawbrokr.com and see how you can join the movement to become a modern lawyer.

In this episode we are joined by Sandra Shime. Sandra began her career in New York City as a litigation associate before spending five years as an Assistant District Attorney in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has worked as the Alternate Chair and Vice-Chair at the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal for 13 years. She was recently named co-chair for the Toronto chapter of the Women in Leadership Foundation and is a lifelong volunteer who has consistently dedicated her time to improving the lives of women and girls throughout the legal profession and beyond.

In this conversation, Sandra illuminates the important difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and explains the small but meaningful steps individuals can take to sponsor others to help them reach new heights in their careers. She also shares about her experience moving from the U.S. to Canada and subsequently taking time away from practice at a midpoint in her career. Sandra’s story reminds us about the long term positive ripple effects of helping others.

Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn

Learn about Sandra’s volunteer work

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper –

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.

This episode was produced in partnership with LawyersInHouse.com, a law firm composed of former in-house counsel. To see how they can provide insightful, pragmatic, and solutions-focused legal services to you and your legal department, visit LawyersInHouse.com.

In this episode, we are joined by Jaclyn Leong. She is the Senior Director, Legal at Aritzia where she leads the employment law team supporting all workplace and immigration matters across Canada, USA, and abroad. She provides strategic guidance to Aritzia’s leadership team and internal departments as Aritzia expands into new markets and grows its eCommerce business. Jaclyn previously practiced at Farris LLP in downtown Vancouver as part of their labour and employment and litigation groups and in-house at TELUS as part of their Litigation Team.

In this conversation, Jaclyn takes us through her career trajectory from summer articles with the Department of Justice, to working in private practice, and recently, to her in-house roles in large organizations. Jaclyn tells the story of how not meeting her billable targets in private practice helped redirect her career onto a new path more suited to her ambitions. We learn about Jaclyn’s current experience working at Aritzia – a company focused on expansion and growth. Jaclyn shares about each element of her role at Aritzia and how working in-house has afforded her the opportunity to contribute to business strategy and development. Jaclyn also provides an important reminder and insightful tips about how to be as mindful about building our personal lives as we are about building our careers. 

Learn from Jaclyn on LinkedIn

Follow us on Instagram @offthetrackspodcast, check out our website offthetrackspodcast.com, or connect with us by emailing podcast.offthetracks@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking some time to step off the tracks with us!

– Erin & Piper – 

Did you know there are free and confidential mental health supports available to law students, paralegals, and lawyers in every province and territory? Click here to learn more and access services.