The Law School Show

Professor Y.Y. Brandon Chen is a health and migration law scholar, currently teaching at uOttawa as part of the Common Law faculty. He has researched extensively on the intersection of healthcare, immigration and the law. His areas of interest include healthcare ethics regarding migrant workers and non-citizen populations. Considering that COVID has created a wealth of travel and healthcare inequities, we sit down with Professor Chen to examine how COVID has affected the healthcare landscape for migrant/immigrant populations and what can be done to ameliorate the situation moving forward. Please note that this episode was recorded during 2022, and information presented on the COVID-19 Pandemic was up to date at the time of recording, but may have changed since. For updated information on COVID-19, you can consult the Government of Canada's resources here: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

On this episode of the Law School Show, host Nicholas Cheung sits down with Samantha Seabrook to discuss the ins and outs of running your own practice, including how to get started, growing your client base, and building a practice that aligns with your values. 

Join Amos Vang as he interviews articling student and former U Sports rugby player Catrina Thompson! From playing 5 seasons with both the Carleton University Ravens and the University of Calgary Dinos, Catrina brings plenty of experience from her days as a rugby player into law school.  Amos and Catrina talk about the importance of fitness and physical health in the legal profession, the lessons that Catrina learned from her time playing rugby, and the interesting rivalry between the Carleton Ravens and the University of Ottawa Gee Gees. Music by: Scott Buckley

In this episode, Joe Caligiuri, an NHLPA Agent and practicing lawyer based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, sits down with host, Justin Papoff, to talk about what life is like as a sports agent. Joe discusses how he established his sports management agency, CAL Sports Management, going into detail about the player-agent relationship and how he built a client base that supports his passion for hockey.

An exploration into legal practice in rural Canada; complete with the ins and outs, opportunities and current insights. Find out if rural practice might be for you!

Join Amos Vang on this special episode as he interviews The Honourable Andromache Karakatsanis, puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada! As the first Greek-Canadian to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, Justice Karakatsanis is an outstanding force to be reckoned with.  From working at her family's pancake and steak restaurant to mastering the literary arts in her undergraduate years to becoming a justice with over 11 years (and counting) of experience at the Supreme Court of Canada, Justice Karakatsanis shares the lessons she's learned over the decades and the memorable moments that she's enjoyed over her career. You do not want to miss this episode! You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel!

We sat down with Professor Tanya J. Monestier, Professor of Law at the University of Buffalo and author of "Sh*t No One Tells You About Law School", a funny, insightful, and easy to read book that offers law students a compilation of advice culled from the author's fifteen years of teaching experience. We speak with Professor Monestier about topics covered in her book and even get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the writing process.   You can find her book here: https://www.amazon.com/One-Tells-You-About-School/dp/1531024750 https://cap-press.com/books/isbn/9781531024758/Sht-No-One-Tells-You-About-Law-School

In this episode, Host Nick Kruiper sits down with lawyer Christopher Deeble. Mr. Deeble is a lawyer at Nelligan's, where he specializes in family law and mediation. Nick asks Christopher about his early history at the University of Ottawa, and how his education lured him toward alternative dispute resolutions mechanisms in family law. They then discuss Christopher's career, and how he has applied this knowledge to his practice. Finally, the two discuss Christopher's involvement in The Ontario Association for Family Mediation. For more information on The Ontario Association for Family Mediation, please check out the Association's website: https://familymediationottawa.com/. Christopher's bio can also be found here: https://nelliganlaw.ca/team/christopher-deeble/.

Hosts Hailey Berge and Kelley Humber are joined by uOttawa Law Professor, Carissima Mathen, to discuss the implications of the recent May 13, 2022 Supreme Court of Canada decisions which struck down section 33.1 of the Criminal Code, declaring it to be unconstitutional. As Professor Mathen explains, even though Parliament had good intention to protect victims of crime with this provision, it ultimately resulted in violations of section 7 and 11(d) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that could not be justified. Even so, this unanimous 9-0 ruling resulted in a lot of public scrutiny and has left many of us wondering what it means and how the public will be affected.   We also discuss different ways that the intention of section 33.1 to protect vulnerable groups from violence can still be met in the future, specifically through new constitutionally compliant legislation. Ultimately, the ball is in Parliament's court now.  Note: since recording, Federal Justice Minister David Lametti has proposed a single-provision bill, Bill C-28, to address the gap that was left by section 33.1 being struck down. This amendment to the Criminal Code would mean that “an individual would be held responsible for the violence they commit while in a state of extreme intoxication if they ended up in that state through their own criminal negligence.” (Ottawa proposes narrower self-induced extreme intoxication defence to violence to ‘fill legal gap', Cristin Schmitz,  Ottawa proposes narrower self-induced extreme intoxication defence to violence to ‘fill legal gap' - The Lawyer's Daily (thelawyersdaily.ca)).  If you reach the end of the episode and still want to know more, check out the below resources:  Supreme Court of Canada full decisions: R. v. Sullivan - SCC Cases (scc-csc.ca), R. v. Brown - SCC Cases (scc-csc.ca) Cases in Brief: R v Sullivan and R v Chan SCC Case Brief and R v Brown SCC Case Brief  Leaf's Intervener Factum LEAF Intervenes in the Appeal of R v Sullivan and R v Chan - LEAF; R. v. Brown - LEAF Plaxton, Michael, and Carissima Mathen. “What's Right With Section 33.1” (2021), 25 Can. Crim. L.R. 255

In this episode, Host Ali Mesbahian talks to Professor Valerio De Stefano from Osgoode Hall Law School about the intrusions of modern information technology on our work and personal lives. What is algorithmic management and how pervasive is it? What are some of the technologies that are used for surveillance in the workplace and how do we combat them? How do companies in the “platform economy” like Uber and Lyft escape employment and labour regulation? Concerns are fleshed out, myths are debunked and solutions are explored — stay tuned for this fascinating discussion!

On this episode of The Law School Show, host Abbey Shields sits down with Charmaine Panko, collaborative lawyer, mediator, and founder of Panko Collaborative Law & Mediation. They discuss Charmaine's path to practicing family law, her approach to collaborative law, and recent legislative changes in Saskatchewan mandating early family dispute resolution in certain family law proceedings.

Lawyers help create, interpret, and apply the laws that govern our societies and daily lives. That is why, it is no surprise that so many lawyers find a calling to public service at some point in their careers. In this edition of the Law School show, our host Faaris Hussain sits down with Allan Rock, former Attorney General of Canada and current Professor/President Emeritus at the University of Ottawa - to speak about setting aside the life of traditional practice to pursue the responsibilities of public office. Professor Rock explains this career choice that lawyers make, its cost and benefits, the opportunities it provides, and how lawyers/law students can help inform a decision about whether this career choice is for them.

Join Amos Vang on this special episode as he interviews The Honourable Marshall Rothstein, former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada!             It is commonly known that being a Supreme Court justice is difficult.  However, what is not commonly known is one's life and path towards becoming a Supreme Court justice.  Justice Rothstein reminisces about his journey from working extremely long hours as a waiter and a pantryman on a dining car, to law school, to his early legal practice, and to his experiences as a Supreme Court justice.  Justice Rothstein also discusses the importance of civility and the art of civil disagreement, which are important skills in judging, in the legal practice, and in daily life.             This episode is also available to view on our YouTube channel.  You do not want to miss this episode. Intro and Outro music by: Scott Buckley – Race the Sun https://www.scottbuckley.com.au

In this episode hosted by Bianca Morello, we speak with two second-year law students. We touch on OCIs, as all three of us had very different paths and OCI outcomes. We also talk about our study habits, the importance of grades, the importance of friendships, and the difficulties of online school.

In this episode, Nick Kruiper sits down with Dustin Moores, a lawyer at Nnovation LLP. Nnovation is an Ontario law firm that is completely virtual. Nick and Dustin discuss Nnovation's unique business model, as well as Canada's shift toward a virtual legal world. They also discuss the Law and Technology Option for uOttawa students. As a graduate of the law program, Dustin completed the Law and Tech Option at uOttawa. Dustin shares his experience with the Option, and his advice for future students that are considering it. To learn more, check out Nnovation's website: https://nnovation.com/ 

Since the start of the pandemic, a lot of people have been considering the what, where, and why of legal work. Calgary-based startup Goodlawyer takes on these concerns by connecting lawyers with clients over an online platform. Matt Scrivens, Goodlawyer's Head of Legal Experience and the host of the Goodlawyer podcast (https://www.goodlawyer.ca/podcast), joined Jake Clark for a discussion about decentralization vs. centralization, what we can learn from blockchain, and how past practice models may provide guidance for the future. 

In this episode, our host Prabhjot Punnia sits down with Professor Linda Reif to discuss the role and mandates of ombuds institutions. Professor Reif has published extensively on national human rights institutions, ombuds institutions, children's rights institutions, international human rights law, international trade law and international business law.  Her work is widely cited and includes Ombuds Institutions, Good Governance and the International Human Rights System (Brill/Nijhoff, 2d revised edition, 2020), co-authorship of Kindred's International Law: Chiefly as Interpreted and Applied in Canada (Emond, 9th edition, 2019), and numerous book chapters and law review articles, including in the Harvard Human Rights Journal and Human Rights Law Review.

This episode takes a unique turn as Ocean shares the mic with a guest from outside Canada: Thomas Galloway. Thomas obtained his law degree from the University of Denver before joining the law toolbox - a cloud-based deadline management system. Thomas is also the founder of sustainable fitness, a company focused on offering fitness coaching to attorneys, business execs, and other professionals. Tune in to learn about sustainable fitness and lifestyle choices, entrepreneurial insights, and the intriguing differences between the law school experience in Denver vs Ontario.   

Many students struggle to approach professors or people in their law school for research opportunities. It may be hard to see the value, experience, and opportunities of pursuing research during your law school years. Our host, Meena Alnajar, sits down with articling student Ryan and current law student Yasmin to discuss what a 'Research Assistant' is and why you might consider being one in your law school years. 

Not sure what area of law to practice? Want to know how to find a law mentor? Join Maddy Tebbutt, a 2L student, as she has a conversation with Danielle Robitaille, a leading trial lawyer in Canada, a partner at Henein Hutchison LLP in Toronto, and the host of Emond Publishing's podcast, "The Lawyers Lounge". Tune in and listen as Danielle instills her wisdom on us upcoming lawyers. 

Our host William Lundy is joined by Professor Leonid Sirota who is an Associate Professor of Law at Reading University in the UK. Professor Sirota is the founder of the Double Aspect Blog https://doubleaspect.blog/ and has written extensively on administrative and constitutional law issues. In this episode, Professor Sirota discusses the Supreme Court of Canada's 2021 Toronto (City Council) v Ontario decision, arguing that the majority opinion goes too far in holding that constitutional principles can never be used to invalidate legislation.

In this episode host, Kelley Humber chats with David Taylor, who has spent the last 8 years as counsel of record in the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society complaint at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal about the underfunding of Indigenous child welfare in Canada. Kelley and David discuss the discrimination experienced by Indigenous families who access child and family services on-reserve and in Canada's implementation of Jordan's Principle. The pair also discuss some of the more procedural aspects of the case, such as the systemic remedies being asked for and how Human Rights Tribunals function differently than the courts.  David also shares about his journey into public law litigation, his current role at Conway Baxter Wilson LLP, and advice he would give to law students or new lawyers making early career decisions.    The Federal Court decision from 29 September 2021 discussed in this episode can be found here. A more recent Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling from 11 February 2021, which lays out much of the case history and progress on implementing the remedies ordered can be found here. 

Our host William Lundy is joined by Professor Leonid Sirota who is an Associate Professor of Law at Reading University in the UK. Professor Sirota is the founder of the Double Aspect Blog https://doubleaspect.blog/ and has written extensively on administrative and constitutional law issues. In this episode, Professor Sirota discusses the Supreme Court of Canada's 2014 Senate Reference decision, which he argues effectively incorporated certain constitutional conventions into constitutional law. 

For the Law School Show's 200th episode, we focus on alumni. We reached out to several Univerity of Ottawa law grads to ask them about their stories within the profession, and our responses ranged from articling students to long-time practitioners, inside and outside conventional practice. Over a series of mini-interviews, Kenya-Jade Pinto, Aditya Rao, Helen Berry, Samantha Peters, Wali Ahmad, Jolene Hansell, and Stephanie Wright showed us the places our studies can take us, from international documentary projects to Supreme Court clerkships and beyond. If you've ever been curious about human rights law in a global pandemic, how to get involved in start-ups, the similarities between law and ballet, or just how to find your place in our profession, then you'll find a lot to like in our great big bicentennial.

The Canadian Bar Association has openly acknowledged a lack of diversity in the legal profession. While provincial law societies have made strides towards an inclusive workplace, the racial composition of the legal profession remains predominantly white. This episode compiles candid conversations with racialized law students and a practitioner who recently completed the formal and informal recruitment process. Join our host, Rayleigh Minhyu Lee, to hear about their experiences, how they approached difficult topics, and advice for law students. Thank you to Timothy Chan, Jessica Gill, Bianca Knull, José Rafael Caraballo, and Jane Lee (pseudonym) for your time and participation. 

Our host, Shannon Reid, sits down (digitally) with Russell Bennett, expert cannabis lawyer, author, and fellow podcast host, to discuss the implications of legalization, the racist history of prohibition, and what it means to be a cannabis lawyer.  Russell's petition can be found for those interested in supporting expungements to Canadian citizens convicted of offences involving cannabis, pursuant to Sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-3752.   Russell's podcast, Cannabis Law in Canada, can be found wherever you listen to your podcasts.

The 2L recruit can be a very stressful and sometimes even discouraging time for some students. For students who want to work in a large law firm or are dreaming of a specific firm, this podcast reminds students that there is more than one path to becoming a successful lawyer. Our host, Harleen Bhangoo, speaks to Corey Willard, who is now a partner at Gowling WLG.  In Corey's 2L recruit, he was unable to secure a position with a law firm. Instead, he spent his summer working and volunteering for various not-for-profit organizations and working at the House of Commons. This episode discusses his perspective on the 2L recruit and provides insight to students who are also struggling with securing a law firm position. 

In this episode, our host Nurulayn Noor speaks to David Morneau, a collaborative family lawyer, regarding the best interests of the child in Canadian family law. Using his extensive experience, David overviews efficient ways to advocate for children using empathy and compassion. He discusses the importance of moving away from an adversarial approach to make the process more amicable for the parties involved, particularly the children. David reminds us of the various ways we can show up as legal professionals for vulnerable clients, such as using a more holistic approach through collaborative family law.

In this episode, Jennifer Metcalfe, executive director of Prisoners' Legal Services (PLS), sits down with host Hailey Berge to discuss how Jen's passion for activism has led to her career in prison law. Join them as they discuss a wide range of topics such as PLS's mandate, the effect that Covid-19 is having on the prison system, and the evolution of segregation. They wrap up the conversation by giving advice to students who are interested in becoming involved in this area of the law.    Note: this episode was recorded in November 2021. Therefore, reference to Covid-19 policies or other recent events refers to those at the time of recording.

Join Amos Vang as he interviews Sandrine Mainville, a labour lawyer at Borden Ladner Gervais in Montreal, one of Canada's pioneering Olympic swimmers of the 21st century!   Since starting swimming lessons at the age of 11, Sandrine balanced her Olympic journey with her legal journey.  Sandrine has seen it all through ups and downs and triumphs and trials.  Through the power of family and friendship, Sandrine persevered, overcame the odds, and helped lead Canada to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in the Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay.  In doing so, Sandrine broke a 40-year medal drought in this particular event for Canada alongside Penny Oleksiak, Chantal Van Landeghem, Taylor Ruck, and Michelle Williams (now Michelle Toro).  Join Amos and Sandrine as they take a trip back in time through Sandrine's early days as a swimmer, qualifying for the Olympics and winning an Olympic bronze medal.   Fun Fact: Did you know that Sandrine also took piano lessons for four years BEFORE she started swimming?   This episode is also available on our YouTube channel.  To get the full experience, you can watch the YouTube version.

Focusing on student wellness and mental health, we're re-airing one of our most popular episodes. This is a Lexis Nexis sponsored episode so make sure to listen for this month's secret star rewards code. In this episode, host Bianca Morello sits down with Matthew Boissonneault and Nicholas Crimi, Co-Presidents of Elephant in the Room (uOttawa). As the title suggests, we talk about taking care of your mental health during the “Zoom times”, imposter syndrome, OCIs, work-life balance, and e-learning. We share some personal stories and get real about the challenges law students face and the importance of taking care of yourself throughout the process. To learn more about Elephant in the Room (uOttawa): Facebook: @EITRatFauteux Twitter: @EITR_uOttawaLaw Instagram: @EIRT_uOttawaLaw Email: EITRuOttawa@gmail.com

Join Amos Vang on this very special episode as he interviews The Right Honourable David Johnston, Canada's 28th Governor General, on his entire life and career.  If you want the full experience of this episode, tune into the YouTube version!   Hockey player, lawyer, law professor, university president, university chancellor, federal election debate moderator, Leaders' Debates Commissioner, and Governor General, Mr. Johnston has seen it all.  In this episode, Mr. Johnston shares some wisdom that he has obtained over his entire life and shares how he applies such wisdom to his career and daily life.  Mr. Johnston also shares never-before-seen stories such as his friendship with Golden Globe Award-winning screenplay writer and author Erich Segal, his acquaintance with legendary Academy Award-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones, and his time working with Queen Elizabeth II.  Finally, and importantly, Mr. Johnston and Amos discuss the importance of the art of communication, the art of civil disagreement, and the importance of genuine empathy.   Many thanks to Mr. Johnston and to the Rideau Hall Foundation for making this episode possible. You can learn more about the Rideau Hall Foundation here: https://rhf-frh.ca/ Mr. Johnston's book Letters from a Nation: https://www.amazon.ca/Idea-Canada-Letters-Nation/dp/0771050771 Rideau Hall Foundation's Twitter: @RideauHallFdn   Credits: Sub-outro music: Scott Buckley - Wayfarer,  www.scottbuckley.com.au

Dive into the world of a lawyer turned entrepreneur. In this episode, host Ocean Enbar shares the mic with guest Stacey Kline, the CEO and co-founder of Otto Intelligence, a company where investments seek purpose. Stacey formally practiced as an associate a Goodmans LLP, where she paved a unique path for herself in the Bay street world. Called to the bar in 2010, Stacy brings a wide range of experiences both within and outside of the law and shares the rationale behind many of the decisions she made throughout her career. 

Join our host, Nick Kruiper, in discussion with Law Professor Adam Jones of Thompson Rivers University. Dr. Jones teaches administrative and constitutional law and has an impressive resume as a litigator. Nick sits down with Dr. Jones to talk about his career. Along the way, they discuss advice for law students, the state of the legal profession and Dr. Jones' research on subconscious judicial bias.    Show Notes 00:44 minutes - Dr. Jones' paper discussed in this episode is titled "The Troubling New Science of Legal Persuasion: Heuristics and Biases in Judicial Decision-Making," and was published in Advocates' Quarterly in 2013.

Join our host Bianca Morello for a conversation with Jashan Singh, founder and managing director of Lawyer-ed. Lawyer-ed is a platform that allows pre-law and current law students to express their views on legal, political, and social issues and receive help with job searching and professional development. Jashan shares how Lawyer-ed came to be and their services to support individuals throughout their journey into law.

In this episode, host Ali Mesbahian chats with Cara Zwibel from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA). Cara is the director of the Fundamental Freedoms Program at the CCLA and has extensive experience in constitutional law and public policy. Tune in for this timely discussion on the civil liberties implications of policies such as the new federal Online Harms proposal and vaccine passports.

In this episode, our host Nurulayn Noor sits with Lynda Collins, professor and lawyer, to discuss mental health in the legal field. As overviewed in her course Happiness and the Law, Professor Collins explores ways for law students and legal professionals to prioritize their wellbeing over every other aspect of their lives. Using various mechanisms such as exercising, journaling, meditation, and acts of kindness, she teaches us to slow down and avoid both burnout and passion fatigue. Collins reminds us that we all have our own superpower, for which we must embark on a lifelong journey to explore.

Join our host, Chelsea Sawaya, and her guest Kailin Noivo, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer of Noibu, as they discuss the importance of having good legal advice as a technology entrepreneur. Listen in to learn more about the different stages of starting your own tech company and the challenges of changing your business plan and adopting legal policies along the way. 

Join our host Lucie Zhang as she speaks with Chris Nyberg, Co-Chair of the Cannabis Group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, on how cannabis legislation has changed the landscape of the cannabis market across Canada. In this episode, you'll learn how the pandemic has impacted cannabis businesses and the enforceability of force majeure clauses.

Most of us believe that the obvious and safest route to practice once we graduate is to become an associate at an established firm. But “most of us” isn't Nik Lust. Join host Matthew Takamatsu as he speaks with Nik, a solo practitioner, about everything you need to know about starting your own solo practice right after articling. The pair talk about the daily hustle of bringing in business, how to market yourself as a new lawyer, the importance of being confident in yourself, and a step-by-step breakdown of everything you need to do to start your own practice. They don't teach you this in law school.

Our host, Chelsea Sawaya, sat down with Shawn Cowan, President of Ottawa Valley Handrailing Company LTD, to discuss managing the struggles of meeting contract deadlines with clients and contractors resulting from industry delays due to unpredictability Covid.

In this episode of the Student Life Series, our host, Bianca Morello, sits down with Professor Anne Levesque and student Sarah to discuss the different activities they planned for the 1L orientation at the University of Ottawa. Some of the topics include the "hybrid" activities they organized, how to prepare for the first year of law school, and how to be most successful whether attending class in-person or online.

Chelsea Sawaya sat down with Patrick Dunlop, Open Source & Cryptocurrency Intelligence Lead at Inquisitive Intel, to discuss what you need to do to make your business secure in the world wide web we now live in. Tune in to learn more about the importance of cyber-hygiene, the use of NFT in legal documents, and the evolution of cyber-security.

Sit down with host Sabrina Dueck and guest Louanne Moriarty as they discuss volunteering with a law school legal clinic (specifically, Student Legal Assistance at the University of Calgary). Receive some bonus tips from a pandemic-era grad on how to balance life and law school. Louanne talks about her personal experience working with SLA throughout all three years of law school, the many benefits of volunteering/working at any law school legal clinic, and how to survive law school in general. If you ever have any questions about SLA, volunteering during law school, or any other law school-related topics, feel free to email Louanne at louanne.moriarty@ucalgary.ca.

Earlier this summer, Jake Clark sat down with Professor Steven Chaplin to discuss the historical context of the Reference re Greenhouse Gas Pollution Act. Covering the context behind the 405-page case requires looking into the history of Canadian federalism, charting its constitutional origins and evolution in a world of rapid technological expansion. In doing so, they discussed watertight compartments, uranium regulation, and why there will always be jobs for lawyers.

Host Sabrina Dueck is joined by Jodi Koffman, a Senior Crown Attorney for the Manitoba Justice Prosecution Service, and Hillarie Tasche, a staff attorney at Legal Aid Manitoba, to discuss working in the Youth Criminal Justice System in Canada. Both guests specialize in youth crime and have worked together on many of their files. In this honest discussion, Jodie and Hillarie reflect on their experiences working together and the implications of young people in the criminal justice system and how important it is to divert them therefrom. They end with advice for those law students interested in working in criminal law, and more specifically, with youth.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to start your own law practice? In this episode, host Miho Kitamura speaks with Ayesha Kumararatne, an immigration lawyer who started her own practice in her mid-twenties. Her journey hasn't been without challenges. Those challenges fueled her growth, and she is thriving along with her practice. Ayesha shares valuable advice for those thinking of starting their own practice and gets candid about being a young woman of colour in law, managing overwhelming stress, and making time for life outside of work (which, for our guest, involves taking care of her furry friend and growing multi-coloured carrots).

A lot of us came to law school to leave our footprint in the world. There is arguably no better person to talk to about this than the one and only Michael Spratt. Michael joins us to talk about employing your legal skills for the sake of community education, participation, and engagement so that you can make positive changes on issues that you are passionate about. Come learn about everything he's involved with outside of his legal practice to make a difference in Canada, from testifying in the House of Commons to hosting an award-winning podcast. It's a lot of work, but the key to succeeding in this can really be boiled down to a couple of things: steadily build up your reputation, strike a healthy work-life balance and love what you do.

Join our host, William Lundy and his guest Jack Daiter, the former VP of the Primary Professional Liability Claims Department at LawPRO in this week's episode. They discuss why lawyers get sued, how these lawsuits get handled, and what can derail a successful mediation. Listen in to learn how tough calls are made at the executive level. 

In this episode, Joshua Mandryk— labour lawyer and employment class action litigator at Goldblatt Partners LLP— speaks to host Ali Mesbahian about building solidarity with working people and providing access to justice. Who is allowed to bring forth a class action, and what criteria must be met? What area of employment law are class actions most common? What does “success” entail in class actions, and how frequent are they?  What are the interests involved in an employment class action, and how does the lawyer attend to them, especially in the event of a conflict? Joshua also speaks of the need for legislative clarity around the classification of workers—particularly to clarify what is already the case: workers in the gig economy are employees and NOT independent contractors.

Law, classical music, and virtuosity have a lot in common.  As a Steinway Artist and tax lawyer, Leonard Gilbert found great commonality succeeded in both worlds.  By the age of 19, Leonard Gilbert won four Canadian Music Competitions, won the 2010 Canadian Chopin Competitions, and became the first Canadian to represent Canada at the prestigious International Chopin Competition, viewed by most pianists to be the “Olympics” and “Paralympics” of classical music competitions. Join Amos Vang and Leonard Gilbert as the two classical concert pianists discuss in great detail the wondrous world of classical concert piano performance, the similarities between pianistic practice and athletic practice, the prestige of the International Chopin Competition, the philosophies of piano performance and virtuosity, the philosophies of piano technique and preparation, the centuries-long evolution of piano tuning and musical counterpoint, and the importance, benefits, and transferability of a classical music training into a legal career. 0:00 for the Introduction. 8:09 for the beginning of the interview. Below is a list of the piano pieces that you heard in the audio version of this episode, along with the respective performing pianists and composers. 4:51 to 6:36, 6:46 to 8:22: Leonard Gilbert – “Andante Spianato Et Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op 22” by Frederic Francois Chopin. 29:03 to 30:54, 1:04:59 to 1:05:15: Amos Vang – “Après Une Lecture Du Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata” by Franz Liszt. 32:26 to 34:08: Krzysztof Moskalewicz – “Barcarolle in F-Sharp Major, Op. 60” by Frederic Francois Chopin, played on Chopin's own piano, the Pleyel No. 13819.  34:09 to 36:48: Daniil Trifonov – “Barcarolle in F-Sharp Major, Op. 60” by Frederic Francois Chopin 1:03:26 to 1:04:18: Tiffany Poon – “La Campanella” by Franz Liszt. 1:05:16 to 1:06:14: Arcadi Volodos – “Après Une Lecture Du Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata – Volodos Transcription” by Franz Liszt (transcription by Arcadi Volodos). 1:07:51 to 1:08:28: Vladimir Horowitz – “Piano Sonata No. 2 – Horowitz Transcription” by Sergei Rachmaninov (transcription by Vladimir Horowitz). 1:40:48 to 1:41:41: Yundi Li – “Etude No. 3 in G Major, Op. 28” by Frederic Francois Chopin.