In this episode of Behind the Bar, I sit down with litigator, Mark Virgin, who brings more than 30 years of practice experience—and an extraordinary level of candor—to a conversation every law student and junior lawyer needs to hear. Mark shares the lessons he wishes he knew as an articling student, including why you should always ask the “stupid” question, how to find the right mentors inside a firm, and what it actually means to “reach up” when you need help. He also speaks openly about his...
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In this episode of Behind the Bar, I sit down with litigator, Mark Virgin, who brings more than 30 years of practice experience—and an extraordinary level of candor—to a conversation every law student and junior lawyer needs to hear. Mark shares the lessons he wishes he knew as an articling student, including why you should always ask the “stupid” question, how to find the right mentors inside a firm, and what it actually means to “reach up” when you need help. He also speaks openly about his...
In this episode of Behind the Bar, I sit down with litigator, Mark Virgin, who brings more than 30 years of practice experience—and an extraordinary level of candor—to a conversation every law student and junior lawyer needs to hear. Mark shares the lessons he wishes he knew as an articling student, including why you should always ask the “stupid” question, how to find the right mentors inside a firm, and what it actually means to “reach up” when you need help. He also speaks openly about his...
Behind the Bar – Lawyer Launcher Real advice from real experience — the things law school never told you. In this episode, Susan sits down with retired business lawyer and former managing partner Murray Gottheil, known for his frank, funny, and refreshingly honest insights about the legal profession. From the “safety of retirement,” Murray shares the truths he wishes he’d known earlier — and the hard lessons he believes every law student, summer student, and new associate needs to...
In this episode, I’m joined by Linda Lucas—a longtime law firm and professional services executive and now a sought-after leadership coach and trainer. With 25+ years of strategic, operational, and financial leadership experience, Linda shares practical insights every law student, summer/articling student, and new lawyer needs to hear. Her core message: leadership starts on day one, not when you get a title. What you’ll learn (and why it matters early in your career): • How to be a leader at ...
How do you come back from a setback? Most of us have experienced a setback - at work, in sport or our personal life. How do you regain confidence and develop resiliency when you’ve been knocked off your path? High achieving law students, and other new professionals, often have unique challenges when expectations are not met. Jayne Rossworn is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with The Lawyer Mindset takes us through a four-step framework that will help you recover and rebu...
Colin Cameron, CPA, CA, takes us through the basics of law firm compensation and profitability and why it's important for law students and new lawyers to understand how billing rates and recording time tie into profits. We discuss the evolution of the business of law, the emergence of law firm business professionals, and how new lawyers can learn from them. Colin Cameron is the founder of Profits for Partners, Management Consulting Inc. Colin has been advising professional service firms for...
Kimberly Rice joins us to discuss how law students and new lawyers can learn how to become firm rainmakers. Legal competence is the price of admission to law firms these days. To succeed you must set yourself apart, and Kimberly has amazing tips to get you started. Takeaways from this episode include: - Understand the governance & power structure of your new firm and befriend the power players - Visibility matters. Seek out opportunities to be seen by those in power, push past self-doubt,...
Bena Stock spent over 24 years as a litigator before turning her talents to counselling others. In this episode she draws upon her personal experience, sharing tools that new and aspiring lawyers can use to quiet anxiety, grow confidence, and build a happier and more successful practice. She also addresses common career saboteurs such as imposter syndrome, perfectionism (yes, it's a problem), and the paralysis resulting from fear of failure. You will also learn the significance of "cow paths"...
In this episode of Behind the Bar, I sit down with litigator, Mark Virgin, who brings more than 30 years of practice experience—and an extraordinary level of candor—to a conversation every law student and junior lawyer needs to hear. Mark shares the lessons he wishes he knew as an articling student, including why you should always ask the “stupid” question, how to find the right mentors inside a firm, and what it actually means to “reach up” when you need help. He also speaks openly about his...
