Off The Tracks

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 [email protected].

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.

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 [email protected].

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 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 [email protected].

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 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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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.