Off The Tracks

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 [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: 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 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 [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: 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

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 [email protected].

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

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 [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: 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 [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: 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 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 [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: 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 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 [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: 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 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 [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: 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 [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: 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