COVID-19 has forced all of us to re-evaluate our career paths and lifestyle choices. The pandemic has pushed women lawyers all over BC to take a good, hard look at how they practice and what they’d like to change. While 2020 has certainly been a difficult year for us all, it has also been a year of unexpected opportunities. The WLF Education Committee is therefore excited to bring you the stories of three women lawyers who have successfully harnessed opportunities and made significant career transitions during COVID-19.

Rose Shawlee of Harper Grey, Erin Brandt of PortaLaw and Elisabeth Sadowski of Collette Parsons Corrin LLP, will share their respective stories of career changes and how they harnessed opportunities during an unprecedented pandemic. From switching law firms to co-founding a new law firm, these lawyers demonstrate that while career transitions can be uncomfortable, there are always opportunities out there for those who look for them!

Join us for a panel discussion and a Q&A session about career transitions and how to harness your own potential even during the most uncertain of times.

Speaker Bios

Rose Shawlee is Associate Counsel with Harper Grey and a member with both the Wills & Estates and Business Law Groups.  She brings more than 13 years of experience to her practice which is primarily focused on assisting families and businesses with their planning, succession, estate, and business needs.  She strives to make life’s inevitabilities, death and taxes, a less daunting topic for clients while being alert to the complications these raise from a legal, family, tax, probate fee, and cost perspective.

Rose is an active member of the community and a sought after speaker, frequently presenting at community learning seminars regarding personal planning, elder law, estates, and business succession and tax planning.  As a volunteer director for the Charlford House Society for Women, Rose continues her commitment to support resources for women and their growth and independence.

Erin Brandt has been practicing employment and human rights law for over seven years. Her motivation to co-found PortaLaw (www.portalaw.ca) was driven by her desire to radically improve the delivery of legal services.  She wants to throw away the traditional idea that lawyers sell time and replace it with a commitment to provide legal solutions with a transparent price tag.  Erin is innovative, creative, compassionate, hard-working and fair.  She wants to help business owners and workers find joy in what they do.

Elisabeth Sadowski is an associate at Collette Parsons Corrin LLP whose main practice areas are plaintiff personal injury, medical negligence and denied insurance claims.  She was admitted to the BC Bar in 2016.  Elisabeth is currently the second vice-president of TLABC. In the past, she has served on the executives of the BC Women Lawyers Forum, civil litigation sections and the Young Lawyers Advisory Committee for the CBABC. Her publications have been featured in the VBA’s “The Advocate”, the CBABC’s “BarTalk” and TLABC’s “The Verdict”.  She has also co-authored and authored articles that have been presented at CLE and TLABC conferences.  Outside of law, Elisabeth regularly volunteers in the community, including serving on the boards of Parkinson Society British Columbia and CLICK (Contributing to Lives of Inner City Kids).