Coffee in the Times of COVID is a virtual gathering of small groups of young lawyers and/or law students around a topic of common interest, designed to facilitate social connection among the legal profession and give participants a chance to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on their personal and professional lives, as well as the areas of law that matter most to them.
Cohort Stream
Coffee in the Times of COVID is about building your legal network, knowledge, and community. The cohort stream will engage a group of up to 20 young lawyers and law students in regular bi-weekly sessions hosted by a team of lawyer-facilitators from a partner Section of the Canadian Bar Association. Registration is free for CBA members and participants must be available to participate in all five sessions in the cohort.
Thursday, May 27, 2021 - Thursday, July 22, 2021
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET
A Good Lawyer Can Have a Good Life and Be a Good Person
Being a lawyer can enhance your life without consuming it. A successful legal career is not only measured by receipts or billable hours -- it can be also be measured by ones success at living the best life possible in whatever circumstance(s) are before you at the time. Sometimes the practice of law needs to fit you as a person -- rather then you as a person changing to fit into the stereotypical practice of law. In this cohort, sessions will explore topics such as the different practice models available to young lawyers, how to navigate the profession and your personal life, and ultimately, how to have a "good" legal career as defined by your own standards of success.
In collaboration with:
The CBA Labour & Employment Law Section
Facilitators
Sessions
Sole Practitioner v. In House Counsel v. Associate/Partner - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Thursday, May 27, 2021 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET
What are the pros and cons of each type of legal practice? How do certain personality traits, values, and goals steer participants toward one role more than another? Key discussion topics will include asking participants to explore the roles they fill as a lawyer and how that fits them as a person - rather than the other way around.
Dealing with the chaos of life while continuing to practice
Thursday, June 10, 2021 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET
Facilitators will share their lessons learned dealing with the challenges life can bring including as parents and spouses practicing law while living in the chaos of active addiction. Everyone undergoes personal life stresses and there is no way to avoid them -- everyone copes differently with those stressors. Key discussion topics will include exploring your own known coping mechanisms (whether positive or negative); development of a coping plan; building a support network; and identifying when you have reached burnout.
Don't let having a law degree keep you from being a good person - part 1
Thursday, June 24, 2021 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET
Lawyers have great privilege and with that privilege comes great responsibility to help others. In this session, the discussion will focus on balancing the desire to help others with the business of a law practice while also learning to say "no". Key discussion topics will include figuring out what's important to you and learning how to prioritize matters; finding what energizes you and ignites your passion; and finding ways to incorporate balance into your life and legal practice.
Don't let having a law degree keep you from being a good person - part 2
Thursday, July 8, 2021 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET
How can you prevent yourself from taking on too much? Are you a person who often says, "I can take on everything”? Key discussion topics will include exploring whether particular advocacy places lawyers at risk of being non-compliant with professional obligations when the topic of advocacy attracts controversy. Some examples include the Gerald Stanley acquittal and Overdose Prevention Sites (non-sanctioned/sanctioned).
Be yourself – there is no such thing as a "typical lawyer"
Thursday, July 22, 2021 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET
It can be said that "normal” is a setting on a washing machine. You can be an excellent and professional lawyer while remaining true to yourself. Key discussion topics will include, what constitutes the stereotype of a "typical lawyer" and why?
