Synopsis
2020 has been a strange year for everyone, but it has also allowed many of us to break out of our usual routines and do things a little differently! As such, and in lieu of our usual fall book club, the WLF Education Committee is excited to announce a “Blog Club” event to introduce and discuss the “Dear LiL” blog. The blog is part of the Life in Law initiative, which was founded to provide women lawyers with a safe platform to raise difficult issues in a confidential environment.
And who better to discuss the “Dear LiL blog” than the co-founders of the Life in Law platform? Please join us for a conversation featuring Kim Jakeman and Una Radoja, partners at Harper Grey LLP and co-creators of the Life in Law initiative. The discussion will be moderated by Allison Wolf, Senior Legal Coach.
The “Dear LiL” blog was developed to support women in law through a forum that provides accessible and confidential services for women lawyers to talk to each other and to experienced practice advisors, and share their experiences and perspectives in a supportive space. The Life in Law initiative, including the “Dear LiL” blog provides a variety of services for women in law, by women in law. The Life in Law initiative can be found here: https://lifeinlaw.ca/.
We encourage you to peruse the “Dear LiL” blog at your leisure and recommend the following blog entries:
1. How to Thrive in a Legal Career: https://lifeinlaw.ca/blog/dear-lil-i-know-women-in-the-workforce-still-fall-behind-men-in-terms-of-equal-pay-and-opportunity-but-with-all-the-focus-on-diversity-and-inclusivity-through-initiative-such-as-the-justicia-project/
2. The Big Schmooze: https://lifeinlaw.ca/blog/dear-lil-how-do-i-get-ahead-if-i-dont-like-traditionally-male-marketing-activities-like-hockey-and-golf-signed-the-big-schmooze/
3. Imposter Syndrome: https://lifeinlaw.ca/blog/guest-blogger-raminder-hayre-reflects-on-how-the-lack-of-transparency-and-mentorship-in-the-legal-profession-can-lead-to-imposter-syndrome-and-eventually-anxiety-and-depression/
Entries like the ones above will form part of the discussion during the event!
If you have specific questions or a potential “entry” for the “Dear LiL” blog that you would like to see discussed during the presentation, please write to us ahead of time! Please email your questions to Olena Gavrilova at ogavrilova@qalaw.com and Emma Abdjalieva at ea@dhsmlaw.ca.
Speaker Bios
Kim Jakeman is a partner at Harper Grey and also the co-founder of Life in Law. Not only is Kim a skilled mediator, she also maintains a busy dual practice focused mainly on litigation in the area of medical malpractice, and regulatory work involving professionals facing disciplinary proceedings before a variety of regulatory bodies. Kim is almost as passionate about biking, her new love of surfing, and working out as she is about supporting women in the legal profession. A master of her own balancing act, when Kim isn’t busy with work she spends coveted time with her family and friends.
Una Radoja is a partner in Harper Grey’s Commercial Litigation and Environmental Regulation & Disputes practice groups. In her commercial practice, Una handles a wide variety of commercial matters including contractual and real property disputes, mining expropriation claims, shareholder disputes, commercial fraud claims, and claims against directors and officers. Una’s contaminated sites practice involves litigating cost recovery claims and claims against environmental consultants and contractors, handling appeals before the Environmental Appeal Board, advising clients on strategies to minimize environmental liability risk and representing them in their dealings with the regulator.
Una’s clients range from small businesses and property owners, to developers, strata corporations, insurers, and multi-national, large corporations and REITs.
Allison Wolf, PCC, is a senior coach working exclusively with lawyers. Over the past sixteen years, she has helped countless clients develop thriving legal practices and before that served as director of legal marketing for award-winning law firms. During the present crisis, Allison is intensely focused on supporting her clients and community in accessing resilience and surfacing the possibilities that emerge from these difficult circumstances. This year she launched AMP (Associate Mentoring Plus) Club (https://www.ampclub.ca), a year-long program offering junior lawyers a constellation of support with coaching, mentoring, education and community. True to the philosophies of her coaching practice, Allison has created success without sacrificing her personal life. She remembers: “As a young woman I once visited Galiano Island in British Columbia. I looked out across the water towards the shores of Salt Spring Island and thought one day I’d like to live there.” Today she lives and works from her home on Salt Spring Island just a short stroll from the shoreline she gazed at so many years ago. Allison is grateful for her island life. There is nothing she enjoys more than a quiet walk by the water with her wife Donna and dogs, Chico and Billie.
