OBA Presents: Holiday Hours – A CPD Podcast Ontario Bar Association

How does fostering a culture of mentorship and sponsorship advance equality? Episode 5 is a highly inspirational conversation highlighting the life-changing roles mentors and sponsors can play in the life of a lawyer. Creating opportunities that may have not otherwise existed for someone is one very impactful way to advance equality and make our profession more inclusive.

As the OBA’s 2018-19 Innovator in Residence, Peter Aprile, founder of Counter Tax Lawyers, studied and tested an approach to give lawyers more autonomy and encouraging them to bring their own unique experiences, backgrounds and creativity to their roles. Episode 3 is a thought-provoking discussion about the fundamental principles that will ultimately lead to diverse and inclusive law firms.

This two-part episode considers some of the formative initiatives that have been developed to support lawyers with their work-life balances while also asking some important questions about what more we can do to achieve true gender equality. In part one, Lindsay Aagard, Counsel at Faskens, describes a flexible work arrangement she has been trying out within her large firm. In part two, Chief Officer of Professional Resources for Blakes, Cassels and Graydon LLP, Mary Jackson more pointedly considers the progress that’s been made over the years and what more can be done to bring equality into the profession.

Gender inequality isn’t a women’s issue, it’s an issue for everyone. Many men want to help further gender equality, but don’t feel there is something that they can obviously be doing. In Episode 2, lawyer and CEO and Founder of CulturWorks|Growth Strategies, Naveen Mehta talks about why it’s important for everyone to get involved in equality and how they can do so.

What does it mean to be a leader? How can you be a leader at every level of your career? Are you driven to reach your leadership potential? How to develop a healthy appetite for risk in your career. Certified executive coach, Debra Forman encourages lawyers not to wait until you are ready for leadership, but to start pursuing it now, and she tells you how in Episode 1.

Episode 2 of Holiday Hours re-contextualizes the main issues of the trial with a special focus on social media in the courtroom and best practices for selecting and monitoring juries in cases with pervasive media attention and community outrage.