Episode 064: Being a New Lawyer: An Inside Story

<p dir="ltr">Brenda Agnew, your host, welcomes Bethany Nicholson to today’s episode to share the story of how she became interested in law and became the lawyer she is today.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bethany joined Gluckstein Lawyers as a summer student in 2021 and returned as an articling student in 2022. She earned her J.D. from the University of Ottawa Law School in 2022.</p> <p dir="ltr">While in law school, Bethany was the Vice President of the Health Law Students Association and was the Lead Coordinator of the Walker Health Law Moot. She also participated in various advocacy competitions, including the Nelligan O-Brien Payne Moot and the BLG and Dentons Negotiation competitions.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Key Takeaways:</p> <p dir="ltr">[3:08] How did Bethany decide to be a lawyer?</p> <p dir="ltr">[6:02] Brenda confesses she always wanted to be a lawyer.</p> <p dir="ltr">[9:10] Bethany states that law school gives you little about the compassion piece of practicing law or how to communicate with clients.</p> <p dir="ltr">[11:02] Bethany’s career was a unique experience because it happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">[13:00] Law School is not a competition.</p> <p dir="ltr">[13:44] Bethany talks about one student who realized law was not the right choice for him.</p> <p dir="ltr">[16:16] Bethany did not like criminal law despite having different expectations.</p> <p dir="ltr">[18:19] Why does Bethany love tort law so much?</p> <p dir="ltr">[18:43] Bethany defines tort law.</p> <p dir="ltr">[21:59]  Brenda shares her appreciation for constitutional law.</p> <p dir="ltr">[24:54] How do people figure out in which area of law they will be practicing?</p> <p dir="ltr">[27:30] Remember that it is okay not to know.</p> <p dir="ltr">[28:10] Bethany explains what happens after law school.</p> <p dir="ltr">[31:25] What does it look like for Bethany to be a practicing lawyer?</p> <p dir="ltr">[33:11] Bethany addresses how common it is to experience impostor syndrome.</p> <p dir="ltr">[35:21]