Back to the Future...

With a paltry 8 weeks of the articling term remaining, this process has officially begun to feel like a time machine. One second you’re frantically shuffling from booth to booth at OCI interviews, smiling until your face hurts, clutching your resume like it was a life preserver, the next thing you know you’re preparing to be thrust into the world as a genuine (though it may not always feel that way) lawyer.

...engaging in heated arguments with my parents over curfew, it was clear from a young age that I wanted to be a litigator.

I reflected on this cycle of life earlier in the week as I was attending Examinations for Discovery with an experienced partner. Apart from the pleasure of getting to work with a master of his craft, it was clear that, even after all the years of practice, he still thoroughly enjoyed what he was doing. Advocacy was quite obviously what this gentleman was born to do.

This got me thinking what would have happened if he had originally set down a path towards some diametrically opposed area of law? A true litigator at heart may be woefully unhappy in a transactional contract drafting practice, just as a transactional lawyer might dread the rush of court appearances. For better or for worse, this path seems to begin at OCIs, where candidates, at least in my anecdotal experience, too often emphasize “who wants me?” rather than “who, or what, do I want?”  With regard to the “what”, engaging in heated arguments with my parents over curfew, it was clear from a young age that I wanted to be a litigator. My summer and articling experience at MB have only solidified that passion. Back to the “who”, every firm has its unique characteristics. McCague Borlack is, again in my personal opinion, a true advocacy firm that, despite its growth, strives to maintain the tight-knit boutique culture of its lineage. MB is the right fit for me, here’s hoping it’s mutual…


On a lighter note, it is with great pleasure, and not an ounce of humility, that I report that a team composed of myself, Faizie, and a partner, who I might add generously offered to bankroll our entry, has officially won the office March Madness pool.

It’s a good day to be a ‘Cards fan.

Until next time…

JB