From Serving Tables to Serving Clients: How Customer Service Prepared Me for the Practice of Law

Before law school, I ran the gauntlet of customer service jobs. Food services, retail, receptionist, server – you name it, I did it. At the same time, feeling an early aspiration to pursue law, I couldn’t help but wonder if there were other jobs that would make me a more appealing candidate to schools and employers alike.

I was surprised not only by how receptive legal employers have always been to my past customer service work, but also how helpful it’s been in legal practice. 

Here are just a few ways I’ve felt the benefit of my experiences:

Managing Expectations

When I was a teenager, I could not stop getting myself into sticky situations by making promises I couldn’t keep. Once, a customer at a retail job asked me if they had a shirt in a certain colour, and I replied with an emphatic “Yes! Let me go get it from the back”.

After spending far too long in the back, realizing that we indeed did not have that shirt in that colour, the dread set in. Not only did I waste the customer’s time, but I now needed to return and admit my mistake to their face. The only real consequence upon doing so was being met with a blank face and “Oh, okay”. Even so, it was a simple lesson that empty promises aren’t worth the risk.

In law, there’s often a pull to try to placate clients by giving them immediate validation. Their matters are already taking “forever”, and the outcome is important to them. However, if you make a promise you can’t keep, you risk undermining their confidence in you. Once a client loses faith in their lawyer, the whole client-solicitor relationship may as well collapse entirely.

Information Gathering

In customer service, I quickly learned that what a customer says they want isn't always what they actually need. A customer who asks to omit shrimp from their dish may simply dislike the texture or tase. Or, they may have a shellfish allergy, in which swapping in scallops without asking is a bold way to find out. I learned to ask targeted questions and read between the lines, ideally before your customer starts breaking out in hives.

When a client comes to the firm with a legal issue, we’d be lucky if they present a neat, chronological, legally relevant timeline. Instead, they may give a messy narrative filled with personal grievances, irrelevant details, and missing gaps. My time in customer service taught me how to interview people effectively, including active listening, knowing when to dig deeper, and how to gently guide a conversation back on track to get the facts I actually need.

Dealing with Conflict

When I was much younger, my instinct was always to be very deferential to rowdy customers. I didn’t want to risk making them angrier. Over time, I found that coming in with an assertive-but-respectful attitude was far more successful than appearing sheepish. Customers who are upset are often testing the waters, gauging how much room they have to push. A confident "here's what I can do" landed better than being needlessly apologetic because it signaled that I was actually in control of the situation.

Now in legal practice, the stakes are much higher. Some clients are a combination of emotional, on tight time constraints, or confused by the legal process. Opposing counsel can be belligerent, or worse, incompetent. All-in-all, the average lawyer may be confronted with several difficult conversations per week. Any opportunity I had to build my confidence in dealing with confrontation was a valuable one.

The Main Takeaway

Looking back, I don't think my time in customer service made me a stronger candidate because it filled in space on my resume. It mattered because it forced me to develop skills that no amount of studying could have taught me. I shouldn’t have discounted the years I spent folding shirts, serving tables, or answering phones. I may not have known it at the time, but I was already a lawyer in training.

by Caroline S.

Examination for Discovery Loading…

My summer at the firm so far has been exciting, to say the least. Every day brings new learning opportunities. The workdays go by extremely fast; it doesn't feel like work because I am learning so much and am genuinely excited to take on new tasks. After only being with the firm for two weeks, I have already had the pleasure of meeting so many colleagues. Everyone is eager to assist us, whether by explaining their practice areas or helping us set up our technology.

One experience that stands out thus far happened within my first week of accepting assignments.

"A Partner reached out to me in the morning asking if I would be willing to attend an Examination for Discovery (ED) and take notes."

This would be my first ED (and proceeding), so I was very excited to attend.

After three hours, the deponent abandoned the discovery, citing previous commitments that they could not postpone. Three lawyers were placed “on hold” and would have to reschedule the proceeding. Watching the Partner handle this matter taught me a lot. I saw strong advocacy in action. The Partner was not willing to continue with the EDs as scheduled for the following day because this would be prejudicial to the other parties, including our client, if the order of EDs was changed. Even though it was inconvenient to have to reschedule all the days, that is what was best for the client and therefore how we needed to proceed.

After that, there were some laughs about this unusual scenario. I am told that the abandonment of an ED does not happen often, yet this was my very first experience. I am looking forward to attending the EDs whenever they take place. Plus, I've already come to appreciate that in litigation the only thing to expect is the unexpected."

by Alexis Z.

Attending a Coroner’s Inquest

With the articling term nearing its end, I have many new experiences to reflect on. I have had the opportunity to attend multiple examinations for discovery, to speak in court, to attend a day of Small Claims Court trial, attend mediations, and settlement conferences. While these forms of advocacy are typically covered in the articling term at McCague, I was also able to participate in a coroner’s inquest. I had not heard of an inquest before receiving the assignment, so learning about the process was an entirely new experience.

A coroner’s inquest is run much like a trial, with examinations and cross-examinations of witnesses, and closing statements being delivered by the parties. 

There is no finding of guilt or fault at the end; the jury makes a finding as to how the death was caused and makes recommendations that will hopefully prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future. There is also a collaborative nature to the inquest, as the parties work together to ensure that all of the evidence is presented to the jury so that they can make productive recommendations for future improvement. The goal of the inquest is unique among other forms of advocacy, and it changed the way I viewed the evidence and my approach to the examinations. While the subject matter and evidence could be difficult to engage with, given the nature of the inquest, the goal of the inquest in making an improvement in the system was a useful anchor to manage how I felt about the evidence itself.

My main task was to review all of the evidence that we received from the coroner’s office and to sort the facts based on how they affected our client’s position. It really challenged me to think about all of the different ways that the evidence could be perceived, and often it was not a simple “good” or “bad” answer, but one that could be viewed in multiple ways. I worked on finding a way to concisely communicate the various ways that the evidence could be viewed, while also trying to make a decision as to what the most likely or overarching message of the evidence was.

In addition to reviewing all of the evidence, I was also able to attend the inquest and take notes on the witnesses’ evidence. This allowed me to witness many different lawyers and their styles of cross-examination. Overall, it was a learning experience that I never expected to have about a form of advocacy that isn’t as common as our typical mediations, discoveries, and settlement conferences. The skills that I learned in reviewing the evidence and engaging with our client and the other parties will translate to the other forms of advocacy that I will engage in at the firm, and I look forward to applying them in the future.

Emily O.

Interacting with clients and serving as an advocate

When I started articling at McCague, I expected to spend much of my time learning the law through pleadings, research, and drafting. What I did not fully anticipate was how central client interaction would be to my development as an advocate. Over the course of my articles, I have been asked, on more occasions than I can count, to interact directly with clients and potential clients through phone calls, emails, and meetings. 

These client interactions have become one of the most formative aspects of my articling experience.

One of the first client-facing tasks I encountered was handling intake calls from potential clients.  Initially, this felt daunting. Calling somebody you have never spoken to, often about stressful or unfamiliar legal matters, requires a careful balance of professionalism, empathy, and confidence. Over time, I learned that preparation is everything. Understanding the (potential) file, anticipating questions, speaking with the supervising lawyer for guidance, and being clear about the purpose of the call helped transform what felt uncomfortable into an opportunity to build trust, rapport, and my own confidence as an advocate. These conversations with warm calls reinforced the idea that advocacy begins well before any courtroom appearance, as it starts with how you communicate with the client.

Following up with clients on active matters further developed this perspective. Clients are often navigating uncertainty, and even brief updates can provide reassurance and clarity. Through these interactions, I learned the importance of translating legal developments into plain language, ensuring that clients feel informed rather than overwhelmed. Being mindful of tone, timing, and responsiveness taught me that effective advocacy includes managing expectations and maintaining open lines of communication.

These experiences also outlined the responsibility that comes with being the point of contact on a file, as I have several Small Claims Court files where I am the primary point of client contact. As an articling student, I benefit from a strong support system provided by the firm's supervising lawyers. They not only oversee my work at each step of the process but also serve as mentors. Being able to work with various lawyers and devise a plan of attack before each task allows me to grow and learn in a safe environment that ensures efficiency and promotes development.

Working alongside lawyers at McCague, I observed how strong client relationships are built over time through consistency, honesty, and professionalism. This encourages me to take ownership of client communications while knowing support is always available when needed. When a new issue arises that I am unsure how to navigate, I am always comfortable speaking with the supervising lawyer, where we work together and talk through the potential options. These candid sessions, where I get to consult with supervising lawyers, have been a cornerstone of my time at McCague. This balance, where I am given independence while always having a mentor supervising my work, has allowed me to grow more confident as an advocate.

Ultimately, my articling experience reinforced that advocacy is not limited to written submissions or oral arguments. Advocacy is present in every phone call, email, and follow-up. Learning to engage with clients thoughtfully and effectively through the strong mentorship and supervision provided at McCague has been instrumental in shaping my understanding of what it means to be a lawyer. As I move forward and get called to the bar in June, the lessons learned from these early client interactions and strong mentorship opportunities will remain integral to how I approach advocacy, both inside and outside the courtroom.

by Jordan J.

In Praise of IT: The Unsung Heroes Who Save the Day (Every. Single. Time.)

There are a few universal truths in office life. The printer will jam when you’re already late. Your screen will freeze five minutes before a deadline. And the moment you say, “I don’t need IT today,” something catastrophic will immediately happen to your computer.

Enter IT.

IT doesn’t walk - they arrive. Calm. Unbothered.

Usually, holding a cable you didn’t know existed.

While the rest of us are panicking, whispering “why now” to our laptops like it’s a hostage negotiation, IT shows up with the quiet confidence of people who have seen far worse.

Your screen is black? They’ve seen it.

Your system “just updated itself”? They expected it.

You clicked something you definitely shouldn’t have clicked? They already know.

What makes IT truly heroic is not just that they fix things - it’s how they fix them. They never judge. They don’t ask why you tried to print 400 pages to the wrong printer. They don’t flinch when you say, “It was working five minutes ago.” They nod thoughtfully, tap a few keys, and somehow resurrect your entire workstation like it was never dead at all.

But beyond the technical wizardry, what really sets our IT team apart is the people themselves. They are unfailingly kind, patient, and approachable - even when the issue is entirely user-created. They take the time to explain, to help, and to make sure you’re back up and running without ever making you feel foolish for asking.

And let’s talk about timing.

IT has an almost supernatural ability to appear exactly when things are at their worst. Deadline in ten minutes? They’re there. Court filing due? They’re already walking over. Wi-Fi down? Somehow, they sensed it. They swoop in.

They save the day.

They disappear like nothing ever happened.

IT is also the only department that can say things like “Have you tried restarting?” and be both correct and respected. Because somehow, when they say it, it actually works.

Beyond keeping our systems running, they make the office better simply by being in it. We are genuinely very lucky to have such a knowledgeable, responsive, and nice group of people we can always count on.

So here’s to IT — the quiet heroes of the office. The problem-solvers. The calm in the storm. The people who keep everything running so the rest of us can pretend we know what we’re doing.

We see you.

We appreciate you.

And we promise (again) not to click suspicious links.

by Tiara B.