Insights from the Early Career Immigration Lawyers Town Hall and Networking Social

On March 20, 2024, members of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Immigration Law Section and the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) Citizenship and Immigration Law Section convened at the OBA Conference Centre in Toronto for the Early Career Immigration Lawyers Town Hall and Networking Social. The event provided an opportunity for new lawyers practicing in immigration law to network with influential members of the bar and promote themselves as an emerging leader in immigration law. 

In her opening remarks, CBA Immigration Law Section Chair Gabriela Ramo introduced the CBA’s Immigration Law Section sponsored mentorship program and talked about its benefits. She also offered to facilitate connections between potential mentees and current participants to provide firsthand insight into the program.

Panel Discussion 

Following the opening remarks, a panel discussion moderated by OBA Citizenship and Immigration Law Section Chair Sajjad Malik took place, featuring three distinguished members of the Section Executive: Cathryn Sawicki, Elizabeth Long, and Nandi Deterville.

Nandi, a foreign-trained lawyer, shared her journey into immigration law and emphasized the importance of community-building through active participation in events like those organized by the OBA.

With nearly two decades of immigration law experience, Elizabeth said that she still checks the CBA immigration ListServ religiously to stay updated on immigration law changes. Cathryn, a seasoned and fearless immigration lawyer, echoed the sentiment and emphasized the value of networking within the OBA community and seeking mentorship opportunities to navigate the complexities of immigration law practice effectively.

On the topic of mentorship, Nandi pointed out that we can be both a mentee and a mentor and encouraged us to foster reciprocal relationships within the legal community. Moreover, Elizabeth outlined the various forms that mentorship can take, including the free lunch sessions at the OBA where we discuss different topics, such as LMIA. She also stressed the importance of being able to run a practice, noting that it’s a skill that is hard to learn and it’s great to have a community for that as well.

The panelists also discussed how to manage client expectations. They stressed the importance of setting boundaries, having several backup plans, communicating clearly with clients, showing them empathy, and staying on top of things by establishing bring-forward (“BF”) dates.

The last topic on the agenda was mental health, with all of the panelists freely sharing how they occupy their time outside of law, from dog walking and teaching biking at Centennial (Cathryn) to spending time with family and friends (Nandi), to attending interior design shows or simply doing nothing (Elizabeth). This light and cheerful conclusion to the panel discussion underscored the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.