"Success doesn’t happen overnight, and it certainly doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice being a good mother. In fact, I truly believe that being a successful woman in law or business complements motherhood. Being a woman is an honour and a superpower."
Become a WiCCD Member WiCCD Newsletter
STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM
I started out small, working as a law clerk at an all-female firm, making minimum wage with a baby at home. I took every opportunity to learn and absorb as much as I could. It didn’t take me long to realize how hard it is to juggle work and motherhood, especially as I advanced in my career working as a paralegal. I went from law clerk to licensee (but still working in a law clerk capacity), to becoming an associate in a high-stakes defence firm where I’m not only responsible for ensuring efficiency and diligence in moving firm files along, but have also become responsible for my own client files. This brought a whole new set of challenges, since I alone am responsible for scheduling (and often appearing on) everything in my office, from consultations to pre-trials, from adjournments to applications, as well as for scheduling and facilitating preparation for trial proper. On top of carrying almost the entire mental load for my children, I also feel responsible for the mental load of my office and all our clients. I remember a point where I felt as if I constantly had to choose between being a good employee and being a good mother. There’s an expectation that women should work as if we don’t have kids and raise kids as if we don’t work. But my career and businesses are such a big part of who I am that I often refer to them as “my other babies.” At home, I need to ensure that my kids have everything they need, that they get to where they need to be on time, and that they are ready for whatever the day brings. At work, it’s very much the same. I need to make sure that my boss can show up to court with a client who is prepared and a file that is tidy and organized, and that everything goes off without a hitch. This level of responsibility from all angles sometimes feels like both a blessing and a curse. Criminal defence is tough. It’s one of the most challenging areas of law, requiring grit, resilience, and constant flexibility. It’s also a lot like raising kids—certainly none of us start out as experts, but over time, we gain the skills to make tough decisions under pressure and keep our “babies” thriving. Eventually we learn to trust ourselves, and we get really good at what we do. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way is how crucial it is to delegate. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Whether it’s outsourcing tasks or relying on a colleague, building a strong support network is key to staying balanced. Raising kids? It takes a village. Running a law firm or business? Same thing.
ENSURING MY FAMILY THRIVES
Setting boundaries between work and home is tough. When one of my kids is sick and I look at the calendar to assess how inconvenient it would be to stay home when we have 12 different court appearances in 3 jurisdictions—all at conflicting times—I’m forced to make some tough decisions under pressure. My principal lawyer, also known as my boss and now friend, has never given me a hard time about staying home with my kids when I need to. But he is a senior lawyer who has been practising for over four decades, and the nature of our working relationship is such that he depends on me; our clients depend on me. He has the utmost trust in me to ensure that things run smoothly, and the level of autonomy I have is both liberating and terrifying. It feels like a constant tug-of-war, because my children are obviously so dependent on me, too—and ultimately, they are my priority. But I also need my job to provide for them, and I want to set a good example of what it means to work hard and be independently successful. When I’m with my kids, I try to be as present as possible. We talk about my work, and they have even visited my office, which has led to some fascinating conversations about the legal world and the importance of helping others.
SUCCESS AND SETBACKS: RINSE AND REPEAT
Setbacks happen, and the guilt that comes with trying to balance it all never fully goes away. I know I’ve taken on too much when I start making mistakes—whether it’s mis-diarizing a court appearance or forgetting to pack my son’s baseball gear. These moments serve as a wake-up call to reassess my priorities and refocus on what truly matters. WHO RUN THE WORLD? To all the women out there grinding it out, here’s my advice: when you stay true to your vision, everything will fall into place. You are allowed to have more than one vision, more than one goal. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and it certainly doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice being a good mother. In fact, I truly believe that being a successful woman in law or business complements motherhood. Being a woman is an honour and a superpower.
View the inaugural issue of the WiCCD Brew to read about WiCCD's CPD and mentorship programs, recent appellate decisions from across Canada, maternity leave for sole-practitioners, the business side of criminal law practice, the five to nine life of criminal lawyer and mother, and more!
WiCCD Brew Newsletter
Interested in becoming a member of WiCCD?
Apply Here
Criminal defence lawyers and law students interested in criminal law are encouraged to apply for membership.
To learn more about WICCD, visit https://linktr.ee/wiccd and check out their social media platforms:
