CRIMES, COURTS, AND COMMENTARY
Interviews, current events, recommendations, and more --
all geared to the criminal law student community.
all geared to the criminal law student community.
Emma Davies (CLSA 1L Executive) On November 17, the CLSA invited four attorneys to talk about their careers in the criminal law. The first panelist, Ryan Handlarski, is a defence lawyer who began his career on Bay Street. Caitlin Pakosh is an Associate Crown Attorney who also researches the intersection between forensic science and criminal law. Sarah Shaikh, General Counsel at the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC), focuses on drug and national security matters. Finally, Jennifer Epstein, Crown Counsel at the Crown Law Office – Criminal, specializes in criminal appellate work. During the 90-minute session, the attorneys shared many insights and unique perspectives on their lines of work. Mr. Handlarski reflected on leaving Bay Street to pursue criminal law. While he had been discouraged from working in this field early in his career, he soon found his new legal practice more fulfilling than corporate work. Opening his own defence firm and embracing the more entrepreneurial part of practice was also pivotal in his career development, allowing him to achieve his financial goals.
By contrast, Ms. Epstein noted that she never felt compelled to run her own business and preferred to focus purely on the practice of law, emphasizing the intellectual aspects of her work. Given that many of her appellate cases bring out compelling ambiguities in the law, she observed that her job was like “living the law school fact pattern.” In discussing working for the Crown, Ms. Shaikh spoke about the importance of taking your ego out of the work: “I don’t feel that sort of attachment to the cases, because I just want to go in and do my job fairly.” She noted that the exercise of discretion and the pursuit of fairness are some of her favourite aspects of Crown work. Ms. Pakosh reflected on her road to becoming a Crown Attorney and her prior work in forensic science (she shared a particularly vivid anecdote about weighing pig decomposition while Fergie’s “Glamorous” played in the background). After becoming a lawyer, Ms. Pakosh thought she might work in personal injury, but thankfully ended up on a project for Innocence Canada. Having worked for both the Crown and defence, she observed that there is a lot of value in learning about the criminal law from both perspectives. Towards the end of the session, the panelists were asked about the advice they would give to an aspiring criminal lawyer starting their career. Mr. Handlarski emphasized the importance of knowing yourself and your strengths before embarking on a career in this field. Both Ms. Shaikh and Ms. Epstein discussed the importance of cultivating a good reputation within the criminal law community. Finally, Ms. Pakosh observed that new criminal lawyers must be prepared to work either Crown or defence when starting out, especially given the difficulty of getting Crown jobs in the current market. In discussing work-life balance, all four panelists agreed that jobs in criminal law are all-encompassing. It can be difficult to prioritize yourself in a career where you need to respond to clients or manage case files in a timely manner. However, the panelists emphasized that time management, organization, and passion are all crucial to success in this field. It is equally important to have a strong support system surrounding you as you begin your career.
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