Keep an open mind. That’s the number one piece of advice all four Law’94 panelists gave students at the “Leverage your Queen’s JD” career panel on September 21. 

Celebrating their 25th anniversary reunion during Homecoming Weekend, these classmates discussed their paths to top positions in different types of careers: 

• Jacqueline Armstrong Gates, Partner, Gowling WLG, Kitchener, Ontario;
• Daina Selvig, President, Selvig Legal Consultants LLC, Boston, Massachusetts; Former Deputy General Counsel, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Marlborough Massachusetts;
• Katherine Tew Darras, General Counsel, ISDA, New York, New York; and  
• Julie Watkinson, Senior General Counsel, Department of Justice - Canada Border Services Agency, Ottawa, Ontario. 

Before law school, during their studies and in the early stages of their careers, each of these women thought they knew what they would like to do, but instead found something that suited them better. 

Watkinson originally thought she wanted to be a criminal defence lawyer, but discovered while at Queen’s Law that it wouldn’t be a good fit for her. After articling on Bay Street, she did some contract work with a law firm in Ottawa that was acting on behalf of the Attorney General of Canada and found it very interesting. She applied to the Department of Justice Canada in 2000 and now heads the Canada Border Services Agency Legal Services Unit. “My personality type and interests were more suited to public service,” she said. Her advice: “Embrace what truly interests you.”  

Even though she isn’t a litigator, she emphasized the importance of advocacy. “These written and oral skills you learn in law school are so important in any kind of career you end up in.” 

Selvig, a Harvard LLM grad, never took an IP course yet she worked in-house with pharmaceutical companies for the past 14 years until June when she opened her own consulting firm for the pharmacology and biotechnology industries. “In law school, I didn’t really understand how flexible that education foundation could be and how you could translate it to something else,” she said. “The degree you’re getting is a powerful one. Lawyers have taken on so many different roles. Some of them don’t even practice. Be broad and think about opportunities.”

Tew Darras applied to Queen’s for labour law, but during her Bay Street articling rotation, decided it wasn’t for her. A few years after moving to New York and working at a small boutique firm doing secured lending work in 1997, she was reintroduced to a Bay Street in-house lawyer who was taking a job at ISDA, an international trade association representing the financial services industry. She landed the Assistant General Counsel job and loves her in-house work, which calls on her labour law training and often involves negotiating with over 100 people in group projects. “Figure out how a vocal person in a group thinks; find out what works with individuals,” she advised. “It’s more about your EQ and how you interact with people that will determine your ultimate success.” 

Armstrong Gates thought downtown Toronto was where she would practice law, but instead an amazing opportunity plus family living in the Kitchener-Waterloo area led her to Kitchener. She called the Gowling WLG office there to inquire about a position and has been practising commercial litigation and product liability there since 1999. “It’s okay to not know where you’re going and to end up in a different spot,” she said. “Sometimes what you never considered as an option is exactly what you want and end up loving.

“Have a Plan B or C and be flexible about where you’re going to end up working,” she added. “With your law degree you can do anything you want; it’s an incredible foundation to move forward.” 

Tip number two is it’s okay to fail; you will learn from your mistakes. “Say yes to opportunities,” said Armstrong Gates. “Try something new. You might be surprised what you end up with.” Push yourself outside your comfort zone, she stressed. “The worst thing you can do is you fall on your face, but then you get up.” 

“Utilize your network,” encouraged Tew Darras for the third tip. That includes reaching out to alumni – “we are happy to be in touch with students.” 

“You build lifelong friendships here so embrace that,” added Armstrong Gates. “Queen’s is great collaboratively. Keep up the collegiality and help each other out.” 

“Appreciate the connections you make in law school and when enter workforce,” said Selvig. “These are important in how your career and life work out. Your peers can help you.” 

Relationship building, which also includes a lawyer’s clients, leads to tip number four: be professional all the time. When you send an email, write it carefully as it might end up in court.  “Don’t burn bridges,” added Tew Darras.

The fifth and final tip for career success stems from an opportunity that wasn’t available when the panelists were law students: it’s important to learn the business of law. 

“In law school, we had an idealistic vision of what being a lawyer is,” said Watkinson, but once starting their careers, “lawyers also have to figure out how the business side of practice works.” 

“A huge part of the day is the running of the business – docketing, managing a budget and people,” added Selvig. 

What they wish they could have learned in law school is now available to Queen’s Law students through the Graduate Diploma in Legal Services Management. Current students can take LSM 810 Financial Literacy for Lawyers and LSM 820 Fundamentals of Legal Services Business for credit towards their JD degree. 

Students, faculty, staff and fellow grads attended the panel, followed by a Q & A session and an opportunity to meet the Law’94 women. “One of the most valuable aspects of this panel was the opportunity to hear a candid view of what a ‘path’ can look like after leaving law school,” said Sarah MacKay Marton, Law’21, an executive member of Queen’s Women and Law, which co-organized the event with the Faculty. “Each panelist described moving from experience to experience, sharing the same sentiment: had you asked them where they would be 25 years ago, they wouldn’t be able to predict where they are now. They each offered anecdotes of successes and failures; and how each made them the lawyer and woman they are today. 

“My biggest takeaway from this panel was that both success and being a woman in law can look very different from person to person” MacKay Marton adds. “To succeed, it is important to stay true to oneself and to say yes to whatever opportunity comes your way.”

See more photos in our SmugMug gallery!

By Lisa Graham