Like her classmates, Rachel Hung, Law’21, wanted to get a first-hand glimpse of what lawyers do. They all had the opportunity to do just that through the Shadow Program, which matches first-year students with alumni mentors for a day on the job. Her pairing with Sarah Spitz, Law’17, not only introduced Hung to the inner workings of a boutique firm in Toronto, but also brought Spitz’ experience with the program full circle. 

Putting herself back in the shoes was in while shadowing Jennifer Ferguson, Law’94, an Assistant Crown Attorney in Kingston in 2015, Spitz provided a well-rounded experience for Hung’s job shadow day. “Besides showing Rachel a day in the life, I wanted to give her meaningful guidance that there are ways to bring together all of your interests,” says Spitz, an associate at Rayman Beitchman LLP. “Sometimes your interests will change, and in those cases you just have to be open and see the opportunity and which path is best to get you there.” 

This advice resonates with Hung, who was happy to have been matched with a young professional who as a student also possessed a variety of interests. “I signed up for the Shadow Program because I wanted to gain perspective on what the daily life of a lawyer looks like and how legal careers can evolve,” she says. 

Like Hung, Spitz’ interests started off in health law, the area that she articled in, and then evolved to a litigation practice in a boutique property firm. “Taking a strong interest in both health law and litigation, it was interesting to hear Sarah’s perspective on both fields,” says Hung. “Sarah gave me invaluable advice on everything law-related.” 

In addition to mentorship and practical guidance, Hung had the opportunity to sit in on her host’s meeting with one of the firm’s founding partners, Shane Rayman. “He was also extremely friendly,” she says. “It was surreal to meet this partner who had argued one a case I read in our Torts class in front of the Supreme Court of Canada.” 

The Shadow Program, a longstanding offering by the Queen’s Law Career Development Office (CDO), paired 66 first-year students with alumni this winter. Whether students tag along with Ministry of the Attorney General litigators on trips to court or get to step inside large and small firms for a look at the fast-paced schedule, students gain valuable insight and guidance from their volunteer hosts. 

Sarah Spitz knows well how it all comes together, having worked in the CDO during her summer after first year and then moving into the role of Shadow Program Coordinator that fall. It was in that capacity that she saw the breadth of practices alumni could introduce to students. “I want to be a litigator, what does that look like? Who do I work with? What’s a full service firm experience like?” These are some of the questions she feels are best answered through the program, allowing students to see for themselves. 

Called to the Ontario Bar in 2018, her fresh perspective on her path from law school to practising lawyer has been rich with diverse experiences. She credits competitive mooting, participating in the Queen’s Elder Law Clinic, and serving on the editorial board of the Queen’s Law Journal as preparing her for her practice at Rayman Beitchman. As a junior associate, she was able to show Hung how she uses such practical skills as legal research, drafting documents, and in meetings with clients and partners. Her firm specializes in property rights litigation, and she drew on her own first-year Property class, one in which Hung is in the midst of now, to illustrate how an early substantive course comes back to help lawyers in their practice. 

Both shadower and host agree that this program is an eye opening opportunity for first-year law students to see the concepts learned in the classroom come to life. From shadower to coordinator to host, Spitz can relate to the experience of trying to figure out a career path with a variety of interests pulling you in different directions. “You don’t know until you try,” is her advice. 

Reflecting on this 2019 Shadow Day, Hung highly recommends the program. “It was very helpful to see what actually goes on in a legal setting,” she says. “Sitting in a classroom learning about the law is very different than the actual practice of law. Because of the relationship and conversations I had with Sarah, I now see her as a mentor who I can reach out to any time and who will always be happy to help.” 

By Quinn Brown