Beyond the Briefcase

On our FIFTIETH episode of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts chat about the lawyer licensing process in Ontario and New York State. Meg talks about writing the LSO bar exams and articling process. Sarah shares her experiences navigating the many, MANY US and NY virtual and in-person exams. Your hosts are in the thick of it, but have no fear - all will be well (eventually)! Support the podcast! Foll...

On this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts chat with Celine Tsai, a student who went on exchange to Lund University in Sweden in her final year of law school. Celine shares her experiences navigating the (bizarrely antiquated) exchange application process, the terror of housing logistics, and the many, many fun places to visit in Europe. Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Insta...

Welcome to the sixth and final episode of our summer student mini-series! In this episode, Sarah and Meg chat about their experiences working at boutique firms in Downtown Toronto. Sarah speaks about her time at an office specializing in capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. Meg recounts her time at a labour/employment shop. If you're interested in learning more about the culture at boutiq...

Welcome to the fifth episode of our mini-series where we canvas diverse summer student experiences in different areas of the legal profession. In this episode, Sarah and Meg chat with Amit Nehru, a 3L student at the University of Toronto who summered at a full service firm in Downtown Toronto. Amit gives us the run-down on how to keep an open mind and open heart when applying for summer positions,...

Welcome to the fourth episode of our mini-series where we canvas diverse summer student experiences in different areas of the legal profession. In this episode, Sarah and Meg chat with Humza Khan, a 3L student at the University of Toronto who summered at the Toronto Crown Office. Humza gives us the run-down on applying and interviewing for government positions in Ontario as well as the importance...

Welcome to the third episode of our mini-series where we canvas diverse summer student experiences in different areas of the legal profession. In this episode, Sarah and Meg chat with Vlad Shevchenko, a 3L student at the University of Toronto who is completing law school in Ontario, but will practice in Alberta. Vlad gives us the run-down on studying and applying to work in another jurisdiction, s...

Welcome to the second episode of our mini-series where we canvas diverse summer student experiences in different areas of the legal profession. In this episode, Sarah and Meg chat with Emma Farrell, a 3L student at the University of Toronto who split her summer working at a New York firm and a Toronto firm. Emma gives us the run-down on what it's like to apply for and split the summer working in t...

Welcome back to a new season of Beyond the Briefcase! We start with a mini-series canvassing diverse summer student experiences in different areas of the legal profession. This episode, your hosts chat with Cathleen Ma, a 3L student at the University of Toronto who summered at Legal Aid Ontario. Cathleen gives us the run-down on summering at a public interest, government organization.  Support the...

On the last episode of Season 3 of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts reflect upon the 2L recruit. Now with summer placements (and hopefully articles!) lined up, Sarah and Meg catch you up on their experiences with OCIs, Call Day, and Interview Week.  Disclaimer: What Sarah and Meg say is wholly their personal opinions and experiences. By no means will this reflect your experience going through the...

In this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, Sarah and Meg chat about a topic near and dear to their hearts: navigating personal health emergencies and law school. They talk candidly about what they went through this summer (cancer and POTS!) and what they did to make the most of their summer placements and school years.  Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodc...

How seriously should you approach extracurriculars in your upper years of law school? In this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, Sarah and Meg chat about how many extracurriculars they're pursuing, and their philosophy on juggling school, research, volunteering, and work.  Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast Give us a 5-star rating and subscribe for mo...

It's another Pillow Talk! In this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, Sarah and Meg chat about staying motivated as law students in the upper years of the program.  Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast Give us a 5-star rating and subscribe for more.  Don't hesitate to contact us if there are some topics you would like covered on the show! We would love t...

In this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, Sarah and Meg chat about how they selected their 2L courses (using a certain algorithmic software which shall not be named...). They explore what to consider when balancing one's academic year - from the recruit to studying abroad to being able to have a four-day weekend!  Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast G...

We began this show chatting about how to get into law school. In this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, we revisit the subject, now halfway through the program, and with plenty of 20/20 hindsight!  Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast Give us a 5-star rating and subscribe for more.  Don't hesitate to contact us if there are some topics you would like c...

In this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, Sarah and Meg chat about their first impressions of 2L. They explore: academics, extracurriculars, and balancing work/life! Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast Give us a 5-star rating and subscribe for more.  Don't hesitate to contact us if there are some topics you would like covered on the show! We would lov...

Welcome back! In this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, Sarah and Meg chat about how they prepared for their second year of law school. They explore: academics, the 2L recruit, mentorship opportunities, and social outings!  Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast Give us a 5-star rating and subscribe for more.  Don't hesitate to contact us if there are so...

This week, it’s our first Pillow Talk of the season! In this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, Sarah and I discuss the best practices and realities of balancing work and life as a summer law student in 1L. Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast Give us a 5-star rating and subscribe for more.  Don't hesitate to contact us if there are some topics you woul...

In this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, Sarah and Meg discuss their prepwork for the 2L recruit over their 1L summer. Want to know about the timelines for the Toronto and New York recruit, what types of materials to assemble, and how to organize coffee chats? This episode is for you!  Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast Give us a 5-star rating and s...

On the first episode of Season 3 of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts recap their 1L summer. Sarah and Meg catch you up on their work as summer students and how their placements shaped their plans for the 2L recruit.  This marks the start of Season 3! If you've made it this far, thank you so much for your support :) Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast...

On the last episode of Season 2 of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts reflect upon the second semester of law school. Sarah and Meg catch you up on workload, juggling extracurriculars, job hunting, and socializing. They share with you what they look forward to in the summer and 2L! This marks the end of Season 2. If you've made it this far, thank you so much for your support :) Support the podcast!...

On this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts chat about their very first moot! Sarah and Meg give you the rundown on the Hicks Morley Moot (labour and employment law), how they prepared, and the kinds of feedback they received to do better next time.  Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram: @beyondthebriefcasepodcast Give us a 5-star rating and subscribe for more.  Don't he...

On this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts chat with Valerie Sedlezky, a lawyer who specializes in not-for-profit and charity law, about the importance of self-confidence in law school, articling, and writing the bar exam. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST    Valerie's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/valerie-sedlezky-b8165b197 Valerie's most recent article: https://www.torkin.com/insights/publication/...

On this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts chat with Julian Sarafian, a Harvard-grad lawyer who transitioned from Big Law to content creation. Meg and Sarah talk to Julian about his work in mental health advocacy, his tremendous success on TikTok, his law firm, For Creators, By Creators , and his upcoming memoir! LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST    Julian's TikTok: @juliansarafian Julian's law...

On this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts chat with Harris Rosen, a pioneer in the private career college sector in Canada, about his experiences starting out in compliance and transitioning to a career with private equity groups on large transactional deals. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST    Harris's website: https://harrisrosen.com/ Support the podcast! Follow us on our socials Instagram:...

On this episode of Beyond the Briefcase, your hosts chat with Melanie Banka Goela, a lawyer-turned-therapist about her experiences pioneering the Ontario Law Student Mental Health Initiative, counselling law students and lawyers, and starting her own practice, "From Anxiety to Ease." LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST    Melanie's website: https://fromanxietytoease.com/ Support the podcast! Follow us on o...