Lawyer Launcher - Behind the Bar

In this episode I'm speaking straight to the law student sitting alone in their office wondering if everyone else has figured out something they haven't. I name it clearly: the assimilation gap. The space between who you are when you walk into a firm and who the firm needs you to become. Every student has one. The ones who make it are the ones who close it intentionally. I build out the full pictu...

Welcome back to Lawyer Launcher: Behind the Bar . This week, we are doing something a little different. I recently had the lovely opportunity to be a guest on Claudio Klaus's podcast, Studying Law Around the World . We had such a wonderful conversation about the realities of the legal industry that I wanted to share the episode directly with all of you right here on the channel. During our chat, I...

What if nobody tells you that you're not on track to get hired back? In Part 2 of this Behind the Bar series, Susan Van Dyke explores two more invisible warning signs that law students and summer students often miss. You may still be getting assignments. People may still be friendly. Nobody may have given you negative feedback. But behind the scenes, partners are making decisions. Are they coming...

How do you actually know if you’re on track to get hired back at your law firm? The answer isn’t obvious. Firms rarely tell you directly. But they do signal it — quietly, consistently, and early. In this episode, I walk you through the subtle signs that law students miss, including how your work is evolving, how feedback is being given, and what lawyers are really thinking when they decide who to...

In this episode of Lawyer Launcher, Behind the Bar, Susan speaks with Claudio Klaus, a Brazilian trained lawyer now articling in Ontario and host of Studying Law Around the World. Claudio shares what he learned from speaking with more than 75 University of Toronto Law alumni as part of the school’s 75th anniversary project, including the two themes that came up again and again: there is no single...

Most law students think networking means being charming, confident, and effortlessly good at small talk. It doesn’t. It means not knowing what to say. It means standing in a room full of lawyers and wondering how to enter a conversation. It means overthinking every word and then replaying it later like a bad exam answer. And here is the problem. The students who figure this out early build relatio...

Starting at your first law firm can feel exciting, awkward, intimidating, and strangely high stakes, all at the same time. In this solo episode of Lawyer Launcher, I break down what orientation is really about, what law firms are actually paying attention to in your first few days, and how law students can build trust, confidence, and credibility from day one. This is not fluff. It is practical ad...

This episode breaks down what actually determines whether law students get hired back after a summer, articling, or internship position. Susan cuts through three persistent myths that mislead students from day one: that good work is enough, that mentorship will be structured and consistent, and that someone else is responsible for your development. Instead, she explains how law firms really operat...

In this episode of Lawyer Launcher: Behind the Bar , Susan Van Dyke sits down with leadership coach and former Big Law professional Megan Mallister to unpack one of the most misunderstood success factors in law firms: emotional intelligence. Law school teaches you how to think. It does not teach you how to navigate personalities, manage pressure, receive feedback, or build trust inside a firm. Meg...

In this episode of Lawyer Launcher , mediator Mark Tweedy, K.C,  discusses the rapid growth of mediation across Canada and the U.S., particularly since 2020, and why it has become central to modern dispute resolution. He explains that mediation is no longer a last-minute procedural step before trial—it is increasingly a strategic inflection point in litigation. Court backlogs, cost pressures, and...

This episode is not about résumés. It’s about how you run your job search — and who you become in the process. In this solo episode of Lawyer Launcher - Behind the Bar , I’m speaking directly to law students and junior lawyers navigating the transition from law school to their first firm role. After decades working inside and alongside law firms, advising leadership teams, recruiting lawyers, and...

In this episode of the Lawyer Launcher podcast, Susan Van Dyke and Johanna Mills sit down with Marketta Jokinen, former national-firm lawyer, law firm recruiter, and career coach, to unpack what law students really need to know about law firm recruitment. Marketta is the Founder of Legal Talent Consultant and Career Coach at Current Talent. With experience spanning private practice, a labour relat...

Behind the Bar with David Brown — Ascent Employment Law  In this episode, Susan sits down with employment lawyer and Ascent Employment Law co-founder David Brown for an honest, grounded, and deeply practical conversation about building your legal career with intention. David shares his unconventional articling story, the power of relationships, how to navigate discomfort, and why young lawyers sho...

In this episode of Behind the Bar, I sit down with litigator, Mark Virgin, who brings more than 30 years of practice experience—and an extraordinary level of candor—to a conversation every law student and junior lawyer needs to hear. Mark shares the lessons he wishes he knew as an articling student, including why you should always ask the “stupid” question, how to find the right mentors inside a f...

Behind the Bar – Lawyer Launcher  Real advice from real experience — the things law school never told you. In this episode, Susan sits down with retired business  lawyer and former managing partner Murray Gottheil, known for his frank, funny, and refreshingly honest insights about the legal profession. From the “safety of retirement,” Murray shares the truths he wishes he’d known earlier — and the...

In this episode, I’m joined by Linda Lucas —a longtime law firm and professional services executive and now a sought-after leadership coach and trainer . With 25+ years of strategic, operational, and financial leadership experience, Linda shares practical insights every law student, summer/articling student, and new lawyer needs to hear. Her core message: leadership starts on day one, not when you...

How do you come back from a setback? Most of us have experienced a setback - at work, in sport or our personal life. How do you regain confidence and develop resiliency when you’ve been knocked off your path?  High achieving law students, and other new professionals, often have  unique challenges when expectations are not met.   Jayne Rossworn is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with The Lawyer Mi...

Colin Cameron, CPA, CA, takes us through the basics of law firm compensation and profitability and why it's important for law students and new lawyers to understand how billing rates and recording time tie into profits. We discuss the evolution of the business of law, the emergence of law firm business professionals, and how new lawyers can learn from them. Colin Cameron is the founder of Profits...

Kimberly Rice joins us to discuss how law students and new lawyers can learn how to become firm rainmakers. Legal competence is the price of admission to law firms these days. To succeed you must set yourself apart, and Kimberly has amazing tips to get you started. Takeaways from this episode include: - Understand the governance & power structure of your new firm and befriend the power players...

Bena Stock spent over 24 years as a litigator before turning her talents to counselling others. In this episode she draws upon her personal experience, sharing tools that new and aspiring lawyers can use to quiet anxiety, grow confidence, and build a happier and more successful practice. She also addresses common career saboteurs such as imposter syndrome, perfectionism (yes, it's a problem), and...