Is it really true that you have to do everything with excellence to succeed in life? In this episode of the Lawyer Life Podcast, we unpack the pressure to be exceptional at all times—and how that mindset can actually hold you back. From perfectionism to burnout, we explore the hidden costs of chasing excellence in every corner of your life, and why it's okay (and often smarter) to focus your energy more strategically. Tune in for our conversation about redefining what excellence really means—and how to set the bar for yourself at a reasonable level. Listen now and subscribe to the Lawyer Life Podcast for more conversations like this.

In this episode, we sit with the discomfort and frustration that followed the acquittal in the Hockey Canada case — a decision many lawyers saw coming, given the high bar for criminal convictions in sexual assault cases. It feels like there has to be a better way for society to reckon with harm, responsibility, and repair in the wake of these very public criminal trials. To help us explore that possibility, we’re joined again by Pam Hrick, who is the former Executive Director and General Counsel, Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF). We discuss restorative justice as an alternative model — one that doesn’t replace the legal system, but offers a different path when the law can’t or won’t address the full complexity of harm. This is a conversation about accountability without a criminal conviction, and what it might mean to build systems that actually meet the needs of survivors and communities outside the criminal justice system. 🛑 Content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual violence. Please listen with care. Pam has written about this subject for the Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-criminal-justice-system-keeps-failing-sexual-assault-survivors/ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-survivors-of-sexual-violence-should-have-greater-access-to-restorative/

Heading back to the office this fall? Whether you're a fresh-faced law student or a new associate, this episode is for you. Mike and Darlene crack open the memory vault to share the best advice they received as junior lawyers — the kind that helped them survive (and thrive) in both in-house roles and private practice. They also tap into the wisdom of the wider Inter Alia crew and a few in-house friends to round out the insights. If you're looking for real talk, practical tips, and a few laughs along the way, hit play. This episode is all about helping you build a career in law that works for you — not the other way around.

Mike and Darlene interview Adam Dodek, author and professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa, about his recent book "Heenan Blaikie: The Making and Unmaking of a Great Canadian Law Firm". It's a great chat full of lessons for lawyers setting out to improve on the business model in law. Professor Dodek interviewed over 180 former Heenan Blaikie lawyers to write the book, and it is a real page turner from start to finish. Join us for this chat! You can find the book here: US: https://www.amazon.com/Heenan-Blaikie-Making-Unmaking-Canadian/dp/0774870737 Canada: Indigo https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/heenan-blaikie-the-making-and-unmaking-of-a-great-canadian-law-firm/9780774870733.html Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Heenan-Blaikie-Making-Unmaking-Canadian/dp/0774870737 UBC Press https://www.ubcpress.ca/heenan-blaikie

Is justice just revenge with better PR? In this episode, we dig into the idea that lawyers might be chasing more than fairness — maybe it’s payback too. Could the same fire that fuels equity also fuel a thirst for retribution? And is that… a bad thing? Join us as we unpack the messier motivations behind why some of us went to law school in the first place. This episode is an "Aftershow" - our discussion after listening to the Armchair Expert podcast interview with James Kimmel Jr. about his book: "The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction."

This week, in a twist, Darlene is in the interviewer's seat, asking Mike (!) about his time management skills (which are impressive, even by lawyer standards). One of Mike's special superpowers is his ability to set and meet deadlines, regardless of his workload. How does he do it?? Darlene aims to find out, in this episode, and Mike shares his top tips, grouped into four easy and memorable "buckets". In addition: a quick chat about the Midjourney/Disney AI image generator lawsuit, and as always, our goods and gripes. Mike is DONE with music biopics, but promotes and supports a great local live music show where the band's performance is on point. Darlene is self aware (at least), about her soccer mom cheering issue. And we tease our next episode, in which we will interview Adam Dodek about his book "Heenan Blaikie: The Making and Unmaking of a Great Canadian Law Firm".

As lawyers who have both practiced in law firms and in-house, Mike and Darlene are often asked "which is a better way to practice law: in a law firm, or in-house in a corporation?". In this episode, we aim to answer this question based on our own experience and all that we have observed in our careers to date. We focus on the pros and cons in each of: culture; workload; and lifestyle. If you are trying to figure out which is a better fit for you, we hope this episode will be helpful!

EPISODE TRAILER - When it comes to commercial contracts, are lawyers sometimes just moving the puck around? Or are we trying to score...? As in hockey, lawyers can decide that our goal is to close, just like a professional hockey team can decide their goal is to win the Stanley Cup. Join us to hear our simple tips on HOW to negotiate with closing in mind. And as always, we have our goods and gripes. Darlene loved another podcast that perfectly mixed the professional and the political in another context, and Mike is listening to podcasts about... trade secrets? Oh and Jerry Maguire, "the perfect movie". Also "Super Team Canada". Darlene has a follow-up mouthtape gripe, and Mike must stay indoors despite the beautiful spring weather.

When it comes to commercial contracts, are lawyers sometimes just moving the puck around? Or are we trying to score a goal..? As in hockey, lawyers can decide that our goal is to close, just like a professional hockey team can decide (in theory...) that their goal is to win the Stanley Cup. Join us to hear our simple tips on HOW to negotiate with closing in mind. And as always, we have our goods and gripes. Darlene loved another podcast that perfectly mixed the professional and the political in another context, and Mike is listening to podcasts about... trade secrets? Oh and Jerry Maguire, "the perfect movie". Also "Super Team Canada". Darlene has a follow-up mouthtape gripe, and Mike must stay indoors despite the beautiful spring weather.

This week, Mike and Darlene revisit the topic discussed in the last episode, about Big Law firms navigating Executive Orders by entering into “deals”. With less focus on the associates’ perspective this week, and more on the issue from the firm level, they comment on new developments, listener feedback, and—of course— commercial contracts and the joy of boilerplate. Plus, in Goods & Gripes: Mike’s praising smart collaborators and lamenting legalese, while Darlene’s channeling Simon & Garfunkel and calling out procrastinating politicians. Link to two New York Times articles mentioned in the episode are here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/us/politics/law-firms-deals-trump.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/19/business/trump-law-firms.html

Right now, big law firms are being asked to enter into “deals” to extract themselves from Executive Orders. Mike and Darlene talk through our thoughts on this, and its impact on the legal profession as a whole, mainly by responding to the NYT Daily podcast interview with departing Skadden Arps associate Thomas Sipp. We’re asking ourselves what we might do if faced with a similar choice. And as always, there are goods and gripes! Mike is glad about Guerrero Jr., but he gripes that it seems people have to be attractive forever now. When do we get to just be comfortable? Darlene thinks vacation is utopian, but the new “mouth tape” trend is highly dystopian.

In a world where unreasonable behaviour seems more common than ever, Mike and Darlene ask: Is "being reasonable" something we actively need to protect? They explore how the small choices we make every day shape our ability to stay true to ourselves when faced with major societal upheavals. Are we preparing ourselves to stand by our principles when it really counts? As always, there are goods and gripes! Mike is a hockey coach now, and putting his sheriff-y ways behind him… mostly. Darlene has six pairs of AirPods and can’t find any of them. CHAPTERS 2:04 → Mike Myers's federal election endorsement of Mark Carney 4:42 → A post-reasonableness world? 8:33 → Are more people willing to do whatever it takes? 9:50 → Being "ready for the call" and the Thai cave rescue 14:21 → The golden rule and being the best version of yourself 19:58 → Watching people who get "all the things" 24:56 → Idolizing the wrong stuff 27:52 → Climate change support group 28:53 → Goods and Gripes ***************************************************************** Video of Mike Myers and Mark Carney: https://x.com/MarkJCarney/status/1904188670401187853 ***************************************************************** Subscribe to Lawyer Life: ✸ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4jyH7uFx4KgYHSSmD5pCiP ✸ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/lawyer-life-podcast/id1410555303 ✸ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lawyerlifepod ✸ RSS Feed: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:229516407/sounds.rss Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyerlifepod Email: lawyerlifepod@gmail.com

Risks & Benefits of Integrating AI by Lawyer Life Podcast

In this week’s episode, we seek solace in chaotic times. We talk movies, books, poems, music and… doing the right thing when it counts! Seems these things are connected. Mike’s question this week (inspired by the amazing Vibe Check podcast): what movies, books, music or other materials serve as touchstones, showing us the ground is not necessarily shifting beneath our feet as much as it feels. We talk Jerry Maguire (briefly! And OF COURSE!) but also our other favourite movies from childhood. By the end, we find ourselves asking our lawyerly listeners to go back to their own touchstones, and maybe give some thought to why we all went to law school in the first place. Yes, we go a bit deep in this one! Mike even reads a poem! And as always, there are our goods and gripes. Darlene is happy about her fiery immunity juice, but probably should not have been drinking it prior to the pod. Mike is happy about taking a trip, and getting out of his usual surroundings, but has some reservations. Tune in towards the end for our gripes. Join us! And if you’re a fan of the pod, please subscribe to our YouTube channel (even if you don’t watch the episode there, you’ll see our “shorts” from time to time). You can also find us on Spotify, Instagram (@lawyerlifepod), and wherever else you listen to audio podcasts. If you can take a second to like, rate, or review the pod, we will be eternally grateful. Talk soon! ***************************************************************** Vibe Check Podcast: https://vibe-check.simplecast.com/ Greenhouse Fiery Ginger Wellness Shot: https://www.greenhouse.ca/products/fiery-ginger-on ***************************************************************** Subscribe to Lawyer Life: ✸ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4jyH7uFx4KgYHSSmD5pCiP ✸ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/lawyer-life-podcast/id1410555303 ✸ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lawyerlifepod ✸ RSS Feed: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:229516407/sounds.rss Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyerlifepod Email: lawyerlifepod@gmail.com

Mike and Darlene revisit the subject of negotiation strategy. Why now? Well, it's our attempt to process recent world events like tariff negotiations by breaking them down and looking at them through a lawyer's mechanical lens. We last spoke about this on an episode we did in June 2019, but felt now was a good time to revisit it as we watch the bully and the bamboozle strategies playing out on the world stage. Join us! And as always, there are our goods and gripes: Goods: Darlene loves a recent AI version of Canadiana (Spoiler: Mike does not!). Mike is all about the second hand stuff. Quote: "Everybody wins". Gripes: Mike needs someone to tell him how to sleep. Quote: "what are we doing with this arm?" Darlene is surprised. Darlene opposes sleeping in socks but enjoys a throwback to the Victorian era. If you are enjoying the podcast, please subscribe to our YouTube channel or leave a rating on the Apple Podcasts app. We greatly appreciate it!

Mike observes that law students, then lawyers, are often people who put in a lot of effort, and are rewarded throughout their lives for that effort. He wonders if it's this very quality, though, that makes it so hard for lawyers to learn to actually NOT put in so much effort sometimes. When do we relax? Does everything have to be done at 100%? Do we feel like if we're not struggling, we're not working hard enough? Mike and Darlene share their thoughts and experience with this, both inside the practice of law and outside, in our personal lives. They talk about finding "the ease in the effort". Both Mike and Darlene have a few Mea Culpas to come clean on. And, as always, there are Goods and Gripes. Darlene has a good laugh at the oil change place. Mike's dog has unusual taste in snacks. If you're enjoying the podcast, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the like button.

Darlene wants to talk about whether we still have appropriate recourse for problems in life. Do we have time to pursue what little recourse there is? Do we deserve recourse if we're shopping online? Is a refund enough to compensate? And don't get us started on courts and the expense required to get recourse there. A few recent experiences with online shopping and appliance purchasing trigger the conversation. (Sharp lawyerly listeners will notice something that will need to be corrected in Mea Culpa on the next episode....) PLUS - Mike goes full Canadian winter in his goods and gripes, and also risks his safety on a 1980's era snow toy, Darlene recommends Nate Bargatze ("Your Friend Nate Bargatze", now on Netflix) and also embraces her role as a citizen on patrol. Please like, subscribe, and share! Talk soon.

Darlene and Mike celebrate the end of 2024, welcoming Daniel Fish (Editor, Precedent Magazine) to discuss his most recent article entitled The New Era of Associate Pushback. PLUS - a BTS look at podcast editing, Darlene awkwardly accepts Mike's thanks, and a surprise Gripe! The article we discussed is here: https://lawandstyle.ca/career/the-new-era-of-associate-pushback/. Visit lawandstyle.ca for more articles from Daniel Fish, or check him out on X (@DanielHFish). Please like, subscribe, and share! Talk soon.

In today's episode of the Lawyer Life Podcast, Mike Anderson and Darlene Tonelli of Inter Alia Law muse about whether people are equipped to handle all the things in society for which government is removing regulatory guardrails. Plus: We talk about going on a "news fast", and what we will do instead, like getting out into the real world and doing actual things and having real conversations. "Keep aware, don't obsess". We wonder how we as a society keep ourselves out of addiction and vices when the government steps back and legalizes things that used to be illegal (e.g. sports betting, cannabis), or chooses not to regulate things in the first place (e.g. platforms like Uber, AirBnB, or social media generally). As always, Goods and Gripes: Goods - Darlene loves lawyer shows and books, actual experience of being a lawyer notwithstanding. Mike supports and promotes two amazingly talented artists from Alberta: music (Sister Ray - sisterraymusic.com) and comedian/actor (Lisa Gilroy - lisagilroy.com). Gripes - Mike wonders who was complaining about old Outlook. Darlene follows up on a previous gripe and shares some feedback from her family for Mike. We talked about this article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/22/nyregio... To learn more about our sponsor, Inter Alia Law, please visit www.interalia-law.com.

Darlene and Mike chat about Darlene's most recent read - "Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts" by Oliver Burkeman, and his very different take on "maximum productivity" and "hyper optimization". They also introduce a new segment (with a flashy title screen!), and Mike vents about a 5 year-old harassing him about being 'follicly challenged'.