In a profession where who you know, what school you went to and the circle that surrounds you is so important in getting your foot in the door, first-generation lawyers very often fall through the cracks.
Being the first in anything is something that we as a community value. We tend to support and cheer on the underdog. We love to hear stories of people who step out of their comfort zone and overcome numerous challenges to ultimately reach their objective. However, while we value the valiant effort of getting there, once a student who is a first-generation lawyer completes law school and steps into the “real world,” they tend to feel abandoned. Frankly, in a profession where who you know, what school you went to and the circle that surrounds you is so important in getting your foot in the door, first gens very often fall through the cracks. Fortunately, the First Generation Network is now here to fill in this gap (unfortunately only in Ontario, for now).
Brooke Longhurst is a third-year law student at the University of Toronto and the founder and co-president of the First Generation Network, a network of first-generation lawyers. According to Brooke, the purpose of FGN is to “reduce the barriers to success for law students who were the first in their families to attend post-secondary education. We focus on breaking down barriers and celebrating the positive attributes that first-generation students often bring to the table.”
Whether it is helping first gens develop networking skills, build a network of recent and seasoned lawyers who were also first gens or providing mentorship opportunities, FGN is looking at supporting these lawyers to ensure that they are able to enter the profession with the full support they need to be successful and hit the ground running.
Apart from joining FGN, I asked Longhurst what she felt were critical pieces of advice for first gens entering the legal profession and she provided me with three very sage and practical tips.
This may be a bit of a generalization, but I find that first-gen lawyers tend to be humble. We tend to feel that hard work on its own will eventually result in someone becoming aware of our incredible potential, resulting in offers of mentorship or, even better, an opportunity to apply the skills and abilities that we possess. As a first-gen lawyer, you need to, in my opinion, hide away that humble nature and actively seek out the contacts, attend the events, speak to attendees, exchange business cards (which means have some made, even if not currently working somewhere), send out emails and send out LinkedIn invitations. In essence, use the drive, passion and work ethic that got you this far to build a network. Make an effort to join groups such as FGN (which you can do by reaching out to Longhurst for more information), but, most importantly, never stop looking at yourself in the mirror to congratulate yourself for getting this far and for accomplishing something as important as becoming a first-generation lawyer!
I am privileged and honoured to be the keynote speaker for FGN at the Toronto offices of Goodmans LLP on Nov. 23. The discussion is titled “From Struggling Student to General Counsel” and I hope to speak about my experiences and expand on tips for first-gen lawyers. If you are already registered, I look forward to speaking with you further there. If you are not, I understand that the registration is currently full, but please be on the lookout or reach out to Longhurst to find out about future events. I look forward to seeing you!
