Beyond the Mountains: How a Writer and Climber Found His Place in Law

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Conor McCarthy, and I'm a writer, climber, and – most recently – a poultry farmer. I'm also an associate at Dentons Canada LLP. My practice is in municipal law and property disputes.

What motivated you to pursue a career in law?

I was working at a tourist operation at a glacier in the Canadian Rockies when I decided to write the LSAT. I had been considering a law degree since undergrad, but for years life had seemed to be progressing just fine without more schooling. 

Supervising a tourist operation was my day job – I was also writing and editing, both my own work, and as a freelancer. My contracts included ghostwriting books, writing white papers for a European government, and creating content for a business coach. But that didn't fully pay the bills, so I was working now as a supervisor, other times as a professional driver (taxis, buses, you name it), and also working on more mundane content. 

After editing one too many harlequin romance novels and writing one too many blog posts about CBD oil for dogs, I was craving more consequential work.

And that's when my friend said he was going to write the LSAT, and asked if I wanted to join him. I did.

The author, as yet blissfully unaware of LSAT logic games.

The tourist season ended shortly thereafter, and I spent the next three months marginally employed, on EI, and writing a practice LSAT every other day. I inherited a hard drive of past tests from my friend (who soon abandoned the endeavor to pursue training to become a helicopter pilot), and fell into a routine of printing one of these out, picking up a latte, going to the library, and sitting down for a timed practice run at the test that would decide my fate. 

I was living in the back half of my twenties, climbing mountains in the most beautiful place on earth, and I had a burgeoning career as a writer/editor. Things were pretty good, and I wasn't going to make too big a thing of this. I would write the test once, and let the chips fall where they may. 

Well, they ended up falling pretty favourably. My score wasn't amazing (I never did master those logic games), but it was pretty good. 

I applied to three law schools with my pretty good LSAT score, a mediocre GPA from undergrad (which was now about six years behind me), and a resume with broad – if not exactly prestigious – work experience. I put a lot of work into my cover letter, and used it to foreground the intellectual and (corny, yes) even spiritual renaissance I had experienced during my time in the Rockies.

I chose which schools to apply to by asking myself a few questions. Do I have a chance of getting in? Does the school specialize in anything I'm interested in? Would I want to live in that city? 

I received two acceptances, and I asked my then-girlfriend (now wife) to choose which of those cities she'd rather live in for at least a few years. She chose Ottawa.

What was your experience like in law school?

I sprinted out of the gate in 1L because I felt I had to prove myself after years out of school. Within a couple of months I was on the law review and working as a research assistant as part of the Technoship program. These were two activities I stuck with for the next three years. I stayed on with the professor when my term as a Technoship fellow ended (it was only for first-years), and successfully applied to be an associate and then senior editor of the law review.

These were the only two extracurricular activities I did in law school. And here comes my main recommendation to law students: protect your time and be strategic with your attention. It's easy to get swept off your feet in law school. There's a lot to do and you feel you have to prove yourself. And of course it's a balancing act, because come recruit season, you want to have something to show for yourself. But your mental health is the master variable. I passed over the opportunity to moot, work in a clinic, or do any other number of other extracurriculars in order to focus on my wellbeing, my relationships, my grades, and my non-legal interests (more or less in that order). For me, those tactical choices paid off – and I imagine treating one’s mental health as their north star rarely if ever proves to be a bad strategy.

Some other bits of advice:

• Write your lecture notes by hand. I know this is wildly unpopular (even among other interviewees on Legal Tales) but there's a kinetic magic to handwriting that doesn't translate to typing. And if nothing else, it minimizes distractions.

• Develop relationships with at least one or two professors. They're interesting, they know what they're doing, and it makes asking for letters of recommendation a whole lot easier. 

• Capitalize on your strengths. For me, my background in editing went a long way at the law review. 

• A meditation practice goes a long way.

How did you find your first law-related job?

Research assistant aside, my first law-related job was at a large firm as a summer student after second year. I was one of the lucky ones who got hired by my top choice firm.

What was my secret? Good question. I don't know exactly what I did that might have set me apart. 

Here's what I did, and I'll let the reader decide what might have made the difference:

• I only participated in the Ottawa recruit and applied to maybe 15 firms, but only really invested in the applications for around 5 – my top choices. For the others, I simply copy-pasted application materials and changed firm names, etc. (that didn't prove very fruitful, so that might not have been worth it in retrospect).

• I made it clear that Ottawa was my top-choice market.

• I googled my interviewers, and had a couple of questions about their practice locked and loaded. I also had a couple of general questions prepared specific to each firm.

• After interviews, I told my top-choice firm that they were my top choice, and that if I were to get a call on the momentous callback morning, I would say yes. 

• I chose my top-choice firm based mainly on fit – the people I got along with best, and the culture I thought I could contribute to. I told them this was my main criteria. 

My experience that summer was great. I wasn't entirely sure what kind of practice I wanted to have, and so the rotation through various practice groups was enlightening. 

Back to the research assistant piece: I'd highly recommend it. Working as a research assistant can be a great way to get reps of legal skills in (think legal research, statutory interpretation, drafting, etc.) while getting paid for it. 

How has your experience been for articling and practice?

At the end of 2L summer, I signed on to return to that firm as an articling student. And I thought I would until late March the following year. 

On a sunny spring day, I got a call out of the clear blue sky from the Superior Court of Justice. A year ago, concurrently with OCIs, I had applied to various clerkships. I'd interviewed at a few courts, but didn't receive an offer. Until now.

One of the clerks at the Superior Court had dropped out due to personal reasons, and they wanted to know if I was still available. I was not, having signed to return and article at my top-choice firm – a firm I would be thrilled to ultimately return to as an associate. But I was intrigued by this new opportunity, and asked for some time to consider. They gave me a few days.

I agonized for most of that period, but I ultimately came to the conclusion that I would regret not seizing this opportunity. Sure, I could apply to clerk after articling, but there was no guarantee I'd get another shot. And one of the great realizations I'd had in my 2L summer was that I wanted to practice in civil litigation. This was my chance to peek behind the curtain and demystify the court process. It was also an opportunity to dabble in criminal and family law, to ensure that I am not missing an undiscovered interest. 

Did I mention I really liked the firm I was betrothed to? I didn't want to burn them, and I certainly didn't want to leave my fellow articling students in the lurch. So I called the talent manager, and blurted it all out. She connected me with a partner, and I laid it all out to her too. This partner listened to my thought process, and – for which I will be forever grateful – she told me that she understood, and that while the firm would obviously prefer if I followed through on my commitment, it wouldn't stand in my way of pursuing this opportunity.

I share all of this because there's a lesson in it: when in doubt, tell the truth. That partner shared that this has happened before, but the wayward student had only ambushed the firm after they had signed with the court. They did not appreciate that. 

And so I had a similar conversation with the returning articling students – my friends – and with their blessing, I turned my sights to the court. 

The clerking experience at the Superior Court is different than most, as you're not assigned to a particular judge. Rather, there were three of us clerks working with 50+ judges. 

I can't speak highly enough about my clerkship. Thinking through thorny issues with judges, sitting in on examinations, witnessing the weight of a jury verdict in a murder trial, getting exposed to the entire gamut of the court's inherent jurisdiction… It was an invaluable experience. The thing I appreciated the most was the opportunity to get to know the judges as human beings, and to get mentorship from the people at the top of the profession.

Call to the Bar with my co-clerks.

When my term at the court came to a close, the firm that had let me out of my articling commitment was not looking for another litigation associate – the one opening went to my friend and former office-mate, who of course deserved it after articling. 

But that was alright, because I had since been connected with a partner at another firm, who had a growing team in a municipal law and property disputes practice. The best part? The fit was even better. I knew I'd found the right opportunity over burgers and margaritas with the team's two associates. 

If you can give one piece of advice to prospective or current law students to help them succeed, what would it be?

Make and fiercely protect space for your life outside of law. “Lawyer” isn't a complete identity. 

What are your future career plans going forward, and how can our reader connect with you in the future?

The future is bright. Professionally, I plan on continuing to learn and develop my practice at Dentons. Personally, I’ll continue climbing rocks and otherwise spending as much time outdoors as I can. My wife and I recently moved to a couple of acres outside of the city, and we’ve been spending much (all) of our free time figuring out how to keep chickens, grow food, and deter bears.

If you’d like to get in touch, my email is conor.mccarthy@dentons.com.