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 mentoring students, I’ve seen one consistent truth:

Careers don’t happen by accident. They’re built deliberately.

In this episode, we go beyond recruitment tactics and focus on the structure, mindset, and professional habits that separate reactive candidates from strategic ones. We cover:

• Why searching for a job is a job
• How to normalize (and use) discomfort
• The reality of imposter syndrome at every level
• Why silence from firms isn’t personal
• How hiring actually works inside firms
• Why every interaction is part of your application
• Social media and LinkedIn — what firms really see
• How to build a networking system (not random coffee chats)
• Finding mentors who accelerate your growth
• Narrowing your focus without locking yourself in
• Why comparison will quietly sabotage you

This is about taking ownership early — not waiting for clarity, permission, or perfect timing.

If you’re in OCIs, articling recruitment, internships, or preparing for your first associate role, this episode gives you a practical roadmap you can implement immediately.

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 relations board, and national-firm recruitment and talent management, Marketta brings a rare 360-degree insider perspective on how firms assess candidates—and how students can stand out.

This conversation is essential listening for law students preparing for OCIs, in-firms, summer student applications, and articles, particularly at larger firms.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why mindset matters just as much as grades in law firm recruitment
  
  
• How being “curious” can reduce anxiety and improve interviews
  
  
• Why firms struggle with “I’m open to everything” candidates—and what to say instead
  
  
• How to narrow your focus without pigeonholing yourself
  
  
• What recruiters actually notice when reviewing hundreds of résumés
  
  
• How to turn your résumé from a list of duties into compelling accomplishments
  
  
• The role of storytelling in interviews—and how to avoid sounding over-rehearsed
  
  
• How preparation builds confidence and makes the process more enjoyable
  
  
• Choosing between boutique, mid-size, and large firms—and why applying broadly matters
  
  
• Finding “your people” and assessing firm fit beyond rankings and perks
  
  

Marketta also shares practical, immediately usable tips for:

• Writing stronger cover letters
  
  
• Preparing interview stories
  
  
• Understanding what firms are really hiring for
  
  
• Approaching recruitment as the first step in a long, successful legal career

Episode notes:

Marketta Jokinen’s website is www.currenttalent.ca

Markett’s LinkedIn profile is https://www.linkedin.com/in/markettajokinen/

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 should be both “house cats” and “alley cats” in their early years.

Whether you’re a law student, an articling student, or a new associate trying to find your footing, this episode gives you guidance you can act on today.

What you’ll learn in this episode

• How David created an articling role for himself through strategic relationship-building
  
  
• Why discomfort is part of the profession—and how to lean into it
  
  
• The truth about networking (and why it’s a muscle, not a personality trait)
  
  
• How to think like an entrepreneur early in your career
  
  
• What to do if you’re in the wrong firm or wrong practice area
  
  
• The “house cat vs. alley cat” model for succeeding as a junior lawyer
  
  
• How values shape firm culture—and how Ascent built a values-led practice from day one

Episode notes:

David Brown LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmjbrown/

Ascent Employment Law website: https://ascentemploymentlaw.ca/

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 firm, and what it actually means to “reach up” when you need help. He also speaks openly about his journey with anxiety, how he learned to manage it, and why early-career lawyers must proactively build healthy habits and support systems.
We also cover:
• How to communicate effectively as a junior lawyer—and avoid the 50% misunderstanding trap
• Why self-awareness, curiosity, and preparation are foundational to success
• The professional etiquette expectations that genuinely matter in law firms
• How to build a client-centric mindset early in your career
• The long-term value of community involvement and choosing causes that matter to you
• Why your ethical compass—and your reputation—are your most important assets in law
This conversation is packed with practical guidance, stories from Mark’s career, and honest reflections that will help you navigate articling, summering, and your first few years of practice with more confidence, clarity, and resilience.

Episode notes:

Anxiety Canada: https://www.anxietycanada.com/
Lawyers Assistance Program BC: https://www.lapbc.com/
CBA Lawyer Assistance Program: https://cba.org/resources/well-being-and-lawyer-assistance/

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 hard lessons he believes every law student, summer student, and new associate needs to hear before starting in a law firm.

Together, Susan and Murray break down:

The biggest mistakes new lawyers make

• Why confidence and self-awareness matter more than you think
  
  
  
• How introverts (and extroverts!) can set themselves up to succeed
  
  
  
• What “ownership mentality” really looks like — and why partners value it
  
  
  
• How to ask better questions without driving your supervising lawyer crazy
  
  
  

The hard truths about starting your legal career

• You know far less than you think after graduation — and that’s normal
  
  
  
• Why legal success isn’t about hard work alone
  
  
  
• The reality of learning outside billable time
  
  
  
• How culture varies between firms, offices, and practice groups
  
  
  
• Why defining your own version of success is essential for long-term health
  
  
  

Murray also shares stories from decades in practice — from articling in the 80s, to hiring students, to mentoring young lawyers — with practical, actionable advice to help you thrive, not just survive.

If you’re preparing for summering, articling, or your first year of practice, this episode will give you the insight (and perspective) you won't find in textbooks.

Listen now and start building the leadership habits your future self will thank you for.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Lawyer Launcher for more episodes that help you thrive in the legal profession.

Episode notes:

Law & Disorder Inc: https://www.murraygottheil.com/

Murray Gottheil LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murray-gottheil-58787b1/

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 get a title.

What you’ll learn (and why it matters early in your career):

• How to be a leader at any level
Small daily habits build your long-term reputation and influence.

• Why “thinking like an owner” sets you apart
Students who take responsibility for their work get noticed—fast.

• The behaviours that build trust
Integrity, accountability, follow-through, honesty, courage, and truly listening. These skills make colleagues want you on their team.

• EQ as the #1 skill in legal workplaces
It’s learnable, and it’s what differentiates good junior lawyers from exceptional ones.

• What to ask yourself before starting your career
Identify your values, imagine your future, and choose firms aligned with both.

• How to stand out in applications and early roles
Be authentic, stay curious, and apply what you learn.

• How to avoid common pitfalls in law firms
Understand firm culture, get clarity on expectations, record all your time, and protect your well-being.

• Why mentors and coaches matter—even early on
The most successful professionals invest in their growth.

Listen now and start building the leadership habits your future self will thank you for.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Lawyer Launcher for more episodes that help you thrive in the legal profession.

Episode notes:

Lead Vantage: www.leadvantage.ca

Linda Lucas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucaslinda/

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 Mindset takes us through a four-step framework that will help you recover and rebuild your confidence. She also shares some personal examples of how she has bounced back herself.

Episode notes:

The Lawyer Mindset website: www.thelawyermindset.com

Jayne’s email: Jayne@lawyermindset.com.

Jayne’s Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayne-rossworn-892642b9/

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 for Partners, Management Consulting Inc. Colin has been advising professional service firms for more than 35 years and in his previous role as COO, he led his firm to become one of the most profitable firms in British Columbia.

He is a management consultant and advises law firms in the following key areas related to profitability: Profitability improvement, strategic planning, firm governance, partner compensation, financial management and operations management.

Episode notes:

Colin's blog: www.lawprofitability.com
Profits for Partners: https://www.profitsforpartners.com/
Author David Maister: https://davidmaister.com/books.mtpsf/