Page 30 - CCCA 250375 Magazine_Summer 2016

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Becoming a trusted advisor involves more than providing Dyck’s diverse jobs, from being a freelance lawyer to Com-
legal advice. Working in an executive role gives lawyers the op- petence Counsel for the Law Society of Manitoba, has given her
portunity to expand their infuence in the organization. Lavoie’s a rich and engaging career. Her current position as Executive
work involves coordinating with different departments and co- Director is a culmination of her past jobs: she manages teams,
ordinating legal efforts. acts as spokesperson for the organization and handles fnancial
“Here at VIA, my role was to ensure compliance with the law operations.
and make contracts enforceable,” says Lavoie. “As a pure lawyer, “I like the variety for one thing,” says Dyck. “I love that I
I can continue to do that but that’s not creating good relation- don’t know each day what it will bring. The HR work, com-
ships. I need to reach out to others and have a circle of friends. munications and fnance are interesting to me. I love the people
I want to do more than fnd the legal solution. When you get a and the board, and working with the students and the staff. I
Plan B, they come to you and you’re a business advisor. If you do like the company. It’s inspiring.”
this, they will knock on your door not because you’re a lawyer
but to fnd a solution. As lawyers, we need to go to them frst.”
One of the key advantages of moving into the C-suite is get- mAking the moVe
ting the opportunity to expand into new leadership roles and Gaining that next promotion, particularly into an executive
become more involved in the organization. role, takes more than doing a good job. The frst step is to look
“One thing is you need to be curious,” says Lavoie. “As a law- for opportunities within your organization.
yer, if you want to be involved in procurement, fnance or HR, Dyck was never shy about looking for new positions in the
you need to be curious. You need to understand what they do. organization. Her persistence led her to becoming the frst Di-
There’s a science to HR and marketing. Understand what they rector for Admissions and Development for the Law Society of
do and ask them to explain what they are doing. When you take Manitoba.
the time with people, they’re happy to go through it with you.” “Start looking for opportunities from where you are,” says
Going against the curve in your legal career can also lead you Dyck. “Every year I asked the CEO, ‘What else can I do? What
down an interesting path. Karen Dyck’s distinctive legal career opportunities remain for me?’ I asked regularly. Sometimes it
began with an all-too-familiar story. Dyck was a young lawyer worked out; sometimes it didn’t. Take on more responsibility.”
in Manitoba, working as a family litigator for fve years and dis- Lawyers need to complement their legal training with busi-
satisfed with her career. ness skills. Education can help fll in the gap. The CCCA’s
“It was the early 1990s and the jobs were scarce,” says Dyck, Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel is a unique
Executive Director for the Legal Help Centre. “In the early years, program where in-house counsel learn about fnance, HR and
it was diffcult fnancially and I had little mentoring, so it was other business management skills. Founded in 2014, the pro-
challenging. In my ffth year, I was looking for a way to escape.” gram is offered through the University of Toronto’s Rotman
Dyck found a new path with the Community Legal Educa- School of Management.
tion Association. A one-year contract with the organization “I wanted to gain more knowledge and insight into the busi-
gave Dyck the opportunity to work in public legal education ness executive roles,” says Susan Marsh, General Counsel and
and access to justice. Her experience led her to the Law Society Corporate Secretary for Morneau Shepell, and a recent gradu-
of Manitoba, where she worked in professional development. ate of the program. “We always need to have the next goal in
Later, her experience led her to co-found the Legal Help Centre mind, and I knew I wanted to move into a more senior role
of Winnipeg to help disadvantaged groups gain access to legal at the executive level. I also wanted to network with other in-
information. house lawyers.”
Marsh was part of a group of 25 students learning about f-
nancial statements, HR management and organizational design
“Lawyers have the analytical ability and through online and intensive in-person modules. The program
are problem solving in every possible sce- attracts students from across Canada from corporate, not-for-
nario,” says Dyck. “In a business man- proft and government organizations.
agement system, we have situations where
we can contemplate outcomes. It’s the same
kind of work you would have as a practicing
lawyer. We have the basic skills on how you look at different situ-
ations and fgure out what are we going to do.”

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