The One With Sweet Justice
Asfrah Syed-Emond and Angela Lyrette
Sweet Justice: Networking with fries on the side
The first thing you’d notice about the Ottawa location of AJ Murray Legal Services P.C. is the smart, stylish décor, much like its founder Amri Murray. Professor Asfrah Syed-Emond spent the day with Murray’s team as part of the Faculty-Industry Co-Mentorship (FICM) Project.
Asfrah was curious to compare Amri’s Paralegal firm with her experience in traditional law firms, and to see what has changed in the decade since she was regularly practicing. While some things are the same, such as the intensity of the work and energy of the staff, she was delighted with some of the ways the profession has adapted to meet the changing needs of the workforce and clients. Employers like Amri are recognizing the need to care for employees and provide stress management techniques and resources. Once she settled in to the visit, Asfrah clocked similarities in the two types of firms, file naming conventions, documentation requirements, filing systems and portals, teamwork and collaboration.
Leadership Skills Transferable to the Classroom
As a lawyer, Asfrah enjoyed her work and loved most of her cases, but found some cases made her feel stuck, like family law and criminal law. Employees at AJ Murray Legal Services P.C. are encouraged to identify the legal areas that they are most passionate about, and are often assigned cases in their area of specialization. A leader who listens to employees:
- Ensures work is meaningful and fulfilling, and equitably shared when it isn’t
- Treats employees they way they want employees to treat clients, with compassion and agency
- Recognizes and mitigates stress with flexibility, participatory benefits and breaks
Asfrah noticed that paralegal professionals are more interactive, engaging in concentrated relationships dealing with high stakes cases, such as human rights tribunals and small claims. Many of these happen remotely, requiring a high level of empathy and attention to professional etiquette. This supports the extra efforts Asfrah and the paralegal teaching team have made to ensure their students have access to videoconferencing tools to practice these skills.
Amri’s team starts every day with a virtual check-in, sharing stories, trading ideas, and asking for help. They try to learn from each others’ experiences and it serves to connect the three offices, the remote workers, and those on site. Asfrah plans to adopt this strategy with her paralegal students, checking in with them personally on a regular basis, reminding them she cares about them as people.
Classroom Assessment and Activity Design Ideas
Students appreciate when you check in with them and ask about something other than academics. Use your Learning Management System to simplify the process.
- Include a graded or non-graded introductory assignment or discussion
- Set up an automatic email early in the term (Week 4 – Week 6) to check in
- Refer absent or underperforming students to resources (academic advising or support specialists)
Amri’s intentional focus on wellness extends beyond her open flexibility of work location. Each employee has a “wellness purse”, a set amount of funds to be used for any personal purposes that makes the employee’s life better. It can be a massage, a gym membership, a tattoo, car repair, anything the employee wants, with no judgement.
With renewed excitement for her students, Asfrah plans to bring more energy and practical components to her lectures to assist her students to make the transition from the classroom to the courtroom or private practice. Her site visit confirmed that setting high expectations with students prepares them for the workplace. Check out Asfrah’s tips for experiential learning here: Faculty Tips for Keeping Students Motivated.
Capping the visit was a wonderful lunch at Nandos on Elgin (where they shared a side of fries) before going back to the office to explore technologies used for efficiencies and to sit in on a client meeting.
Later in the term, Amri visited Asfrah on campus for a class visit, campus tour and lunch at Restaurant International . Students were especially impressed with Amri’s professional knowledge, business sense, and trusted her answers to their questions. When Amri reiterated a concept previously taught in the class, Asfrah noticed the students took it more seriously than when she taught them the same thing!
Key Takeaways for Workplace Skill Development
Paralegal students would benefit from graded activities which measure and reward:
- Professional communication and etiquette; via in-person and videoconferencing
- Conversational, interviewing, negotiation, and conflict resolution
- Documentation, note-taking, file management and organization
- Time management, prioritization, and capacity building
About the authors
Asfrah Syed-Emond practiced law in the area of civil litigation: personal injury cases and estates prior to joining the faculty at Algonquin College – Legal Studies, This career was very rewarding for over 2 decades. She was looking for a new challenge when she found teaching. Asfrah is a Graduate of the University of Ottawa, holding an undergraduate degree in English Literature (BAHon) and a degree in Law (LLB). Member of the Law Society of Ontario since 2000. Diversity and inclusion have always been her lens to the world. Having lived in the Outaouais area all her life; born in Ottawa, raised in Quebec, and a world traveler. Her passions include learning, teaching, law and gardening!
Angela Lyrette is a full time Professor and Educational Developer at Algonquin College. Angela holds a Master’s Degree in Education, specializing in workplace and adult learning from the University of Calgary, a Teaching Adult Lifelong Learners Certificate (with Honours) from Algonquin College, and a variety of financial services designations from the Canadian Securities Institute. A self-professed life-long learner, her curiosity and enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and serving the community is evident in her body of work.
