To litigate or not to litigate: That is the question!
For the first four years in my career, I practised several areas of law. I soon realized that appearing in court was not my cup of tea, and that I would much prefer staying in the background, analyzing legal problems to support or challenge the positions held in court by litigators. RSS hired met to do just that.
After over 25 years of doing just that for my colleagues in the Insurance Law Group, I can confirm that RSS gave me the opportunity to become the professional I wanted to be, while respecting my vision and preferences.
My work mostly consists of analyzing legal issues that my colleagues bring me so I can validate and support their arguments when they draft opinions or proceedings, or prepare examinations, hearings on applications, trials or appeals. I am also available to discuss their cases and provide support and training, when needed, on the use of online research tools. Our firm has databases and a library to respond to the needs of our various departments.
I am also in charge of student training, and then I remain available to help them carry out their assignments. Really, we all collaborate, in a friendly yet professional atmosphere.
Chantal Noël has been a member of our Insurance Law Group since 1995.
What is exactly being part of the support staff in a law firm?
I’ve been working on communications and business development with RSS since 2013, after having been in a similar position with another firm for a dozen years. My role consists of helping the firm run more efficiently by allowing the lawyers to focus on providing legal services to clients. I believe in the division of labour, notwithstanding Marx’s opinion.
My main tasks involve the production of two types of documents:
- The firm’s general communications, such as the website and newsletters; and
- Communications to clients: service proposals and responses to requests for proposals.
These communications must reflect the concern over clarity and accuracy that are hallmarks of the firm. My legal education is very helpful to achieve this goal. It allows me to understand the nature of the legal work and the message that we must convey. As a member of the Bar for over three decades, holder of a Master of Laws degree, I have a most useful background.
And since my role is somehow related to the management of the firm, my legal education is useful since it causes me to adopt a cartesian approach in analyzing situations, and to research and consider all relevant elements prior to launching an initiative or making a decision.
Let’s say that my work is never repetitive: to highlight a firm’s image, one must avoid monotony!
François St-Pierre is an advisor with the firm’s Marketing and Business Development Department