I applied to McGill because I knew this was my chance to live in Montreal (Toronto being my home base), to study in a smaller class and gain exposure to civil law. Montreal was a fun place to be, with lots going on – I really enjoyed it. I knew I didn’t want to practice law in Montreal, but this was a nice way to round out my education.
Some of my closest friends today are from McGill. I have kept in touch with a number of former classmates, which has also provided a valuable network.
I came out of law school not knowing what I wanted to do. I had gone straight from my undergrad to law school. From there, I went into articling and litigation in Toronto, which was not the right fit for me. I decided to get an MBA at Cornell, which is where I got really interested in tech. I realized that I loved being a lawyer, but that I just wasn’t in the right type of law. When I realized that I should combine these two passions, I knew where I wanted to be.
As someone who wanted to work in the U.S., the McGill name was helpful – people knew and recognized McGill and were impressed by it. It was actually thanks to a close friend and classmate of mine at law school that I landed my first job in California, where he had been working. I never looked back; I started practicing law with a focus on the tech industry and I love what I do.
My advice to current students interested in working in tech is to get exposure to the tech world early on. Prospective employers want to see that someone has a demonstrated interest in, understanding of and/or experience with tech. But there are a lot of ways to do that: through clubs, internships, other jobs, etc. I’m excited about what my clients are building and, similarly, people who have an interest in this space will want to demonstrate their enthusiasm early on and in a way that’s authentic.
There are also a lot of ways to work in tech. By being a lawyer, I am still very much part of the tech ecosystem. There are many rewarding careers in tech, you just need to find your place.