1. L. Garib, Counsel, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada – Law & Technology Student Society
Career Panel – U of O Law School February 23 2012
WHAT I DO as Legal Counsel; in-house counsel; regulatory regime; variety of legal work, private
public; industries and sectors; technology; intersects with other areas of law. I am also part-time
Professor at Carleton University, Department of Law. I teach Admin Law, Private Law Relationships to
undergraduates – who all want to be you - law students. I will also be teaching a new course, Privacy
Law and Policy slated for the coming academic year. An LLM is helpful if you want to teach. I enjoy
teaching very much – “when you teach you learn twice”. (Clay Shirky – Here Comes Everybody)
HOW I GOT HERE: I had little to no tech background when I came to law school: I have a political
science and International relations background (McMaster and McGill). In law school I took courses
because of my interest in human rights issues, international issues. My 1st tech course was Internet
Governance with Jane Bailey. Then I started working for Jane. An RAship is like taking another course
– I learned a lot about substantive law, how to identify legal issues and how to communicate legal
findings in writing, in a useful, accessible way. Then I worked for the Tech Law Clinic at CIPPIC. At the
Tech law clinic I got to work on my first client files and large advocacy and outreach projects.
I followed my interests and desire for practical experience: DOJ Internships; CIPPIC, EPIC (US),
Articled at a Management-Side labour and employment firm – learned a lot about lawyering; client
service, business development; meeting regular, set deadlines for arbitrations, clear legal writing,
experience working at a boutique firm. Labour and employment firms can give you great training as a
new lawyer; client service skills; meeting deadlines; drafting; oral advocacy experience @ hearings.
LLM: I had the opportunity to come back to law school and specialize in privacy law as a Gowlings
Fellow – If you are interested, try and do it after you are called, and, if you can, earlier in your career –
less of a financial, personal burden. Don’t drag it out. Finish as soon as you can. Look for funding!
Back to private practice: This time Union-side and civil litigation. Again, I learned a lot of basic
lawyering skills; small firm: four men, different dynamic in firm, different clients, different perspective,
plus different kind of work – civil litigation. Be a self-starter. Learn to work with anyone: other lawyers,
staff, clients. Strive to be professional, respectful and mature: people will trust & like dealing with you.
ADVICE
• Technology and the legal issues it raises are constantly moving – move with them
• Get a good grounding in tech law – concentrate on your area of interest & other core tech courses
• BUT don’t overlook the “low-tech” areas: biz org, administrative law and evidence, advocacy
courses, statutory interpretation, civil procedure are all important if you want to practice law
• Get involved in Tech issues through: student societies, RA’ship, CIPPIC, EPIC, EFF, Tech Law
Internships, Summer positions; Moots, other projects through NGO’s; create your own project –
issue based e.g. copyright, civil liberties, etc
• WRITE – blog posts, articles. Practice and develop your legal writing skills through legal clinics,
moots, advocacy courses and internships in legal services of organizations or in law firms.
• SIGN UP with a tech law related section with the CBA/OBA
• GO to tech law conferences/events – free or cheaper when you are a student – there you learn
what the current legal and technological issues organizations/firms are facing and network with
professionals whose work habits and careers you might want to emulate
• ATTEND a hearing: CRTC; Federal Court: Parliamentary Cttees: docket lists are on their websites
• Embrace your inner nerd: connect with Tech law blogs/alerts/newsletters out there from NGOS
and Firms, Can/US/EU – A few privacy related website/blogs I recommend:
 http://www.slaw.ca/  http://www.out-law.com/ (EU)
 http://allaboutinformation.ca/  Hunton and Williams (US)
 Canadian Privacy Law Blog: http://www.huntonprivacyblog.com/
http://blog.privacylawyer.ca/  https://www.privacyinternational.org/
 http://epic.org/ (US)  Check blogrolls for more resources
• Advice I Was Given: 1) A client won’t be impressed by how much you know – they are interested
in how you can help them. You help clients (and your firm/employer) by applying your knowledge
and skills, and ability to analyze the issues they are facing. Good lawyers understand their client’s
needs and try to meet them. 2) Lawyers give advice: the client chooses whether to follow it – or not.
We don’t tell clients what to do. 3.) Good legal writing makes the reader feel smart – bad legal
writing makes the writer feel smart. Your ultimate objective should be to become a good lawyer who
can be relied on to give sound legal advice and be a skilled advocate for your client.
• Technology law can give you an interesting legal career – so far I have enjoyed mine. I encourage
you to pursue tech law, in whatever area you are interested in, and make the best of opportunities
that come your way. Hopefully one day you will be sitting in this chair giving this talk. Good luck!