Ms. Gerami Speaks to Federal Court Clerks about Life After Clerkship
On February 13, 2015 Ms. Gerami was invited to speak to the clerks of the Federal Court about life after clerkship and her own experience of starting her own practice. Ms. Gerami herself clerked at the Federal Court of Appeal with the Honourable Mr. Justice John Evans in 2010-2011.
Prompted by questions from an engaged audience, Ms. Gerami emphasized the importance of networking. She encouraged the clerks to reach out to people that they would like to meet, ask them for coffee and learn about their experiences. Ms. Gerami insisted that the quality of connections you make while networking is more important than the quantity, and she mentioned that is how she met many of her own mentors.
Having worked for both the government and within the private bar, Ms. Gerami also provided valuable insight into the differences between the two career choices. She highlighted the steady progress provided by the public sector and the challenging and ever changing environment of the private sector. She reiterated the importance of drawing on the best of the clerks’ previous experiences and seeking out new challenges.
Of course, she also shared her experience of starting her own practice, along with a few cheerful anecdotes of her first days as a sole practitioner. Ms. Gerami provided important advice on how to deal with difficult clients and reminded clerks not to forget their LCUS obligations of accounting, file keeping, and other vital, but less glamourous aspects of running your own practice.
Overall, it was a remarkably practical and useful seminar for the law clerks and was met with very positive reception and comments by those who attended.
