Welcome to the Advocacy Club
The Advocacy Club was founded in 2007 to train articling students and junior lawyers in the arts of civil advocacy. Since then, it has expanded to include hundreds of participants from many law firms and governmental organizations. The Club's sessions are based on these principles:
- Trainees learn more by doing than by listening to lectures.
- Junior advocates benefit greatly from networking with other like-minded professionals.
- Collegiality, professionalism, and competence are interrelated and form the foundation for a successful career in law.
Advocacy Club is Back! We are announcing the fall 2021-winter 2022 schedule
First, the Boot Camps:
Second, the Advanced Sessions. These are are available to lawyers, paralegals and articling students.
- The Advocacy Club @ PPD ran in September.
- The AC@LS, Advocacy Club at Law School, started its weekly sessions September 28. The next program will commence in January 2022. If you are interested, see the description and contact information below.
- Boot Camps for lawyers and articling students took place on Zoom in October.
- A contracted Boot Camp for a branch of government took place in November.
Second, the Advanced Sessions. These are are available to lawyers, paralegals and articling students.
- Katie Black’s program on Effective Evidence Management took place for lawyers and articling students, September 28 from 4:30 to 6:30 on Zoom. Details here.
- Eugene Meehan’s program on Persuasive Written Advocacy, will take place as a two-session bundle, total 4 hours, on Zoom. Details of the program are set out here. Date is TBD. Contact Matthew Benson to sign up or for more information.
- Juliet Knapton, Jane Murray, and Vasu Naik's Effective Techniques for Virtual Family Law Settlement Conferences and Mediations. Details of the program are set out here. Date is TBD. Contact Adrienne Curran or Kimberley Pollard to sign up or for more information.
The Advocacy Club now partners with the Emily Murphy Non-profit Housing Corp.
The Emily Murphy Non-profit Housing Corp is the first affordable supportive housing option for single parents in Ontario. It provides single parents and their children with affordable, quality housing while also encouraging them to thrive in the broader community. Its mission is to provide stable housing and empower families to lead healthy, independent lives. It values the dignity and uniqueness of each individual living at EM, strives to uphold equity and recognize diversity within the EM community, and supports single parents and children to become stronger and more confident in controlling their own lives and recognizing their own rights.
Each Advanced Club will raise funds for this deserving non-profit. To get involved contact Club member and EM Board Chair, Victoria Boddy.
Each Advanced Club will raise funds for this deserving non-profit. To get involved contact Club member and EM Board Chair, Victoria Boddy.
Announcing ACMasterclass.com - The Streaming Video Series
The Advocacy Club has gone online in streaming format! Take the course on your own time and at your own pace. Qualifies as CPD hours in Ontario (and elsewhere - check with your regulator). Check it out on this website at the AC Masterclass Tab.
Announcing the Advocacy Club @ Law School on Zoom
Open to law students across Canada, this boot camp consists of 10 sessions of 90 minutes each from 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Toronto Time) on Tuesday evenings. The fourth iteration of this successful - no-cost program started September 28, 2021. See the details here.
Presented by Juliet Knapton, and assisted by five junior litigators (AC graduates, all), participants learn the techniques of advocacy by experiential learning, so they practice what we preach! This is a great opportunity to network with peers and with members of the Bar. Get a leg up for your law school courses (not just Trial Advocacy)!
Group organizer is Chelsea Sexton (contact information here).
Testimonials from the January-March (winter) 2021 session:
“I really liked the interaction between Queen's and Lakehead students both in class and homework pairings. This was a great opportunity to make connections that we otherwise wouldn't have.”
“All the instructors did a great job making everyone feel comfortable and engaged.”
“As some who deals with public speaking anxiety, the Advocacy Club became a safe space for me to confront these personal challenges while learning invaluable skills for the legal profession. I am grateful for the enthusiasm and effort the team leaders put in and there is no doubt I will take the skills I learned here with me wherever I go.”
“The Advocacy Boot Camp was great! I could tell by the end of our school semester how much the skills we learned in Boot Camp contributed to the oral advocacy assignments in law school. I can’t wait to apply these skills in future advocacy situations.”
“The Advocacy Club boot camp provides public speaking and presentation skills that give law students an added advantage in class.”
“My mentor and I connected once at the beginning of class. It was good to know that I could reach out any time if needed.”
Presented by Juliet Knapton, and assisted by five junior litigators (AC graduates, all), participants learn the techniques of advocacy by experiential learning, so they practice what we preach! This is a great opportunity to network with peers and with members of the Bar. Get a leg up for your law school courses (not just Trial Advocacy)!
Group organizer is Chelsea Sexton (contact information here).
Testimonials from the January-March (winter) 2021 session:
“I really liked the interaction between Queen's and Lakehead students both in class and homework pairings. This was a great opportunity to make connections that we otherwise wouldn't have.”
“All the instructors did a great job making everyone feel comfortable and engaged.”
“As some who deals with public speaking anxiety, the Advocacy Club became a safe space for me to confront these personal challenges while learning invaluable skills for the legal profession. I am grateful for the enthusiasm and effort the team leaders put in and there is no doubt I will take the skills I learned here with me wherever I go.”
“The Advocacy Boot Camp was great! I could tell by the end of our school semester how much the skills we learned in Boot Camp contributed to the oral advocacy assignments in law school. I can’t wait to apply these skills in future advocacy situations.”
“The Advocacy Club boot camp provides public speaking and presentation skills that give law students an added advantage in class.”
“My mentor and I connected once at the beginning of class. It was good to know that I could reach out any time if needed.”
Advocacy Club Boot Camp on Zoom
The only way to join the Advocacy Club is by taking the Boot Camp. Details here. Due to COVID 19, sessions will still run using Zoom. Learn the basic skills to interview, examine and cross-examined a witness in small groups, led by experts, in a tried-and-true experiential format with more than 400 graduates.
If you are interested in this or a future session, contact John Hollander. Cost $250 for students and $370 for lawyers, both plus HST. Qualifies (in Ontario, at least) as 7.0 hours substantive CPD, 1.5 hours professional of which 1.0 is EDI.
"As a new member of the profession, the Advocacy Club boot camp helped provide a comprehensive review of key skills, while teaching me how to strategize and think critically about a case. The program was engaging and challenging, providing the perfect mix of theoretical techniques and practical application. Having a safe and welcoming online space allowed me to venture outside of my comfort zone, and receive valuable feedback from supportive colleagues and instructors." Alice Mihaelescu, recent Call
"The Advocacy Club provides practical strategies that are immediately applicable to the practice of law. I learned skills that I always wanted, but did not know where to find. It has changed my approach to case analysis and how to more effectively conduct direct and cross-examinations." Monick Grenier, experienced lawyer
"All new lawyers ought to join the Advocacy Club. Day to day practice can be overwhelming, especially as a first-year lawyer. The training has helped me think critically about identifying strengths and weaknesses when structuring arguments. The instructors provide constructive feedback to participants and are highly organized. I look forward to the next program!" Alana Guy, recent Call
"Excellent how to do it workshop on interviewing, case preparation, examination and cross, argument and closing statements. The best advocacy professional learning program involving information, application of information, practice opportunities and constructive feedback. This course answers your advocacy needs on how to prepare a case, question a witness, organize your evidence and make final arguments." Hugh Connelly, experienced lawyer
Contact us here to let us know you are interested in attending an online session.
We can customize the Boot Camp for the needs of a group of lawyers with a single employer or area of law. We have already done this twice, with excellent results for two groups within federal government departments, each with more than 15 lawyers, students and paralegals as participants. A third session with 8 participants, is scheduled to run in November 2021.
If you are interested in this or a future session, contact John Hollander. Cost $250 for students and $370 for lawyers, both plus HST. Qualifies (in Ontario, at least) as 7.0 hours substantive CPD, 1.5 hours professional of which 1.0 is EDI.
"As a new member of the profession, the Advocacy Club boot camp helped provide a comprehensive review of key skills, while teaching me how to strategize and think critically about a case. The program was engaging and challenging, providing the perfect mix of theoretical techniques and practical application. Having a safe and welcoming online space allowed me to venture outside of my comfort zone, and receive valuable feedback from supportive colleagues and instructors." Alice Mihaelescu, recent Call
"The Advocacy Club provides practical strategies that are immediately applicable to the practice of law. I learned skills that I always wanted, but did not know where to find. It has changed my approach to case analysis and how to more effectively conduct direct and cross-examinations." Monick Grenier, experienced lawyer
"All new lawyers ought to join the Advocacy Club. Day to day practice can be overwhelming, especially as a first-year lawyer. The training has helped me think critically about identifying strengths and weaknesses when structuring arguments. The instructors provide constructive feedback to participants and are highly organized. I look forward to the next program!" Alana Guy, recent Call
"Excellent how to do it workshop on interviewing, case preparation, examination and cross, argument and closing statements. The best advocacy professional learning program involving information, application of information, practice opportunities and constructive feedback. This course answers your advocacy needs on how to prepare a case, question a witness, organize your evidence and make final arguments." Hugh Connelly, experienced lawyer
Contact us here to let us know you are interested in attending an online session.
We can customize the Boot Camp for the needs of a group of lawyers with a single employer or area of law. We have already done this twice, with excellent results for two groups within federal government departments, each with more than 15 lawyers, students and paralegals as participants. A third session with 8 participants, is scheduled to run in November 2021.
From Novice Lawyer to Skilled Advocate
Founded by John Hollander in 2007 in Ottawa, the Advocacy Club trains novice lawyers to become skilled advocates. It has two focuses:
By the end of the Boot Camp, junior advocates have learned to apply the techniques to most of the situations they encounter in their practice. After this initial training, Club members participate in advanced sessions that take place throughout the year. To date these sessions have included training in:
- To teach the art of advocacy through preparation, interview and examination
- To promote collegiality among advocacy peers.
By the end of the Boot Camp, junior advocates have learned to apply the techniques to most of the situations they encounter in their practice. After this initial training, Club members participate in advanced sessions that take place throughout the year. To date these sessions have included training in:
Advocacy Club Handbooks
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John has written several handbooks presenting the Advocacy Club techniques. They are available through Irwin Law Publishers and on Amazon.com at John's Author Page here.
In January 2014, John Hollander Professional Corporation was approved as an Accredited Provider of Professionalism Content by the Law Society of Ontario. This accreditation applies to all Advocacy Club Programs to which professionalism content is applicable. If you have any questions for John, or are interested in Advocacy Club training sessions, go to the Contact page. |
Chat with Lawyers Podcast Series
John Hollander interviews lawyers to present an entertaining discussion of their careers and techniques. Each podcast runs less than an hour. All of the episodes feature discussions with senior lawyers about issues faced by junior lawyers when dealing with professional choices.
There are themes to the series. The early podcasts featured senior prominent lawyers discussing specific techniques in civil litigation. The series expanded to include professional issues, such as parental leave, partnership and promotion. The series took a detour to interview Great Canadians, a retired Supreme Court justice, a law school dean, the creator of the Syrian Refugee Sponsorship program and a sightless law student, all of whom have had a major impact on our legal scene.
The series currently presents Advocacy Club members discussing their experiences in trials and contested hearings. All podcasts present tips and techniques for junior lawyers to improve their practices.
All episodes can be found at: www.chatwithlawyers.ca.
There are themes to the series. The early podcasts featured senior prominent lawyers discussing specific techniques in civil litigation. The series expanded to include professional issues, such as parental leave, partnership and promotion. The series took a detour to interview Great Canadians, a retired Supreme Court justice, a law school dean, the creator of the Syrian Refugee Sponsorship program and a sightless law student, all of whom have had a major impact on our legal scene.
The series currently presents Advocacy Club members discussing their experiences in trials and contested hearings. All podcasts present tips and techniques for junior lawyers to improve their practices.
All episodes can be found at: www.chatwithlawyers.ca.