Job Search7 min read
The Thank-You Note That Actually Helps
A good follow-up note does more than say thanks. It reopens the conversation, answers the doubt you saw in the room, and keeps you in the running after the door closes.
Farah Haddad
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Farah Haddad
Internationally trained lawyer and mentor
Farah qualified abroad before building a legal career in Canada, and she mentors internationally trained lawyers making the same journey. She writes the guide she wishes she had when she started.
27 articles
Career Paths4 min read
Teaching Clinics and the Everyone Legal Model: Learning Law by Doing It
A new wave of virtual and teaching clinics trains students and new calls while widening access to legal help. Here is what they are, and why they can be a great place to start.
Farah Haddad
Job Search7 min read
Writing Samples and Portfolios: What to Include
A writing sample is not busywork, it is evidence. Here is how to choose the right one, clean it up, and build a small portfolio that makes a hiring lawyer trust you.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
How to Position Years of Foreign Practice as an Asset
Canadian employers often read a senior foreign lawyer as a mismatch. Here is how to reframe years of practice abroad into the exact thing they want to hire.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
Building a Network Through Bar Associations and Community Groups
For internationally trained lawyers, belonging comes before contacts. Here is how to use bar associations and cultural groups to build both, without pretending to be someone you are not.
Farah Haddad
Job Search7 min read
How to Follow Up on an Application That Went Quiet
Silence after applying is not a verdict. Here is how to revive a stalled application with a follow-up that reads as professional, not desperate, and when to let go.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained8 min read
How to Handle Being Told You're Overqualified
When a firm treats your years of practice abroad as a liability, the fix is not shrinking yourself. Here is how to reframe experience as an asset and answer the objection head on.
Farah Haddad
Job Search7 min read
Cold Emailing Lawyers: How to Do It Well
A cold email to a lawyer you have never met can open a door no job board ever will. Here is how to write one that actually gets a reply, from subject line to sign-off.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
Managing Finances During the Accreditation Journey
Requalifying in Canada costs more than the exam fees on the invoice. Here is how to map the real spend, build a runway, and keep your budget from derailing your accreditation.
Farah Haddad
Provincial Guides7 min read
A Guide to Legal Job Titles and What They Mean
Associate, counsel, in-house, agent, articling student: the same word means different things across firms, government, and companies. Here is how to read them.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
Which Practice Areas Are Most Open to Newcomer Lawyers?
Internationally trained lawyers rarely land their first Canadian role in the most competitive fields. Here is where the doors open first, and why those areas value what you already bring.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
The NCA Process, Explained Without the Jargon
If you trained as a lawyer abroad and want to practise in Canada, the NCA is your first door. Here is what it actually is, how the journey tends to flow, and how to keep your footing.
Farah Haddad
Job Search7 min read
Behavioural Interview Questions and How to Prepare
Behavioural interviews reward good stories, not clever answers. Here is how to build a small set of examples that cover almost every question you'll actually get asked.
Farah Haddad
Provincial Guides7 min read
Foreign-Trained Lawyers: A Provincial Map of the Path
The NCA gets you a certificate, not a licence. What happens next depends heavily on which province you land in. Here is how the route actually differs across Canada.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
Volunteering and Pro Bono as a Bridge to Practice
For newcomers and career changers, volunteer legal work can be the fastest way to earn Canadian experience, real references, and the confidence to walk into an interview.
Farah Haddad
Job Search7 min read
References: Who to Ask and How to Prepare Them
A reference can quietly make or break your articling offer. Here is how to choose the right people, ask them well, and brief them so they say the thing that lands the role.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
Finding Mentors as an Internationally Trained Lawyer
Newcomers to Canadian law rarely fail for lack of talent. They fail for lack of guides. Here is where to find mentors, and how to turn a first coffee into a real relationship.
Farah Haddad
Provincial Guides8 min read
The Bar Admission Process in Canada, Explained
Bar admission in Canada is a patchwork of provincial rules, exams, and articling. Here is a clear overview of how you actually become a licensed lawyer, wherever you land.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
The Emotional Side of Requalifying as a Lawyer
Requalifying in Canada is not just an exam and a paperwork problem. It is an identity problem. Here is how to name the hard parts and keep your footing.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained6 min read
Building a Legal Career in Canada as a Newcomer
The exams are only part of the story. Building a legal career in a new country is really about experience, relationships, and resilience. Here is how to start from wherever you are.
Farah Haddad
Job Search7 min read
Handling Rejection in a Legal Job Search
The no's in a legal job search sting, but they are also survivable and often useful. Here is how to stay steady, stay strategic, and keep moving toward a yes.
Farah Haddad
Provincial Guides7 min read
Becoming a Lawyer in Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada
The path to practice in Atlantic Canada is smaller, tighter, and more relationship-driven than you might expect. Here is how it actually works, region by region.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
Articling or a Practical Training Program: Choosing as an Internationally Trained Lawyer
You cleared your NCA exams. Now the real fork in the road: articling or a law practice program. Here is how to weigh the two routes without guessing.
Farah Haddad
Job Search7 min read
How to Answer 'Tell Me About Yourself' in a Legal Interview
It is the first question and the one most candidates fumble. Here is how to build an opening answer that frames your whole candidacy, not just recites your resume.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
Translating Your Foreign Legal Experience for Canadian Employers
Your years of practice abroad are an asset, not baggage. Here is how to reframe overseas legal work so a Canadian employer sees the value they can actually use.
Farah Haddad
Provincial Guides6 min read
Becoming a Lawyer in British Columbia: What to Know
The path to practising law in BC has its own rhythm, from law school or the NCA to articling and the bar admission course. Here is how the pieces actually fit together.
Farah Haddad
Internationally Trained7 min read
Preparing for the NCA Exams: A Study Approach That Works
A realistic, tested way to study for the NCA accreditation exams while holding down a job, a family, and a life. Fewer heroics, more repeatable habits.
Farah Haddad