Adaptability, Connection, and Giving Back with Lotus Menezes

Welcome to studying law around the world. I'm Claudio Claus. In each episode, I talk with lawyers, law students, and professors from different parts of the world to talk about legal education, careers, and what the profession looks like. In real life. We talk about the hard parts, the surprises, and the decisions that shaped their paths. Whether you're planning to study abroad, thinking about working in another legal system, or just curious about how law works around the world, this podcast is for you. So many of the guests on this podcast have talked about how important it is to have strong writing skills as a lawyer. It's true, written communication is essential in this profession, but it can also be one of the trickiest skills to master. If you find your writing feels a bit clunky, or you're getting a lot of edits on your work, or perhaps you're breaking into an English speaking jurisdiction for the first time, Grammatica International can help. I'm Rebecca Lockwood, the lawyer, mediator and educator behind Grammatica, and we help lawyers and law students to write more sharply, speak more clearly, and advance their careers with group training and one-on-one skills coaching designed just for legal professionals. I have worked with so many lawyers like you who are exceptionally smart, qualified and capable, but need a bit of guidance to stand out in a competitive legal market. And I get it myself, having lived and worked in five countries during my 17 years in law and education. Whether you're looking to sharpen your writing skills generally, refresh your CV, or draft an application for a law program, Grammatica can help. Visit Gramatica Co to learn more. Today, I have the opportunity to be hosting Lotus Menezes. She has an incredible story. She's an Osgood LM graduate, and she has built a wonderful career across multiple continents, and I'm so excited to talk with her today. Thank you so much for joining us today, Lotus. Action and I really appreciate being here and the time you're taking through to fund with me today. Well, I appreciate you making the time to being here and to start us off today, I'd love for you to introduce yourself, share a little bit about your journey with our audience today. OK, so I'm from Contenir originally I went to boarding school at the age of 9 to Kenya and then I went to law school in South Africa. Was I inspired to get into all from the outset? The honest answer is no. I was initially interested in the RNOR fine art literature and history and growing up in the 80s and 90s in Tanzania that the art scene was not as developed as it is starting to get developed right now. So Korea in that area was not really something that was viable at the time. So I, I've got to my parents who looked back at my interests and we report of law because of, you know, the literature and history component. Then you know, that basically what I did. And then I went to law school in South Africa, mainly because it was jurisdictional. There were very good law schools in South Africa. I went to an English boarding school in Kenya, but and a lot of my student, all peers were going to England, which was the natural progression. I couldn't do that though. We opted for South Africa and literally went through a textbook of all the university. And you know, back then we were looking at textbooks not and not, you know, work sites and things like that. And so I applied to a few and the one that accepted me with the humidity and at the time they were part of the thing, an LLB program that was four years. And because I had done my A level, I was able to get into it without doing an undergraduate degree. And so that's where we are now. I got into law in that. Way fantastic. That's incredible. And I'm I'm so glad you got the chance to spend some time in Cape Town. What a beautiful city. Yeah, you've spent some time there too. And really, it is the Mother City. It's a city that stays in your heart and had so much to offer. It was actually my first international experience. I got to go to summer school there and it was definitely, definitely one of the highlights. I remember it very, very kindly when I think about it. And I'm so glad we're connected that way as well. But I'd love to hear more on, you know, after relocating a few different times and restarting your career in in some sort of way, I'd love to hear what helped you just stay focused and motivated through these transitions. Yeah, so I mean, I've thought of moving around when I was 9. So for me, transition was the constant and the norm rather than the exception. You know, going to boarding school, age of nine and coming back every three months. I was always in an in between world change and moving around with constant what helped me stay motivated with staying connected to my network in school and at home and bridging Nightbot gap and providing a sort of perspective for myself. You know, when I was to just give you a basic example, when I was in boarding school, I would, you know, write letters about how we were recognized through, you know, my friend at home. And then when I was at home, I wiggle for keeping in touch with my boarding school friend. And so I did that and all the time, you know, through university it was payphones and then, you know, now we have things like what's up and LinkedIn and so we can really stay connected. So that's what they helped me stay grounded, being connected to my communities, then to my ecosystem all around in different jurisdictions. That's outstanding and talking about specifically about the process of becoming a lawyer in Canada where there are few, you know, unexpected challenges or even unexpected supports that helped you to shape this experience here. With the fact that I thought of my process right at the start of COVID and at the risk of, you know, talking about the Covic endemic, it really it changed the way that I was focused on my qualification program process. If we go back a little bit, when I started, there was various options to requalify if you had a law degree in a different country. So you can either do the MPA but should still relevant today or you could do it in the form of a mark. Because I was moving around a lot and I picked the time off to be a mother and you know, focus on family life. I decided when I was back in in Canada to go back into a university session and requalify do my NCAA requirements, but also add other interests into those courses. So I took elected like copyright law, which hopefully was a pin to, you know, further my interest in the art and ridging off and all together. So there were various options and CA you know, you see University of Toronto and Osgood and I chose Osgood mainly because that was the program that worked near at the time. It was every everything was online. I could do it from the comfort of my home. And you know, that was the real difference for me. I don't think I would have gone back if it was in person at the time. So that was the difference for me personally. Can we explore a little more about your experience said and Austin where there are few things also that beyond the the online way that was delivered that that helped you in that really stood out to you and and also did it shape the way your legal career has been going in Canada anyway? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, frankly, the lecturers who were involved in all these courses were fantastic. They really delivered the course as well. We felt connected, even though we were online, we felt really connected. I loved the flow of the courses. You know, you could do something like the law of obligations, including, you know, contract law and the and tort law into one. And so the method of the, the formula and the method of the courses were really engaging. You know, even aside we had Korea services, we had people trying to help us, you know, frame how we, we were going to further our offer our LM. So there was a lot of support within the program, as well as the fact that we had a suddenly we had 200 people who were our peers. And these are the people who are going to go into the Canadian labour market. And we were growing together and already building our base. Even though we were new coming though, Osgood provided that kind of platform in shaping and creating an international legal community, which I, you know, I thought was incredible. Incredible. So that you also studied entertainment law and I'd love to hear what drew you to that field. I know you are an artist yourself and interested in the arts, so can I hear a little more about that? Sure. So as I said, you know, way back at school I was interested in the literature and authors always being a part of my life. And I always have a sketchbook by my guide. Why payment law? Well, I could offer an entertainment law certificate at the beginning of each year. And so after doing copyright law, I decided that I really wanted to get into the the workings of entertainment law. Let's go back a little bit. While I was finishing my masters, I was also a legal intern for an entertainment company called Thunderbird England in Vancouver. I was working remotely and that kind of helped me understand the nature of entertainment law. A little bit of a, an overview. So I was doing, you know, right, distribution agreements. I was, you know, doing certain things that were all involved in payment goal and in the animation field. So while I was doing that at during my LM, I thought I really needed to focus on, you know, honing my skills in and Seminole. And so I decided to do a certification, which was an intent to cause about a week. And because I was a recent student, I got a discount for it. So, you know, that helps because these courses are not, you know, they're not feed. But I took it and I really, really enjoyed. It from what I saw here, your work at Barrick Gold involved cross-border legal matters in mining and natural resources, and I'd love to hear what did this experience teach you about working with global teams and global clients as well. OK, So I thought of working for Barack as the company Barack had the preference in Tanzania when I was in a law firm in Tanzania. So I I worked on employment issues, I worked on corporate masses. And then when I moved to South Africa, I worked for another Wolfram in South Africa, but also was engaged with some of the work that Barack was doing back in Tanzania. And South Africa is connected to barrack innocent from from outside structure that's illegal, you know a junior in a law firm on cases working with Barack. And then when I came to to Canada, I needed needed to requalify and argue the opportunity to fulfill my 4 month requirement because I did my placement through the east and I needed one year 4 month session. So Barry gave me that opportunity. I ended up staying for a year and working in corporate commercial math is so moving around different jurisdictions with one company really helped me understand the way the company worked and you're having jurisdiction, but also, you know, dealing with local council. I with local council at one stage just understanding how the different legal framework to give you an example, you know, dispute resolution, some jurisdictions want to, you know, it, it's heavy heavy. There's others want you negate and so agreement change based on the jurisdiction based on that. You know, in Tanzania, education was really difficult. We almost never went for mitigation route because it was the process was really long and arduous. Then there was no kind of time limit to it. So we always advise people to negotiate or even arbitrate and like age, you know. So that's just an example of how the different jurisdictions work with one company. So that one company obviously does similar things around different shapes teachings and we just have to figure out how those vehicle feared deal with certain issues, essentially a communication and a conversation with different legal community. Amazing. Well, from what I understand, you're now at Blakes and I'd love to hear how has your role evolved and and what are you most excited about in your current league of? Work. So I've come back to law firm and, you know, in Toronto and I'm really learning how the law firm environment and private practice work because I was in private practice in, in, in Tanzania and Africa. Now in Canada. Things have all heard all have, you know, AI, We have systems in place back when I was writing down my hours. Now I can input into the system. So things have changed and evolved. I've only been here six months. So I'm still very much in the learning environment, but it's a very collegial environment and I'm still mostly doing corporate commercial work and, you know, with mining company. If you're an internationally trained lawyer or law student working in or trying to break into an English speaking common law system, you know that legal writing is one of the biggest challenges and one of the most important skills to master. That's where Grammatica comes in. I'm Rebecca Lockwood, the lawyer, mediator, educator and founder of Grammatica International. We help lawyers and law students to write sharper, speak clearer, and land more interviews with on demand online courses, live workshops and one-on-one consulting designed just for legal professionals. I have worked with so many lawyers like you who are exceptionally smart, qualified and capable, but need some guidance to really stand out in a competitive legal market. And I get it myself, having lived and worked in five countries during my 17 years in law and education. Whether you're looking to sharpen your writing skills generally, refresh your CD, or draft an application for a law program, Grammatica can help. Visit Grammatico to get started. Amazing. Well, I also know that you're very involved with community organizations and I know that to some extent they play a big role in your life. And I know you're a natural connector. So I'd, I'd love to hear a little bit about that too. Why do you think this community engagement is? Important for lawyers? Well, I mean, studying law in South Africa and in Tanzania and you know, qualifying in Tanzania and Canada, the, the one mandate is clear. When you become a lawyer, you have to get back. And essentially that's why I, I'm in community work. I do it for full there is reason to connect you know to understand what's going on, but also to kind of give back. Although volunteer work I do and and and lecture at cable the Canadian Association of black oil that I'm going into my second year now. I've just joined the Ontario Power Association as a member at large for the corporate council in house section and I'm also new to duty council for artists legal advice services, Allah approve Bruno organization. As you can see, I'm, you know, Paraguay, I come from a joint cable, the Oba and I'm very interested in in confu roles and alas, is the asset side. So I've been kind of strategic. There's a lot of volunteer opportunities out there, but overtime I've become chicky chick about the volunteer opportunity that wants to do because that's the area I want to go in and understand, but also give back. So it gives me great pleasure to be able to, you know, speak to us novelists and say, you know, these are your rights, your licensing, right? This is what you can do as an artist myself, I feel like I can relate. So that is the main reason, you know when you become a lawyer, you must get back for it and and that many professions, including the low profession. Amazing to to wrap up today's episode, I'd love to hear about, you know, a final thing for internationally trained lawyers specifically who might be listening to this episode. What's 1 idea, mindset, strategy, or you know, even a piece of advice that you help, that you have that helped you to integrate and, and build this very meaningful career that you've built here in Canada. That's a great question. And then actually it ties in with the kind of work that I do at the career support for I speak to international lawyers who are trying to, you know, alongside due qualify and do the NCAA through the masters, try and figure out how to get a job within this market. What I always say to them is, you know, it may be difficult to get in first, but you need to really put yourself out there and go to every event. The market is really small. The legal market is really small. So choose your direction, choose the area before you interested it and then be involved. Go to networking event, go to seminars and webinars and and so integrate with people. But what helped me say integrated is sneaking people who had done this process, whether it was the Osgood or the NCAA or another university, and the people who are with me and understanding what we all want to do and also trying to help what I'm trying to do right now, people who are coming off the beat. So the strategy is constant communication and free flow of information. So, you know, people reach out to me all the time. Cold call on Lincoln or anything saying, hey, can I talk to you about your experience? And I'm always willing to give my time because I know what it's like to be that when I first came here, we didn't have as many people posting on LinkedIn or, you know, having caused the to understand what the the weak qualification process was. But now we do, we have a choice. We have so many organizations out there who are giving us a lot of information. And sometimes it may be an information overload. But yeah, so I think it just staying grounded with the people who've gone before, the people who are doing it with you and the people who are coming up. I love that and what a way to build the community as well, huh? Well, what was I really appreciate you taking the time to being in the podcast today. I really appreciate your insights and just wanted to say thank. You, well, I want to thank you to Claudia because what you're doing is incredible. You called me a connector, but you are a super connector and giving your time. And what about it off as just also a dream during COVID, right? You're 75 lawyers and now it's exponential. And I really applaud what you're doing. The approach that you bring to it is so professional. And I I'm wishing you luck and I'm looking forward to the Oreo. Crusade that and thank you all for tuning into today's episode and hope to see you on the next one.