Lawyers at play

  • June 01, 2013
  • Becky Rynor

It’s about truth triumphing over lies, ethics over dirty politics, morality against immorality and it could have been taking place in any courtroom in the land. But this drama was being played out by lawyers treading the boards at a community theatre in Ottawa to raise money for a local charity.

Sponsored by the County of Carleton Law Association, The Lawyer Play has been an annual event for 14 years and has raised more than $900,000 for a variety of causes. The proceeds from this year’s play – The Best Man by Gore Vidal – at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in early May benefitted the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa.

“This is my seventh year doing The Lawyer Play,” says 33-year-old Tara Berish, a legal counsel with the Department of Finance. “I started when I moved to Ottawa when I was articling. I don’t even remember how I found out about it, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Now I’m on the committee and I’ve just stuck with it.”

When she was new to Ottawa and looking to make social connections, as well as contribute to her adopted community, The Lawyer Play fit the bill. And she didn’t stop there. Berish also sits on the board of an Ottawa women’s shelter.

“I went into the public service because I wanted to, in some way, give back to the community and there’s just so many different ways to do that and so many different organizations that need assistance. This is just one of the great ways to do that.”

Over 13 years, The Lawyer Play has attracted more than 240 lawyers, judges and masters, as well as politicians and other community members starring in cameo roles. Kirk Shannon, 33, says this is a unique way for young lawyers in particular to put their talents to use and get involved wherever they live and practice law.

“I think a lot of young lawyers are trying to supplement what they do in their main job by helping out and using their skills elsewhere,” he says. A lawyer with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Shannon auditioned for and got a part in The Lawyer Play this year. But on top of that, he canvasses door-to-door for the Canadian Cancer Society, pulls shifts at the local food bank and volunteers with the Canadian Centre for International Justice.

“Some of it’s legal work,” he says of the hours he puts in for the CCIJ. “The organization also does a lot of work internationally and with the United Nations so sometimes they need papers written and things researched which they can’t afford to get elsewhere. But sometimes they just need funding, especially in this economic climate. So I helped organize a two-day course on international justice issues that brought in 20 to 30 speakers and about 75 people who attended the course. That was a big fundraiser for the organization.”

Volunteering has personal and professional benefits, says Shannon.

“It can be good for building business contacts and moving forward professionally. You get to meet more people, hear about more types of work and more opportunities out there,” he says. “I’m not originally from Ottawa nor did I go to school here so as somewhat of an outsider, it’s great just to meet the legal community, that’s an added bonus for sure, and hear about organizations like the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa. So I think there can definitely be a networking bonus.”

Thirty-year-old Ashley Deathe likes to devote volunteer hours to helping law students at her alma mater, the University of Ottawa. Now a litigator at Nelligan O'Brien Payne LLP, Deathe had previously done some acting and found herself craving an opportunity to “flex those creative muscles again.”

Two years ago she answered the casting call for The Lawyer Play.

“The first reason I signed up was because I wanted a chance to create something outside of the courtroom and in theatre. Now that I’m in it I’m hooked. I want to be part of supporting the Great Canadian Theatre Company. Then it’s community building within the legal community. Yeah, it’s contacts but it’s also a chance to interact with like-minded people who enjoy doing this once a year. And it’s challenging. We perform every day in court but this is different and it’s challenging and I really like that about it.”

She says performing in the play also provided inroads to the legal community she might not have otherwise had.

“It gave me an excuse to call every opposing counsel last year and sell them a ticket. I don’t know if they appreciated that or not,” she laughs.

Tara Berish feels community outreach is good for any lawyer at any stage of their career, but it can be particularly beneficial when you’re just starting out.

“I know of people who have gotten jobs out of this, or at least connections for jobs. It’s particularly good for young lawyers who don’t know people yet. But I do particularly like knowing other people in the community, even if it’s not for the purpose of getting a job.”

Kirk Shannon says volunteering can also be something of a wake-up call.

“Fundamentally it’s the desire to volunteer, the desire to assist and provide assistance where you can in the recognition of the privileged place a lot of lawyers have. It’s the recognition that you have a particular skill set that’s hard to come by and which can assist NGOs, individuals or groups that have a tougher time particularly in this economic climate.”

“In a nutshell, for me it’s community,” says Ashley Deathe. “I don’t want to wake up one day alone in front of my computer. It’s about constantly seeking out new ways of being part of a community.”

Becky Rynor is a freelance writer in Ottawa.