ANNE-MARIE McELROY
"Spilling Tea on Solo Success"
NEHA CHUGH
"Small Firm, Big Heart"
JUNIOR LAWYER TOOLKIT SERIES
Neha Chugh and Anne-Marie McElroy are thrilled to present Solo Queens: A junior lawyer toolkit series!
This 12 part series was born out of their successful Legal Aid Ontario billing seminar, LAO Queens. Through this project, they realized that there was a wider need for support and information for new calls, not only with respect to substantive law but practice management as well.
The Junior Lawyer Toolkit series is geared towards lawyers 5 years of call and under in order to develop a successful practice as a criminal defence lawyer.
Sessions took place once a month in 2022, in an engaging and interactive format that left time for questions and the occasional dance party.
Anne-Marie McElroy is a sole practitioner based in Ottawa. She was called to the bar in 2010, and started McElroy Law in 2015 where she focuses exclusively on criminal law. Anne-Marie is passionate about legal education and was a 2015 and 2016 Clawbie award winner for her blog. She served on the executive of the Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa, as a courthouse mentor, and lawyer supervisor for Pro Bono Students Canada. Annd-Marie teaches first year criminal law at the University of Ottawa. She routinely calls Neha Chugh to discuss practice issues and reality TV.
When Neha isn’t chatting with Anne-Marie on the phone, she is busy being a lawyer, boss, mom, student, and teacher. Neha started Chugh Law in 2014 and now manages an office of 5 lawyers, staff, and students, practicing criminal, family, and child protection law. Neha also serves at as the prosecutor in the Akwesasne Court, assists with provincial offences prosecutions with the City of Cornwall, and is an instructor at Iohahi:io Akwesasne Education & Training Institute. Neha was appointed as the Law Foundation of Ontario’s representative on the Board of Governors of the Law Commission of Ontario. Neha serves the community of Cornwall by sitting on various charitable boards around town and giving her time through volunteer work.
RECORDED SEMINARS: $25
ANNUAL PASS OFFER: Lawyer $250 Law Student $100
Solo Queens Recorded Session 1: Nuts, Bolts, and Business
Recorded: 28 January 2022, 57 minutes
This inaugural session focuses on the basics of starting and growing your own practice. It includes:
- the nuts and bolts of what is needed to start a practice;
- practical business tips and support;
- how to attract new clients and grow your practice.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 7: Help! My Client is an @$&hole
Recorded: 29 July 2022, 67 minutes
The reality of criminal defence is that we often deal with people at their lowest. This session will provide tips and strategies to successfully manage difficult clients, set expectations and communicate effectively.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 2: Planting Seeds, Fertilizing Soil: Growing Your Brand
Recorded: 25 February 2022, 58 minutes
Developing and promoting a brand can be key to distinguishing yourself and your practice. This session covered tips to managing your reputation, building an online presence and promoting yourself in an authentic way.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 8: Trials 101
Recorded: 29 August 2022, 60 minutes
This session will get into the nitty gritty of trial work, from initial preparation to the hearing itself.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 3: Networking Like a Champ
Recorded: 25 March 2022, 65 minutes
The term ‘networking’ can invoke cringes, but really it’s just about making connections and building relationships. This session will explore how to connect with other lawyers and organizations, and leverage community resources to benefit your clients. We’ll consider the art of connecting in the virtual age, as well the before-times cocktail party.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 9: Billing Queens
Recorded: 23 September 2022, 56 minutes
At the end of the day, we gotta get paid. In this session, your hosts don their LAO Queens gowns to walk you through best practices for billing, including both legal aid and cash accounts.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 4: All Systems Go!
Recorded: 29 April 2022, 55 minutes
How you organize your practice can help you to focus on what’s important. This session talks about practice management software, docketing, file management and all the exciting stuff that keeps things running smoothly.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 10: I’m a Loser, Baby…
Recorded: 28 October 2022, 57 minutes
We are bound to suffer failures, whether it’s losing a trial or losing a client. This session explores how to lose in a way that helps you learn, and protects yourself from any adverse outcomes.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 5: Hi, How Can I Help You?
Recorded: 27 May 2022, 52 minutes
Creating a first impression from day one is key. This session will walk you through an intake meeting with a client, and focus on the best practices for building rapport and quoting fees.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 11: The Circle of Life
Recorded: 25 November 2022, 59 minutes
All files must come to an end. This session focuses on closing a file, ending relationships when needed and receiving the dreaded Legal Aid Change of Solicitor request.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 6: My Learned Friend, Crown Counsel
Recorded: 24 December 2022, 49 minutes
Law is fundamentally adversarial, but we can get great results by working effectively with Crown counsel. This session will consider negotiations, plea agreements, admissions and dealing with the occasional difficult Crown in order to achieve the best outcome for your client.
Solo Queens Recorded Session 12: Festivus Special
Recorded: 16 December 2022, 59 minutes
The end of the year is simply a free-for-all ask me anything, with a possible dance party thrown in.