By Rebecca Aharon

Rebecca is a first year BBA student. She aspires to be a Corporate or Intellectual Property Lawyer as well as obtain an MBA. She recently co-founded a non-profit named TechPeer, which bridges the gap between seniors and technology.

On Friday, February 7th, I had the opportunity to attend the JD/MBA Conference on Corporate Governance, and Sustainability hosted by Thomson Reuters. The day was dedicated to networking, legal/business discussions and fantastic meals!

In addition to students, faculty and staff from Schulich and Osgoode, there were various legal professionals present – from companies such as OMERS, Fengate, Davies LLP, and others. We were all excited to join in the discussion of sustainability and its impact on the world at large. Carbon pricing, legal disclosure, corporate law, litigation, climate change, and corporate governance were highlighted at the panels. The moderators were all professors or assistant professors at either Osgoode or Schulich, and their methods to prompt discussion kept everyone engrossed and engaged throughout the event.

Highlights & Takeaways

I learned that Canada may be ahead of other countries in ameliorating our environment, but we are still struggling to catch up to the European countries. This is due to European investors pouring large sums of money into sustainability, and pressure for companies to disclose climate risks. There are also investors globally who are increasingly looking to see firmer stances or standards regarding a company’s environmental practices.

Dean Horvath also came out to award a medal to an alumnus, and delivered a wonderful speech of how Schulich’s programs began, the exceptional graduates it has educated as well as how they prepare and nurture their current student body. In between the panels and speakers, there were a multitude of opportunities to do what Schulich students know how to do best: network!

Getting Comfortable with Networking

With the multiple prominent law firms being represented at the conference, there was no shortage of professionals to converse with, to get a better understanding of the legal profession. I realized that it’s never too early to get your name and interest out there, especially when everyone is extremely supportive of incoming talent to the program.

I’ve found that the secret to networking is being genuine and up front about your goals, passions, and finding common ground with the person you’re speaking with. More often than not, everyone is willing to give advice, help, or offer encouragement on how to succeed, so it is only a matter of being confident and finding the opportunities which will bring you closer to the future you envision.

Overall, it was a wonderful afternoon in the heart of Downtown Toronto, and the experience has certainly piqued my curiosity as to what we, as business students, should be paying attention to. I was fortunate to have been in the company of such successful, inspiring individuals, and am glad to have gained so much knowledge from this event. I was able to obtain the invitation to the conference from the JD/MBA Student Association, but they are delighted to have any student who is thinking about their future and enthusiastic to forge connections.

I’ll definitely be returning next year! What about you?