Black Clients Matter

Jumping Off the Ivory Tower with Prof JulieMac

Working with a lawyer for the first time is an intimidating experience, especially because for most of us it is a final resort in a stressful conflict. Some of these “first time” experiences are better than others, of course, but a disappointing number of people report that they felt not-well-listened-to and that their lawyer was working from a well-used “playbook” that they applied to all clients, regardless of their situation. This disconnect is aggravated when the lawyer and the client come from very different backgrounds and cultures. In this episode, Nikki McAlister speaks frankly to Julie about what it was like for her as a Black female first-time family client to work with a white male family lawyer whose cultural context was far closer to her ex’s than to her own, and who appeared to assume that Nikki’s family cultural norms and traditions were the same as his own. Nikki ultimately experienced two very different types of lawyer services, and explains what it can be like to work with a lawyer who doesn’t understand your point of view and pushes on regardless, versus one who makes the time to understand. Hint to all lawyers: be curious, and listen – it’s not all about the technicalities. Nikki McAlister works for the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto as a Community Engagement Co-ordinator. In Other News: Guest Other News Correspondent Katie Pfaff shares the following stories: Global Citizen has announced its Recovery Plan for the World that aims to mobilize $250 million to support organizations advocating for global justice and human rights; and Ontario has introduced the Accelerating Access to Justice Act, 2021 to modernize the legal system in response to COVID-19 – the proposed legislation seeks to eliminate barriers in Ontario’s courts and tribunals, as well as in the estates law, family law, and child protection sectors, and to promote access to justice especially for rural, northern, Indigenous, and Francophone communities. For related links and more on this episode visit our website: https://representingyourselfcanada.com/black-clients-matter/ Jumping Off the Ivory Tower is produced and hosted by Julie Macfarlane and Dayna Cornwall; production and editing by Brauntë Petric; Other News produced and hosted by Katie Pfaff; promotion by Moya McAlister and the NSRLP team.