Viva Voce

Daniel gets personal with his old mentor and senior partner at his firm, Goldwater, Dubé. She discusses her career highlights such as the same-sex marriage case of Hendricks and Leboeuf v. Quebec and the reasonable accommodation case of Bruker v. Marcovitz. Identity, minority rights and secularism are themes of the episode.

Daniel sits down with Me Jamie Benziri, founder of Legal Logik, a multi-practice firm with a deep online marketing presence. Jamie is clearly telegenic and brimming with energy and charisma, but he and Daniel both bring out vulnerable sides of themselves, in-between jokey banter. Jamie tells his career story, how he learned from his failures and the pressure of being both a lawyer and entrepreneur. Image management, client and community engagement and career realities are key themes here. Daniel and Jamie both give each other some "business therapy".

Daniel welcomes his esteemed guest, Me Robert Leckey, dean of McGill's Faculty of Law. Daniel asks Robert what distinguishes McGill and why anyone should get a legal education in the first place when Google exists. Thorny questions about diversity, campus radicalism and anglophone-francophone relations are fielded. Daniel says "every law is a crime against liberty" and, well, Robert schools him. Together, they offer their views on community, the tension between intellect and emotion and the future of legal discourse in the age of social media.

Daniel talks about animal rights law with Sophie Gaillard, practicing attorney and Animal Advocacy Director at the SPCA Montreal. The morality of farming practices, eating animals, cruelty and the horror of castrating pigs without pain control are discussed. Sophie shares her journey and the ridicule she and her allies have had to overcome to bring these issues to the fore. Daniel rethinks his assumptions and offers his cashmere jacket for penance. Sexual politics come up too. Witness a serious, painful, emotional (and sometimes funny!) conversation about a topic that cuts to the bone of what it means to live in a humane society.

Daniel jumps into the pressure cooker known as the Course aux stages, the regulated process by which ambitious law students do their best to secure articling positions at prestigious firms across Quebec. Daniel interviews a second-year McGill Law student, Elisabeth Novak, a third-year University of Montreal student, Hanane Loumi, and his own articling student, David Chun, and gets them to share their hopes, fears, backgrounds and what they hope to get out of a career in law. Key lessons about mentoring, intentions, stress management, career expectations and finding work-life balance are shared. Daniel also gives his views on what makes for the best candidates.

What is Viva Voce? It's a talk show about lawyers. Daniel explains why he started it and what he's learned from it so far. His producer, Robert Hiltz, asks the questions and takes the host seat.