In this alumni spotlight, we feature Cemeka Douglas from the class of 2018. Douglas articled with a mid-sized firm in Toronto and then joined a civil litigation firm as an associate. In 2021, she left private practice to work at TD as litigation counsel, a role she currently holds. During her time at TRU Law, she made lasting friendships, gained experience in public speaking and honed her advocacy skills — all of which she relies upon regularly in practice today.
- What is it about the law or legal practice that inspires you to be a part of this profession?
What inspires me most about the legal profession is the amount of people you get to help. Law is present in almost every aspect of life. I enjoy the opportunity to learn and then to see how it works. In my particular area of law, insurance, I’m able to see the law at work during various insurance claims that are made in different contexts: motor vehicle insurance, home insurance or business insurance.
- You started your legal career in private practice and then made the switch to work in-house. Tell us what it’s like to work as in-house counsel and what motivated you to make this change.
I thoroughly enjoy working in-house over private practice. The main reason I made this change is that I found in-house lawyers tended to have more time to provide mentorship and assistance than lawyers do in private practice. I find this to be true because many lawyers in private practice are driven by billable hours/targets. As a junior lawyer in private practice, I found myself more focused on trying to make billable targets than thoroughly learning the law itself.
- Describe what you find rewarding about being a litigator. Do you have any survival tips for litigation lawyers?
The most rewarding part about being a litigator is being able to resolve/settle a file for your client. The biggest survival tip for any litigator is to be organized. Civil litigation can be a lot of work as there are many moving parts and civil procedure must be followed.
Another survival tip is to always be professional with opposing counsel. Being a good advocate for your client does not require you to be adversarial with opposing counsel all the time. I find that a lot of cases settle quickly when both counsel treat the file like an ongoing mediation.
These last few tips apply to all lawyers, and not just litigators: seek out good mentorship, do not reinvent the wheel (if you don’t have to) and don’t be afraid of running issues by senior counsel in your office. Also, seek advice from your assistant or law clerk — this is invaluable, as oftentimes they know a lot more than you do, especially if they have been in the field longer than you have.
- In June of this year, you were elected to the board of directors for the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), holding the position of director of mentorship. What has this role been like so far and do you have any plans for this role that you can share?
Throughout law school, I was engaged in mentorship opportunities and acted as a peer mentor. Running for director of mentorship allowed me to do this on a larger scale. The plan that I have for this role is to further CABL’s mentorship reach throughout the western provinces. For example, there are many mentorship events that are run throughout the year, such as speed mentoring, where we welcome lawyers and students from all across Canada to attend. You can follow CABL’s social media pages on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more information.
- I’m sure your years at TRU Law were full of exciting and notable moments. Can you share one of your favourite memories from your time here?
One of my favourite memories at TRU was the SLS conference. This was an opportunity for many students to provide further information and knowledge of what they were studying in an area of law that interested them. This also positioned us to work closely with our professors and peers, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
- What was the biggest takeaway from your education at TRU Law?
My biggest takeaway is the lasting friendships I made and the people I met. Even now, I do not hesitate to reach out to a classmate who is practicing in a different area of law than I am when I have a question or a referral.
At the end of the day, law school can be challenging. Finding a core group of friends that truly supported each other was invaluable.
