For many students, deciding to pursue a law degree does not necessarily mean knowing exactly where that degree will lead.
Kelly Kwok (LLB’08), a member of the University of Calgary Faculty of Law’s 30th graduating class, began law school without a clear idea of what area of law she wanted to pursue. It wasn’t until she took an advanced criminal law class that she found clarity in her next steps.
Taught by The Honourable Allan Fradsham and Terence C. Semenuk, the course offered Kwok her first practical look at how criminal cases are argued, assessed, and decided.
According to Kwok, the class worked through the fact patterns and legal issues encountered in criminal court and gave insight into how judges assess evidence and reach legal decisions.
“It was a really great way to learn how the actual practice of criminal law worked,” she said.
In addition to this introduction to criminal law, one thing Kwok found particularly unique about UCalgary Law was its emphasis on practical, hands-on experience alongside the theoretical foundations taught in the classroom.
During her degree, Kwok worked with Student Legal Assistance (SLA), where she was given the opportunity to represent clients, appear in court, conduct guilty pleas and sentencing hearings, and prepare for trials. That experience proved invaluable when she graduated and chose to continue to pursue criminal law.
According to Kwok, SLA prepared her for the realities of practising criminal law and gave her the experience needed to secure an articling position.
“I realised employers actually cared far more about my volunteer experience with Student Legal Assistance than what grades I had gotten,” she said. “You can learn the theory of the principles of law in a classroom, but nothing’s going to really compare to that actual reality of getting up and standing in a courtroom and advocating for your clients.”
After graduation, Kwok moved to Edmonton for an articling position at Beresh Cunningham and in 2009 she was called to the bar.
Following her bar call, Kwok joined the Crown Prosecutor’s Office where she spent the next seven years building her career as a prosecutor in a variety of cases. This experience, according to Kwok, helped strengthened her confidence in the courtroom and shaped her approach to criminal law.
Seeking more balance in her life, Kwok joined the United Nurses of Alberta in 2016 as a Labour Relations Officer, transitioning from criminal law to the practice of labour law. She remains in that role today, representing the union and its members in disputes with the employer throughout the grievance and arbitration process.
“It’s more challenging in some ways, but it’s also more rewarding because you get to represent a member from the beginning of the grievance to the end of the resolution or arbitration process,” she said.
Outside of her current position, Kwok is also serving as the vice president for Alberta in the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers.
This change in legal expertise reminded Kwok to remain open-minded about where a career in law can lead. Having been uncertain about her own focus during law school, she recognizes that a law degree can open the door to a wide range of opportunities.
For students navigating their own career paths, Kwok encourages them not to get caught up in the idea that success in law means working at a big firm. There are many fulfilling career paths beyond the traditional route, and a law degree can provide the flexibility to explore them.
“When I look at the lawyers I went to law school and articled with, it’s everything from lawyers working in-house or in government, to lawyers at small and medium-sized firms, lawyers who’ve gone off and started their own firms, and people working in professional positions that don’t necessarily require a law degree, but where their law degree was an asset in obtaining the position.”
Today, Kwok looks back at her time at UCalgary Law with fondness and considers the practical experience she gained as a student as a highlight.
Ultimately, her advice is a reminder that success in law school and in the legal profession cannot be measured by grades alone. Students should look beyond the classroom and take advantage of opportunities like the SLA to build practical skills, gain experience and develop a sense of what they want their careers to look like.