Touchdown: Starting the Canadian Legal Path with Erika Bailey

In this special "series within a series" episode, the tables turn as your host, Claudio Klaus, steps into the guest seat to share his journey through Canadian law schools and the process of becoming a lawyer in Canada. Co-hosted by Erika Bailey, who has dedicated nearly 25 years serving the University of Toronto, most recently supporting #NCA internationally trained lawyers and law students at the Faculty of Law’s #GPLLM and #LLM, this episode is the beginning of a series of podcasts that dives deep into the challenges and triumphs of navigating the Canadian legal landscape as an internationally trained lawyer from day one.  

The first episode is called "Touchdown" as a nod to aviation lingo, capturing that key moment when the wheels first hit the ground. Before touchdown, the plane goes through a flare —a gentle rise to prepare for a smooth landing. Similarly, this episode marks the beginning of Claudio’s journey into the Canadian legal world, with more to explore as he settles into his new path.

Bio:

Erika Bailey (she|her) has served the University of Toronto for nearly 25 years, specializing in international graduate student advising and coaching. With an MA in Adult Education from OISE|UT, an MA in Leadership from Royal Roads University, and Solutions-focused Brief Coaching, her passion is to support internationally trained lawyers and law students with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law’s graduate programs, specifically the GPLLM and the LL.M. She coaches and advises them in their orientation to, and engagement with, the rigorous recruitment processes for future law licensing candidates, as well as on their licensing processes. In particular, fostering communities of kindness and belonging through mentorship, networking, and transparent dialogue are at the heart of her work.