Duty to Serve

Swearing-in Ceremony of Mr. Justice Antonio Skarica and Madam Justice E. Ria Tzimas

I like attending speeches and conferences. They keep both my mind open and my ears to the ground. I attended a swearing-in ceremony earlier this week for two new judicial appointments to the Brampton Superior Court of Justice. The speeches I heard were touching and inspiring, but the theme that resonated most with me was the duty to serve.

It was nice to be reminded that as a public servant, my true employer is the people of Ontario.

Employee vs. Entrepreneur

I have the privilege of having both feet in separate ponds: I have my daytime gig as a lawyer for Legal Aid Ontario and I also run my own small business as a certified translator, which I operate during my free time. It's nice to be able to draw from public and private pools for income.

The past week presented numerous challenges, which I would like to think I gracefully overcame, but not without a fair dose of hardship, both mental and physical. I hit a new record in terms of how many clients I assisted during a court assignment: 21. That is a lot of people to process in an 8-hour shift! I also accepted a translation project that I wasn't properly qualified to do (financial accounting) and ended up having to cancel on the client. Unfortunately, I may have lost that client for future projects.

So here's my pro-con breakdown of being an employee and entrepreneur... 

EMPLOYEE

PRO:
1. Steady, predictable income.
2. No overhead expenses: all marketing, insurance, office supplies, membership, licensing fees etc. covered.
3. Recognition that comes with being part of an established name.

CON:
1. Lack of flexibility: I have to be available for work at prescribed hours and must dress the part.
2. Heavy workload: I am responsible for meeting quotas and processing a high volume of clients.

ENTREPRENEUR

PRO:
1. Unparalleled flexibility: I can work in my sweats and drink tea all day long.
2. Sense of ownership and fulfillment. 

CON:
1. Responsible for "rainmaking" i.e. finding and retaining clients, including following up on collection of unpaid accounts.
2. Responsible for all overhead expenses.

Both are great in their own ways yet present drawbacks. Luckily, I enjoy what I do, so the days pass quickly and I feel like my time and skills are used wisely. The learning curve has been tremendous and I'm gaining a deeper sense of what being professional really means.

Opening of the Courts 2012

Ontario Court of Appeal - Toronto, Ontario

Some sound bites:

• collective responsibility to uphold the rule of law
• a call for increased access to justice
• simplify court procedures
• area of greatest need
• timely manner
• front end services
• supporting families in crisis
• informed choices
• facilitating resolutions in family matters 
• renewed focus on child protection and high conflict matters
• systemic problems beyond our control
• tighter timelines
• continued and enhanced collaboration
• accessible justice in the North
• roots of needless violence among youth
• funding for coordinated intervention system
• meaningful sustainable change
• power flows from the people
• due process and equality before the law
• framework for peacefully and fairly settling disputes
• respect for the rule of law
• promote integrity and efficiency
• responsive to needs

Quality Control - Translation

1. Translate the source text with a view to ensuring the target text reads as if it were the original source text and not a translation.
2. Review formatting between source text and target text with a view to ensuring accurate reproduction of indenting, tables, fonts, numbering, page numbers.
3. Review source text facts to target text. Are all the names, important dates and significant numbers accurate?
4. Edit for typos and style consistency.
5. Convert document to PDF and include a copy to the client. This way, there is a clean translation in the event that the client's word processing software corrupts the translation.

- Inspired by my own experiences and The Checklist by Atul Gawande

Introduction

Alpha Professionnelles

• Specialized knowledge of Canadian and American law
• French and Spanish translation degree (University of Ottawa, Canada)
• Certified (seal embossed) translations available

Disclaimer – Limitation of Liability: The translator shall not be held responsible for any errors or omissions or liable for losses or damages incurred through the use of the translator's services. Any error drawn to the translator's attention will be corrected immediately, but the client shall hold the translator harmless. Liability shall be limited to a reasonable portion of the fee for translation services.

Disclaimer – Not a Substitute for Legal Advice: The information contained in this blog is intended for educational and informational purposes only. No blog entry shall be construed as a substitute for legal advice.