Erin Kuzz is a Founding Partner and Lawyer at Sherrard Kuzz LLP, a labor and employment law firm. In her practice, she assists employers in various aspects of the employment relationship, including pre-screening and hiring, employment contracts, training and development, and employment standards issues. Erin also consults with non-union employers and helps unionized employers manage issues like bargaining and grievance arbitration and ending employment relationships.
Erin is recognized as one of Canada’s leading labor and employment lawyers by Lexpert, Chambers Global, Who’s Who Legal, and Best Lawyers. As a leading lawyer, she is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and the former Chair of the Labor and Employment Section of the Ontario Bar Association.
Erin speaks frequently at national conferences about various labor and employment law topics and has taught at Canada’s leading law schools. Having founded Sherrard Kuzz in 2001 and practiced for over 25 years, she understands that investing in your lawyers’ personal and professional growth is crucial for firm success.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- Erin Kuzz shares her motivation for pursuing entrepreneurship and leadership
- Mistakes Erin made when starting her firm — and how she shattered the glass ceiling
- The barriers women lawyers face in leadership roles
- Strategies for retaining female talent
- How law firms can navigate lawyer migration
- Erin talks about her most valued mentors
- Managing burnout as a female lawyer
In this episode…
Traditionally, attorneys remained loyal to a single firm, advancing from junior associate to partner. Today, lawyers shift from firm to firm to pursue greater development opportunities with leaders who prioritize their personal and professional endeavors. In particular, women lawyers struggle to balance raising children, caring for aging parents, and excelling in their careers. How can law firms invest in their attorneys to retain top talent?
As a seasoned attorney, Erin Kuzz received backlash and harsh demands from male senior lawyers. After taking the reins and becoming a partner, she gained the respect of her peers. Having witnessed young lawyers leave firms that don’t nurture their abilities and needs, Erin recommends these firms remain flexible to allow attorneys to prioritize responsibilities and explore additional growth opportunities. Even if your lawyers leave your firm to pursue other possibilities, they’re more likely to return when you invest in their personal and professional development.
In today’s episode of The Lawyer’s Edge Podcast, Elise Holtzman hosts Erin Kuzz, the Founding Partner and Lawyer at Sherrard Kuzz LLP, to talk about the investments law firms should make in their lawyers. Erin shares her initial mistakes as a partner, how to manage burnout as a female lawyer, and the lessons she learned from some of her most valued mentors.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Sponsor for this episode…
Today’s episode is brought to you by the Ignite Women’s Business Development Accelerator.
Ignite is an 8-month business development program created by women lawyers for women lawyers.
Ignite is not just a one-off seminar or a series of seminars. It’s a carefully designed business development program containing content coaching and a community of like-minded women who are committed to becoming rainmakers and supporting the retention and advancement of other women in the profession.
To learn more about Ignite, visit thelawyersedge.com/ignite.
