Legal Counsel - Child Protection (English, BA)

Jeffrey Boich, Family and Children's Services of the Waterloo Region

By: Hannah Mcgurk, Career Centre Peer

Jeff Boich graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and minoring in Economics. In high school, Jeff participated on the debate team and student council, which sparked his interest at an early age in becoming a lawyer. On Jeff’s first day of law school at Osgoode Hall, York University, he recalls the moment when the Dean stood up in front of the class and said, “Look to your left, look to your right, all of you are going to pass and all of you are going to get jobs.” At that time, the legal economy was strong and in the summer after Jeff’s first year of law school, he was able to obtain a job as a summer student at a firm in the KW area by making cold calls he found through the phone book.

Upon completion of law school, Jeff obtained an articling position at the same firm where he was able to shadow experienced lawyers in their work. For 20 years now, Jeff has been practicing in the area of child protection, a field he finds extremely rewarding as it is all about striving to make positive changes in the lives of children and families.

A typical work week for Jeff includes appearing in court, meeting with clients, writing and reviewing court documentation, and training staff at his office. In a typical week, Jeff is in court at least three out of five days where some of the appearances he makes are procedural, while others require extensive preparation. Jeff notes that a court appearance could be a full day argument or a five minute adjournment depending on the case.

Jeff emphasizes the importance of the ability to remain objective in this area of law and to be able to ask clients the right questions. Child protection lawyers need to have working knowledge of such a specific area of law to provide sound advice and a degree of empathy for their clients. Jeff stresses how easy it is to look down on someone who has neglected or abused a child, but it is important to remember that in this area of law, lawyers are usually dealing with individuals who are a product of a difficult life situation themselves. It is essential to resist the urge to judge and to be open and willing to accept information so that people can adjust their actions moving forward.

In terms of the training required to become a child protection lawyer, individual lawyers have the responsibility to ensure they are aware and have educated themselves on the law that applies to the case before them. While there is no law school course in the area of child protection, there is continuing legal education and a number of organizations that can provide lawyers with education on this type of law. Jeff is currently the chair of the Organization of Counsel for Children’s Aid Societies of Ontario or OCCAS which provides opportunities for continuing legal education in child protection law.

In terms of similar types of law, family lawyers may also choose to deal with custody and access disputes, while crown attorneys may also deal with offences against children and cases of domestic violence. There are also lawyers who work directly for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer with the Ministry of the Attorney General who work for children and may represent children in a trustee capacity if children are beneficiaries of a will.

While child protection is a fairly narrow field with less than 200 lawyers in the province working for the Children’s Aid Societies, there will always be a need for lawyers to represent the interests of children. Jeff notes that the opportunities for careers in this type of law may depend somewhat on the priorities of the government of the day in terms of the funding devoted to protecting children.

Jeff suggests that since legal services are incredibly expensive, the legal landscape is likely to evolve to become more accessible and affordable. One trend is encouraging the use of mediation or other methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) like negotiation and arbitration to circumvent expensive and time intensive court procedures.

In addition to his practice, Jeff is also a part-time professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. Since both of his parents are teachers, Jeff’s interest in teaching was always present in his personal life from early days of teaching swimming lessons and lifeguarding at local pools. Jeff taught a course in Civil Litigation for law clerks at Conestoga College some years ago. At present, Jeff teaches two courses in the legal studies program at Laurier, Legal Writing and Legal Advocacy Skills. Jeff finds teaching students extremely rewarding and gets a lot of energy from being able to help students learn about the law and advocacy.

Both the Laurier Pre-Law Society and Laurier Moot Court are excellent clubs to get involved in if you are interested in a legal career. Jeff volunteers as a coach and mentor with the Laurier Moot Court club and helps the students prepare legal arguments for mock appellate advocacy competitions. Jeff also supports the Laurier Pre-Law Society and has attended several events hosted by this club. Jeff also notes how every municipality has a local law association that hosts networking and educational events, some of which are geared towards new lawyers. Jeff recommends that new lawyers attend these events as he once did.