Corporate and Litigation Lawyer and Entrepreneur (Psychology and Global Studies, BA)

Shayna Beeksma, Beeksma Law Professional Corporation 

By: Zariah Stone, Outreach & Support Peer  

Shayna Beeksma is a Jamaican-Canadian lawyer and entrepreneur who completed her double major in Psychology and Global Studies at Laurier in 2007. She has fond memories of her time at Laurier and made great connections with her peers. Shayna was also very passionate about Archaeology and originally intended on being an archaeologist or paleontologist until her Global Studies professor, during the fourth year of studies (Dr. John Boye Ejobowah), asked her if she had ever considered law and encouraged her to research a legal career. This served as the catalyst for her newfound career interest. She is forever grateful to Dr. Ejobowah for seeing the potential in her for a successful career in law that she otherwise had not thought of, let alone seen in herself at the time.

After graduating Shayna attended Osgoode Hall Law School at York University where she obtained her Juris Doctor in 2011. To prepare for her LSAT, Shayna treated the test like a job, studied multiple days a week for 4 hours each day, took LSAT preparation courses and practiced questions on her own until she was comfortable enough to take the test. She advises that students preparing for the LSAT dedicate a block of time, at least 4 hours a day, 5-6 days a week for practicing questions.

Shayna’s experience at Osgoode taught her many important life lessons and skills. She learned about professionalism and networking, as well as the importance of always leaving a good impression on those with whom you work (as you never know when they may be in a position to open doors for you). For instance, between Laurier and Osgoode, Shayna completed a legal assistant program at Humber College with a guaranteed paid co-op position at a large downtown Toronto law firm (in the Bay Street area). This position allowed Shayna to explore whether becoming a lawyer was the right fit for her and ultimately make useful connections with lawyers on Bay Street. During her co-op placement at one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in Canada, Shayna ensured that her work was excellent. Between her work and her outgoing personality, she made a favourable impression on some of the partners at the firm. Once they found out that she had been accepted to Osgoode, those partners started to give her work at the level of a law student and wrote impressive reference letters for her. These letters were of great assistance during the on-campus interview (“OCI”) recruitment process. Shayna not only secured numerous interviews with prominent firms during this process, including the one where she had completed her co-op placement but was also fortunate to have several offers to choose from in the midst of the 2009 recession. The benefits of networking paid dividends for Shayna and have continued to do so throughout her career.

Shayna also learned about hard work, academic stresses, social stresses, persevering in the face of obstacles and simply not giving up. Shayna mentioned how competitive law school can be, the number of privileged individuals who attend, and how much pressure is placed on students to seek out all opportunities, perform well academically and be successful. Some advice Shayna provided for handling these obstacles include finding a good study group for note taking, preparing for exams, seeking out internship and job opportunities at firms who come to campus, and above all, apply yourself.

For students interested in the legal field, Shayna advises that you tap into what you hope to achieve and let that motivate you. For her, law is an incredible tool to empower people and allows her to make a difference. Shayna also encourages volunteering and researching about the legal field since her experience volunteering at a community mediation service and participating in a legal assistance program has benefitted her in her current practice when handling local community cases that require mediation. She is also a member of the Christian Legal Fellowship and spoke fondly about her faith in Christ, as well as how it positively impacts her life and legal career.

At the outset of Shayna’s career, she worked 14 to16 hour days and sometimes longer during her first few years of practice. The firm where she was working in early 2018 subsequently merged with a large Bay Street law firm. Knowing that the demands of a Bay Street law practice were not aligned with her personal and professional goals, she opened her own practice with her husband in May of 2018 after achieving six years of practical experience as a lawyer.

Shayna’s practice concentrates on advising entrepreneurs, individuals, and families in the areas of estates, real estate, and corporate law, as well as advocating for clients in civil litigation matters. As a self-employed lawyer with a fantastic team comprised of an Associate Lawyer, two Law Clerks and a Firm Manager, Shayna typically works between 4 to 8 hours per day depending on how many intensive matters she has. Litigation files do result in 12+ hour days at times but those types of days (long court hearings, trials, mediations, cross-examinations, etc.) do not happen all the time, resulting in most days being much shorter for Shayna. She has managed to create a firm that runs counter to the prevailing (and traditional) view in law that, to be a successful lawyer, one must work exceedingly long hours throughout one’s career and that part-time hours while generating a full-time (and comfortable) salary is not possible. Shayna is here to demonstrate that it most definitely is possible and that she is not alone in achieving that.

Shayna prefers being her own boss, working with her team, and after running her own firm, she mentioned how much she prefers “making [her] own table, instead of trying to get a seat at someone else’s.” Shayna has experienced being the only Black female lawyer at her past firms and that pushed her to work harder, stand up for herself, network effectively and eventually she was able to open her own firm. She encourages students of all backgrounds who are interested in a legal career to be confident, seek out opportunities to learn and grow in the field and recognizes the need for more diversity.

For success both as a lawyer and entrepreneur, Shayna believes social and communication skills are a must, since being able to interact with people, be empathetic toward clients and to show genuine interest in them is crucial for establishing good rapport. Moreover, Shayna mentioned how speaking confidently and persuasively is another essential skill, whether inside or outside a courtroom, and always maintaining eye contact when speaking to someone. Other tips for students interested in pursuing a legal career are to seek out conferences or symposiums from lawyers or law schools and be involved on campus by joining associations and clubs that spark your interest. Work hard for what you are passionate about and do not be discouraged when encountering obstacles because there will be a way to overcome them.