Before starting her solo law practice, Rachel Sachs did all the things senior practitioners told her not to do. Instead of putting her nose the grindstone, and “paying her dues” once she finished law school, she spent a decade pursuing more education, in different places, and prioritizing family. The child of two immigrants, her father from Germany and her mother the Philippines, Rachel was born with a passion for travel and new experiences. Rachel was also raised by her fiery German grandmother, who inspired a lot of her career and life choices, including her eventual decision to practice seniors law.
An exchange program first brought Rachel to the U.K., and she enjoyed her time there so much she decided to stay to complete her LLB. Returning home to Toronto afterwards, Rachel did not feel ready to article. She knew that it would be harder to move around and see the world after she was done school, so she decided to continue her education. Over the next few years, Rachel spent time in Calgary, completing graduate-level environmental law courses; in Victoria, enrolled in the summer Indigenous Summer Intensive program at UVIC; and back in the U.K. completed an MSC in Carbon Management at the University of Edinburgh. By the time Rachel was called to the Ontario Bar, ten years had passed since she got her law degree. Rachel is practicing now, but her love of learning continues. She started an EMBA in August 2021.
Travel and education were not the only reasons it took Rachel longer than many to start her legal career. While Rachel was studying for her Canadian licensing exams, she was also caring for her grandmother, whose dementia had worsened to a point she could not care for herself. The studying process slowed and for nearly three years, Rachel faced the realities of watching her one-time industrious, go-getter grandmother’s health decline, while trying to focus on her own future. It was an extremely difficult and emotionally draining time.
With several gaps in her resume, and so many moves, Rachel was having a hard time finding an articling job. Doing everything she was told not to do made the process harder, so Rachel decided to try Ontario’s Law Practice Program instead of articling. She ended up loving it and her legal career was born.
After having a child, Rachel knew that a commute into work would be an issue for her and going solo at home could solve that problem. She tried out a few different areas of law and nothing stuck until she got into wills & estates. Rachel has loved spending time with elderly people, including her Omi (diminutive form of the German word for grandmother), since she was a kid. Elder law was the natural fit for her.
Rachel now practices in several areas that effect seniors, including real estate. Rachel knows that elder people’s needs are often overlooked and she has created a firm that caters to their needs and communication styles. While many people brush off aging and older adults as being incapable of using new technology, Rachel spends time testing it out with her clients. If they are interested in using Zoom, for example, she will help them with it.
Rachel works with clients that she loves in an area of law she loves. She believes it is important for anyone in the legal profession to know who they are, what they like and who they want to work with. When she was younger, Rachel found it difficult to fit in with her mixed cultural communities. As an adult, identifying as a German-Filipina-Canadian woman who has lived overseas makes Rachel prouder than just identifying as a Canadian woman. Knowing who she is helped Rachel discover that she wants to work with aging and older adults.
A self-described shy person, networking did not come easily to Rachel, but it was a skill she needed to learn. Especially working solo, you need to be able to reach out to stay connected to other practitioners and find mentors to guide you along your path. Networking is uncomfortable for a lot of people, including Rachel, but it gets better with practice. Growth happens when we are uncomfortable, and Rachel likes that feeling. Rachel is currently developing an online platform (more of an online world!) for solo practitioners.
Throughout your legal career, people will offer you a lot of advice. Listen to it, but only take what makes sense to you and fits your life and values. Before the start of her career, Rachel was told to take a more direct path. If she had listened, she would not have had the life-changing travel and educational experiences she did. She also may not have been able to have the same time with her Omi. All of these experiences and relationships have formed Rachel’s practice. There were ups and downs, exciting and hard times, and she has no regrets.