WHO WE ARE

We are a grass roots project with big dreams.

Our Story

Not Your Average Law Job™ was launched in June, 2021. The project has been primarily privately funded by Sara Forte and Forte Workplace Law, and we are now opening it up for help from people and organizations who want to see it continue. Our current list of financial supporters of this project includes:

Not Your Average Law Job™ started with Sara’s desire to prove that happy lawyers exist and that lawyers can have a full and happy life that includes an awesome law practice. As a busy lawyer herself, Sara kept her dream of Not Your Average Law Job™ on the side of her desk for many years, waiting for the perfect time to launch. In 2021, the project hired its first employee and one month later, it successfully launched.

In September 2021, Not Your Average Law Job™ began hiring Canadian law students to manage the project and write the happy lawyer profiles we look forward to sharing with you each week. In January 2022, we won our first award – a 2021 Canadian Law Blog Award (Clawbie), for “Best Innovative Project” based on merit and community nominations. In February 2022, we published our first article. And in June 2022, Sara was recognized for her efforts in contributing to change within the profession, with the CBABC Innovation Award.

Where will we go next?

Our team is small, our funding is uncertain, but our dreams are big. We plan to keep learning and sharing about what makes lawyers happy, and connecting Canadian lawyers and law students with outside-the-box law jobs and resources for years to come. We are going to keep profiling diverse lawyers with interesting law practices and redefining what it is to be a lawyer.

Want to support our project?

Connect with us on social media and consider contributing financially. Your support is what keeps us going and we look forward to continuing to make the legal profession a happier place with you!

Not Your Average Support – Any Amount

Support

The Not Your Average Law Job™ Team

Sara Forte - Chief Happiness Officer/Founder

Sara Forte

Chief Happiness Officer/Founder

I am a happy mediator, labour & employment lawyer, workplace investigator and entrepreneur. I am founder of the labour & employment boutique firm Forte Workplace Law. My full and happy life includes time with my husband, 3 school-aged kids, 5 chickens, 2 cats, Pilates, reading, resistance training and an awesome law practice. I love going to bed early and talking about inclusion and wellness in the legal profession. I am disrupting the legal profession, with kindness, to make it more sustainable.

Law School Queen's University
Languages English
In my spare time... Sleep & read
Favourite Song Jann Arden anything
Favourite Movie/TV Show In the Heights
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate 100%
Cats or dogs? Chickens
Favourite season Summer
Favourite sports team Little league
Dream vacation Salt Spring Island
Hidden Talent Butt spins on the dance floor
Fun Fact I love to celebrate everything, with balloons and cake ideally
Sarah Ewart - Not Average Project Manager

Sarah Ewart

Not Average Project Manager

I went from a career in digital marketing to a career in law and along the way, found a happy place between both worlds as project manager for Not Your Average Law Job™. I am currently an articled student at Forte Workplace Law, where I get to contribute to Not Your Average Law Job™ while learning how to be a happy lawyer from the project’s founder (my principal) Sara Forte. I find happiness outside of work in spending time with my partner and dog, running and swimming, visiting my family and friends on Vancouver Island, and playing indie story-driven games.

Law School Thompson Rivers University
Languages English and some French
In my spare time... Swim, run, and play computer games
Favourite Song End of My Rope – Pokey Lafarge
Favourite Movie/TV Show Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
Cats or dogs? Both
Favourite season Summer
Favourite sports team Campbell River Salmon Kings
Dream vacation Portugal
Hidden Talent Enhanced perception
Fun Fact I have synesthesia
Kathleen Tereposky - Not Average Project Manager

Kathleen Tereposky

Not Average Project Manager

I am a third-year law student eager to learn as much as I can before passing the bar. I had the opportunity to join Not Your Average Law Job™ a few months after launching and am forever grateful for the community it gives me. Being a law student during the pandemic was no easy feat but meeting happy lawyers from across Canada made my experience a much “happier” one!

I am a passionate children’s rights advocate and have worked with governments, non-profits, and universities to fulfill the best interest of children. I aspire to be a children’s rights lawyer after completing my articles with Power Law in Vancouver. On weekends you can find me hiking and camping in backcountry parks or watching Netflix in my pj’s all day (there is no in-between).

Law School uOttawa
Languages French and English
In my spare time... backcountry camping and hiking
Favourite Song Human by the Killers
Favourite Movie/TV Show Gilmore Girls
Chocolate or vanilla? Strawberry haha
Cats or dogs? Love all animals
Favourite season Fall
Favourite sports team N/A
Dream vacation New Zealand
Hidden Talent Double jointed
Fun Fact Muay Thai amateur
Kim Liu - Not Average Project Manager

Kim Liu

Not Average Project Manager

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to become a lawyer. With my background in business and marketing, and a keen interest in the entertainment and new media landscapes, I aspire to find an intersection between these areas. Joining Not Your Average Law Job™ has aligned effortlessly in this pursuit and given me inspiration in the breadth of opportunities out there. As a law student, I’m looking forward to finding my happiness in the legal profession. In my personal life, I enjoy exploring hiking trails and long walks, rewatching romcoms, spending time with my family and friends, and of course, aimlessly browsing social media.

Law School Osgoode Hall Law School
Languages English, Hakka
In my spare time... I go on ridiculously long walks
Favourite Song Brand New – Ben Rector
Favourite Movie/TV Show A Walk to Remember, Gilmore Girls
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
Cats or dogs? Dogs
Favourite season Fall
Favourite sports team Does the Canadian Winter Olympics Team count?
Dream vacation Greece
Hidden Talent I can make balloon animals (at least, I used to be able to… it’s been a while)
Fun Fact My birthday is on Christmas Day!