On Thursday March 28, 2024, I had the privilege of spending the morning at the Palais de Justice with Me Andrée-Anne Dion, a criminal defence lawyer in Montreal. Me Dion is a Partner at Shadley Knerr. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Young Bar of Montreal and is involved in Resilience, a community-led legal clinic that supports the homeless population in Cabot Square. Shadowing Me Dion was a unique experience to learn what a typical day in the life of a criminal defence lawyer looks like.
Our morning started at 8:30am. A client of Me Dion’s had been arrested the evening prior and was in custody awaiting bail. It was a Thursday before a long weekend, which meant that if Me Dion and the Crown lawyer were not able to come to an agreement on bail conditions before the end of the day, the client would be kept in custody for four more days, until her bail hearing could be scheduled after the long weekend. I observed Me Dion as she negotiated with the Crown lawyer to have her client released that evening. This experience was an important reminder for me about how much of the “law” happens outside of the courtroom: through interpersonal relationships and discussions. In law school, we spend most of our time learning about the theoretical foundations, development, and critical perspectives of the law. While this is incredibly important, what we learn in school often overlooks the daily ramifications that the administration of the law has on real people’s lives.
Next, Me Dion had a pro forma for another case she was working on. When we first arrived in the courtroom, there were about five lawyers ahead of us waiting for their turn before the judge. I learned that these sorts of procedural decisions happen on a “first come first serve” basis, with the lawyers keeping track of whose turn is when. The busy nature of this courtroom allowed me to observe unspoken rules and dynamics that were present – between the judge, clients, lawyers, and members of the public observing – while also exposing me to a number of procedural decisions that happen on a daily basis in criminal law.
In the early afternoon, Me Dion and I had a moment to stop for a quick coffee. Me Dion apologized for how busy we had been, as we hadn’t had much time to just chat. For me, though, the day had been exactly what I wanted. I learned so much by shadowing Me Dion, seeing how she interacted with her colleagues, and observing how the law functions in practice. I also appreciated the fast-paced nature of our day together – I felt as if I had explored almost every floor of the Palais de Justice within just a few hours! Thank you Me Dion for a fantastic learning experience and thank you to the Career Development Office for giving me the opportunity to shadow Me Dion in the new “Day in the Life” pilot project.
