Tiffany Sillanpää joins the NCA Tutor team as the newly minted Director of Community Outreach. She’s excited to continue working with NCA Tutor and deepen her involvement with the team after enjoying nearly two years of blogging for the company. We sat down with Tiffany to discuss her journey thus far and plans for the future.
NT: What prompted you to pursue legal education in the UK?
TS: It was a cluster of things actually. As someone who didn’t deal with standardized tests very well, and suffered from exam anxiety throughout undergrad, the LSATs terrified me. Despite this, I didn’t get an altogether terrible score but it wasn’t exactly competitive either. That said, my reasons ran far deeper than just the LSAT and I dislike the pervasive narrative that many NCA students go abroad simply to escape the LSAT.
During the final years of my undergrade, I was also working at a UK-based insurance company in Toronto and enjoying the experience. I knew that transferring to the London offices and moving to the UK wouldn’t be a terribly hard process for me since I held an EU citizenship and didn’t require a work or school visa. Finally, having spent my whole undergrad plus an extra year of Masters studies in Ontario, I was ready to stretch my wings, challenge myself by living abroad, and enjoy the expansive travel opportunities that living in the UK give you. In short, a lot of things fell together which just made going to the UK and having an adventure make sense.
NT: Do you regret going abroad at all?
TS: Not one bit. My experience working, living, and going to school in central London for three years was so enriching and I’m lucky to have made some great friends and professional connections along the way. While there were certainly some challenges coming back to Canada and establishing a spot for myself in the Canadian legal market (I’ve written at length about this on my blog), I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. It taught me so much about myself, what I want and need in my career, and how to network and brand myself in global markets. These are skills I’ll carry with me throughout my career and I think they’ll make me a better lawyer.
NT: What are you doing now?
TS: I was fortunate to secure an articling position almost immediately after finishing my NCA exams; the position started this fall and I’m really enjoying it. I’ve been so lucky to have landed in a firm that appreciates and supports my drive for international knowledge and qualification. They’ve been super great about supporting my licensing process in both Ontario and New York. Having now passed the New York Bar, I’m focusing on finishing up the Ontario Solicitors portion and enjoying articling.
NT: Congrats on passing the New York Bar! What made you decide to pursue a USA qualification?
TS: Being qualified in New York and going to school in New York City has been a dream of mine since undergrad. I initially applied for the JD programme at NYU Law on a long-shot, but of course it’s a super competitive programme and hard to get in to. Having the opportunity to do my LL.M there and write the New York Bar exam this summer really felt like a full-circle moment.
New York and Ontario are similar enough, and there’s always cross-border work going on between the two, that I thought having both would be a great way to set myself apart in the Canadian legal job market. I’ve decided to fully embrace my international identity and make international knowledge part of my personal brand as a lawyer. If you are an internationally trained lawyer, in any jurisdiction, you are not likely to fit the standard mold. You can choose to be frustrated by that or embrace the freedom and incentive to develop your own brand. I’ve always refused to accept that my non-Canadian legal education was a handicap to me in the Canadian market and now I’ve proven that with a little hard work and dedication, I can learn any new legal system.
NT: So, what’s next?
TS: I’m focusing on my Ontario qualification for now and really enjoying the articling process and all the learning that comes with it. If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s to always take time to appreciate what you have and the people around you. Like I said, I’ve landed at a great firm full of supportive and smart lawyers. I couldn’t be happier. By the end of next year I hope to have my UK qualification in hand as well, but aside from that, I’m enjoying the start of my legal career and all that comes with it.
You can read more about Tiffany and her journey in her bio on our teams page. Until next time, have a very Happy New Year!