|
Edward
James Conroy took on his first case in 1954. Today, after a 54 year
career, he is still considered one of
Sudbury
’s most respected criminal and civil
litigation lawyers as a partner in the firm of Conroy Trebb Scott
Hurtubise LLB.
“Ted”
Conroy was the special guest on “Inside Education”, a local talk show
on CKLU 96.7 FM that is broadcast live every Monday evening at 6 p.m.from
Laurentian University. Robert Kirwan, an Independent Education &
Career Development Specialist who operates a private practice called The
Greater Sudbury Learning Clinic, is the creator and host of the program
which consists of an engaging conversation with a person from a different
career field each week. The purpose of the show is to provide listeners
with some valuable down-to-earth insight and information which may prove
helpful for those who are considering following a similar career path.
“Law
is not as comfortable a place in terms of a career choice today. The
business side of the profession is taking over more and more of our time
than it did in the past. But I can think of nothing else I would rather
do. I still get up each morning to go to work with the same excitement and
passion I had 54 years ago and I intend to continue to practice law as
long as I am having fun and enjoy what I am doing,” explained Conroy who
was wearing a tie that was given to him by a former client. “This tie
was given to me by a man I once represented in a trial. He appreciated the
work I had done for him and said he wanted to give me something that
expressed what he felt was my greatest strength. It says ‘Concern For
People’ and it really hit home. I think that is one of the most
important things you must have if you are going to be a successful lawyer,
a concern for people.”
Conroy,
who was born in
Kirkland
Lake
, moved to
Sudbury
early in his life when his father took up
employment in the mining industry. He recalled how he first became
interested in law. “Back when I was attending what is now known as
Sudbury
Secondary School
I didn’t know anything about law. This
was in the days before television glorified the profession. But one of my
teachers told me that I would be a good lawyer because I had a ‘love of
words’ and a ‘love of reading’. So I would skip school once in a
while and go over to the courthouse on
Elm Street
to watch some of the trials. I liked what
the lawyers were doing and I thought I might be good at it myself.
That’s where the fire was lit and where it all started: from skipping
school to go to the courthouse to watch lawyers in action.”
 In fact, both Conroy and Kirwan are strong advocates of “job
shadowing” and encourage young people to get out and see people actually
performing the work involved in any career in which they may have an
interest. It is the best way to determine if the career is really what you
want for yourself. Watch others perform and see all that has to be done
during a day or two. Only then will you see what is actually involved in a
particular field.
Over
the years Conroy has been involved in just about every area of law you can
imagine, from teaching at the university level to real estate and wills,
but his true passion lies in representing people in criminal and civil
litigation cases that often go to trial. “It’s all about being able to
look at all sides of a problem, understand the facts, and then
communicating your side of the story to a judge in order to have a
decision that favours your client. You must become an expert at reading,
listening and then presenting your case clearly and effectively orally in
a style and manner which will be understood and convincing. Usually, by
the time you actually get into court you know what the decision will
likely be, so it is merely a matter of summarizing your position and
affecting the most positive outcome for your client.”
“There
is one very important thing every young person should remember. No matter
what career you get into, there is nothing you will ever learn or read
that doesn’t help you in some way. Nothing you read is useless.” He
gave the example of a case he once handled where he had to go to trial to
defend a client who was involved in a motor vehicle accident. Prior to the
trial date, Conroy was in the waiting room at his dentist’s office and
was browsing through some of the old magazines. He came across an article
that was about Datsun vehicles and the fact that they were notorious for
having throttles that would stick in cold weather. His client happened to
be driving a Datsun at the time of the accident. “During the trial I
brought in a mechanic as an expert witness and asked him if Datsun’s had
a problem with throttles sticking in cold weather. He said yes and the
trial judge dropped the charges against my client. So I always say that
you should read everything you can get your hands on and you should always
be looking for an opportunity to learn something new because you never
know when it will come in handy. I can honestly tell you that nothing you
ever learn will be useless. You will use it at some point in your life.”
Conroy
encourages young people to consider pursuing a career in law. “The world
is becoming so very complex today. New laws are being passed all the time
and it takes a great deal of effort to keep up to date. Even if you
don’t become a lawyer, there are a lot of supporting careers as law
clerks, legal assistants and paralegals that allow you to get into the
field and play a huge role in the success of a firm. We have about
nineteen people in our office. Only six of us are lawyers and we have two
students who are apprenticing, but everyone in the office is part of the
team and we all depend upon each other for support. It is a team effort
today because it is impossible to be an expert in everything.”
He
made a point of informing his listeners that he has learned over the years
that “everybody is an expert at something”. He has called upon
“expert witnesses” from time to time during trials from just about
every area you can imagine. “The key to having a successful career is to
find something you are good at and that you enjoy and then make it your
goal to become the best you can be. Whether it is in law, teaching,
medicine, business, technology or anything you can think of, make sure it
is what you want and then make it your passion. You will be successful if
you are prepared to work hard. There is a place for everyone.”
Conroy
concluded his interview by reiterating the fact that a love of learning
must be instilled within every child from a very early age.
“Communication is the key to everything. You must be in love with
reading. It doesn’t matter whether you are reading comic books, reading
articles on the computer, in magazines or in books. Just get into the
habit of reading everything you can get your hands on. Also learn to
listen carefully to other people because about 90% of our time is spent
listening. You must then be able to draw upon all the information you have
gathered by from reading and listening to speak with clarity in order to
communicate your ideas to others. There is no point in having all of this
knowledge if you can’t tell others about it. I once heard a story about
Winston Churchill who was asked to give a five minute speech. He told the
person that it would take him three hours to prepare. When asked why it
would take so long he stated that if he had longer to prepare he could
make the speech shorter.”
Edward James Conroy: a tribute to his profession. Mr. Conroy
promised that he would take time to come back again as a guest at some
time during the upcoming year to once again speak to the youth of the
community. For a complete list of guests who have already been booked up
until the end of June, you can visit the web site at www.thelearningclinic.ca
Inside Education is broadcast live every Monday at 6 p.m. on CKLU 96.7 FM.
|
