Talk of the LexBlog Network : Lisa Stam of Employment and Human Rights in Canada
One of the beauties of blogging is having the ability to build a network of connections from all over the world without having to leave the comfort of your own city. Toronto attorney Lisa Stam uses her blog, Employment and Human Rights in Canada, as a virtual key to access the world of labor and employment law throughout Canada and beyond.
"Being a Canadian and blogging helps eliminate national borders and helps (me) connect with people all over the place and I like that," said Stam. "It is the neat thing about blogging--it truly is a global activity."
Stam started her blog in the fall of 2009 with the intent of simply engaging in conversation related to workplace law developments and to stay abreast on changes within employment and human rights law. After seeing an increasing trend in the use and misuse of social media in the workplace, Stam started her blog as an opportunity to learn about cyberlaw in the workplace to better understand the issues faced by her clients.
"I was increasingly having clients asking me about their social media issues in the workplace so I thought why not jump into social media more directly in order to understand my client's issues," Stam said.
Stam works for a large international full-service firm, which gives her access to information that eludes local-market competitors, but perhaps the biggest advantage she has is simply that she is a female in the workforce. Having similar workplace experiences as many female gives Stam free reign to write on the many unspoken issues that resonate with females readers.
"I'm one of the only female (labor and employment) bloggers in the city, that I'm aware of, that has her own blog," said Stam. "That gives me freedom to talk about things like my (maternity) leave and returning to work after leave and having a female voice in the labor and employment law world."
The unique perspectives on Employment and Human Rights in Canada has created a world of new and exciting career opportunities for Stam, including agency-appointed client referrals, speaking engagements and a recent interview with the prominent Canadian Broadcasting Corporation talk show Currents.
"I would have never gotten that opportunity if they had not Googled and found one of my posts," said Stam. "It was directly a result of my blog."
Though blogging has raised Stam's visibility in the labor and employment law industry, the seventh-year lawyer has not lost sight of the desire to learn. Her advice to bloggers is to take advantage of opportunities to learn from those with experience who can help better you understand not only blogging, but peak areas of interest.
"You have to read more than you write and listen more than you talk, that's critical," said Stam, "and know that the big takeaway from blogging is that you get to learn so much from those people around you as opposed to the other way around."
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