When I graduated from my undergraduate degree in public policy, I was finished with school. I moved to Toronto, and immediately began working as a political staffer at Queen’s Park. I was 21 years old and living the dream – I was living in downtown Toronto, I had a full time professional job, and by virtue of working in politics I had access to opportunities I never dreamed possible.
Soon, something started nagging at me. Working in politics is all about making people’s lives better through the government’s policy. Once the government decides a policy direction, they turn those policies into reality through laws and regulations. It was pretty cool to formulate those policies and watch them turn into reality. But, I kept thinking “Wouldn’t it be cooler to know more about how those laws and regulations actually worked out in the world?”
Off to Osgoode Hall I went for three years of law school. I focussed on public, administrative and constitutional law, ignoring all those employable courses like bankruptcy, securities and corporate tax. After articling in-house at a utility and being called to the bar, I had some serious thinking to do about what came next. Armed with a law degree and my newly minted license to practice law, I went straight back to politics … to not practice law.
I am a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the Ontario Attorney General. When I tell people that, mostly they just nod and smile with a confused look on their face. Occasionally, I get a more direct “Um, what’s that?” The key difference between being a lawyer and a policy advisor is that I give policy advice, not legal advice. In the context of the Attorney General’s Office, that means that I give policy advice on legal topics and areas of policy that fall under the purview of the Attorney General. My job is to work with the public service, the Premier’s Office, and external stakeholders impacted by government policy to assess possible public policy options and provide advice to the Attorney General on which option to accept or reject.
There is no typical day for a political staffer, but generally my morning begins by reading any newspaper stories related to my files, and working with our communications team to develop a public response to issues in the media. I meet with stakeholders such as legal groups, social advocacy groups, and other organizations who want to meet with our office to discuss requests for policy changes, or to run our ideas by those who are out working in the areas that we legislate. I review policy options and briefing materials prepared by counsel and policy staff in the Ministry, and add my political take to help formulate advice to the Minister.
The best part of my job is that I get to have in-depth debates and discussions with the Attorney General about policy and legal issues. No matter how prepared I am for a briefing, he is usually at least one step ahead of me. This job forces me to over-prepare for every eventuality and stay on my toes. As a second year call, I feel privileged to spend my days debating principles of administrative law or the merits of certain family law reforms with the Attorney General.
The life of a political staffer is incredibly uncertain. Your cabinet minister could be shuffled into a new portfolio at any moment, and your job is contingent on the will of the voting public. I don’t see myself doing this job forever, but my first year of non-practice has given me a unique window into Ontario’s legal system. As much as I hope to practice law one day, this is a job like no other I will ever have.