Welcome back Team TLOMA!

Fresh off another invigorating conference – a HUGE THANK YOU to our conference committee:

• Amanda Hinsperger, 2026 Conference Chair
• Brad Keenan, 2026 Vice Conference Chair
• Rachael Bruce
• Joanne Gibson-Davis
• Dawn Millar
• Emily Moore
• Rachel Rivas
• Alison Russell
• & of course not forgetting TLOMA’s very own dream team: Karen Gerhardt & Courtenay Brodie!

The speakers were fresh, the topics were engaging and it struck just the right balance between educational and fun! To all who attended, it was fantastic to spend time with you and share ideas, horror stories, sangrias, and more! To those who could not make it, we hope to see you next year!

What TLOMA Means to You

At the start of conference I put out a call to our attendees to post in the conference app what TLOMA means to them and here are a few that stuck out:

“Knowing I’m not alone in facing the trials and tribulations, but also the joys and triumphs that come with working in legal.” Rebecca Cardo, Barriston Law

“Connecting and sharing stories with people who get what you experience professionally.” Tomis Saric, Travers Law Professional Corporation

“Keeping up to date on new technologies, and meeting new and old friends.” Patricia Larocque, Pavey Law LLP.

What Rebecca, Tomis and Patricia have touched on is truly the heart of what makes TLOMA special. We hope these sentiments resonate with you and that you will all continue to take part in helping grow TLOMA for years to come.

Upcoming Events

October is a busy month for education:

• October 7 – Technology SIG: From Policy to Practice: Putting AI to Work in Your Firm
• October 21 – HR SIG: Thriving Through Change: Why some teams grow stronger through change, while others fall behind. This session will be led by Certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner Shannon Talbot and is one not to miss!
• October 28 - Finance SIG: Topic & Speaker TBA

Wishing everyone a lovely October and a Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. Team TLOMA, ‘til we meet again next month!

This does not mean abandoning your process. You still align stakeholders, coordinate schedules, and complete your checks. But what the candidate sees is momentum, or the lack of it.

The clock is shorter than it looks. Across legal support roles in the first half of 2026, our average search ran 52 days from opening to start date. That span has to cover sourcing, several rounds of interviews, references, and a notice period of usually about two weeks. The window where the candidate is actually deciding between you and someone else is a small slice of it.

When you find a candidate you truly want, treat the first meeting as your read on their tempo. Then set the pace of everything after it to match. Speed it up for the candidate who is ready. Slow it down for the one who needs convincing.

This is the real skill. You are reading the tempo of the person across the table and setting the pace to match it, and you are doing it inside a window narrower than it looks. The firms that win their top choice are not the fastest or the most patient. They are the ones conducting the process instead of running it.

Ava Isaacson is the Director of Team Development at Sherrard Kuzz LLP, one of Canada’s leading employment and labour law firms, representing employers. Her responsibilities include recruiting, training, managing, supervising, coaching and motivating the support team firm wide.  Ava has been in the legal industry for more than 10 years, in both the public and private sectors, with a focus on employment and labour relations.

Ava has a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a specialization in creative writing and journalism from University of Windsor, and an Ontario College Graduate Certificate in human resources management from Seneca College. She is a licensed paralegal and has obtained her CHRP certification. 

Ava is honoured to be selected as a member of the Board of Directors and is looking forward to tackling the exciting new challenges ahead.