New McLeish Orlando associate Jamie Davison blends law and policy to fight for the injured
This article was produced in partnership with McLeish Orlando LLP.
Though her interest was initially piqued in her Grade 11 Intro to Canadian Law class, it was Netflix’s documentary 13th that sold Jamie Davison on a legal career.
A powerful commentary on the prison industrial complex in the US and how that system takes advantage of vulnerable groups, Davison decided she was going to find a career that allowed her to “punch up” and support people in need.
“Advocating for someone who needs protection against a larger system struck a chord with me,” she says. “I chose to pursue a dual degree — my JD as well as a Masters of Public Administration — because I knew I wanted to help people, but was law the tool or should I take a policy approach?”
It was hearing McLeish Orlando LLP’s William Harding and Brandon Pedersen, partner and associate at the firm respectively, speak at a career fair that showed Davison there was a way to check both boxes at once. The duo clearly had a passion for helping injured parties take on insurance companies, while also striving to change the system before people can get hurt in the first place. For example, McLeish Orlando is a well-known champion of cycling legislation that creates more bike lanes, helping to safeguard cyclists on the road. This is a fight Davison sees as more important than ever as the province seeks to undo years of progress towards safer roads for cyclists.
“Listening to them was powerful and made me realize there was a convergence of law and policy at the firm,” Davison, now McLeish Orlando’s newest associate, recalls. She went after a spot on the team full throttle, landing a summer student position in 2022, returning for articling in 2023, and coming aboard as an associate in 2024.
“I showed up on the first day and the passion for topics, cases, and clients was contagious — I haven’t looked back.”
One thing that stands out to Davison is the support that’s so freely given by senior lawyers. True for everyone at the office, “the open-door policy is legit,” she says. Her formal mentor for articling was partner Joseph Cescon, who she says set the tone for her experience. No question was too big or too small: Cescon would stop everything, sit down with Davison, and work through things with her.
Far from assigning mundane work that doesn’t see the light of a courtroom, Davison also appreciates the firm’s willingness to give juniors responsibility. This approach set McLeish Orlando apart from the beginning as it was a marked divergence from her peers’ experiences at different firms.
For example, late last year she served as second chair of a medical malpractice trial with Patrick Brown, principal partner of the firm. While it was intimidating for her as a first year, she recognized it as a rare opportunity for a junior — and critically, at no point did she feel alone. On top of Brown’s support, she had another partner, Nick Todorovic, communicating with her throughout each day of the trial to share the knowledge he’d gleaned from years of working shoulder-to-shoulder with Brown.
McLeish Orlando’s lawyers aren’t afraid to express genuine emotion — a person who has suffered a loss doesn’t want to sit down with someone with a stone face; empathy builds connection and establishes trust — and they always feel the weight of the matter they’re entrusted with.
“We practice a very human-based approach that extends to each other as well,” Davison notes. “If you’re struggling with a file because it’s incredibly complex legally or incredibly heavy emotionally, we don’t suffer in silence here. That’s huge.”
As Davison finds her footing, she’s been drawn to the “legal gymnastics” involved in accident benefit dispute resolution cases before the LAT. The process requires written advocacy, with arguments distilled into a few pages. It’s challenging to work within those limits not knowing what specific questions the adjudicator may have and striving to address every possibility, but Davison recently experienced some positive reinforcement.
Her written hearing submissions regarding the classification of a client’s injury as an “accident” eligible for accident benefits coverage was successful, granting the client access to what will give her the best chance of recovery. Davison found the high stakes a powerful motivator.
“You have one shot to craft a persuasive argument and it calls for creative, focused advocacy,” Davison explains. “Calling the client to break the news was indescribable. We can’t turn back time, we’re not physicians who can heal them physically, but obtaining just compensation for injured people is something we can do to help them move forward with their lives.”
As Davison moves forward in her career, the first order of business is to deepen her roots at McLeish Orlando. She plans to continue learning as much as she can from the team. Long-term, Davison’s ambition is to embrace the fact this is, at its heart, a teaching profession. She aims to embody the mentorship she’s received at McLeish Orlando and pay it forward.
“As I gain experience with MO, I want to pass the torch,” she explains. “And be there to reassure the next generation of lawyers in our firm that there’s a lot to learn and nothing to fear.”
