CMLA Member Spotlight - Fozia Chaudary

Watch the full interview:

Meet Fozia Chaudary

Fozia Chaudary is Tax Counsel with the Department of Justice Canada. She graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2004, completed her articles with the Department, and has remained with DOJ throughout her career. Her practice focuses on collections and recovery litigation, including bankruptcy and insolvency matters, CCAA proceedings, priority disputes, and other complex issues on behalf of the Crown.

Interviewed by Fareed Khan

Fareed is currently an NCA candidate. I come to the legal field in Canada with a background that includes completing my undergraduate studies in Pakistan and practicing law there for a year, followed by an LL.M. in Human Rights Law from the University of Liverpool, UK.

Interview:

In this edition of the CMLA Member Spotlight, we sit down with Fozia Chaudary to discuss her journey through the legal profession. From navigating law school to balancing articling with early motherhood, Fozia shares powerful insights on how faith, emotional intelligence and clear boundaries define a successful practice.

What is the single most valuable non-negotiable professional lesson or insight you learned later in your career that you wish you had known when starting out?

That is an excellent question. When I first started my legal career, I wanted to be perfect at everything. I essentially wanted to over-perform by being available at all hours, fulfilling every request as quickly as possible and trying to impress my clients and colleagues with my over-commitment. It took me years to realize that clarity is actually a form of compassion for others. I learned that it is much better to be realistic with your colleagues and clients. You do not need to promise your clients the world; you just need to tell them what is realistic because the law has limits. We are before human decision-makers who have their own biases and perspectives on life, so there is uncertainty in the law built into everything we do. Once I learned that being direct, honest and upfront actually builds more trust. It created much greater rapport with my clients and colleagues. It really changed the way I practice completely. I learned that setting boundaries does not make you less dedicated. It actually creates the perception that you are clear, dependable and credible. That is what makes you a phenomenal lawyer.

Describe one practice or routine (professional or personal )you rely on to maintain clarity and resilience in high-stakes legal work?

For me, it is my faith of Islam. Praying five times a day forces me to stop, to reflect and to breathe. It breaks up the intensity of my legal work and family life. The greatest reminder from our beautiful faith is that we are not in control of every outcome. I do not need to carry everything on my shoulders because Allah is with me and He is the one that will carry that for me. My faith is the most beautiful part of my life and has framed the entirety of it. It is the reason I built my family life early, why I care so deeply about balancing things and why I do not let the profession of law consume my entire identity. In a field of law where the stakes always feel enormous, remembering that the ultimate result is in Allah’s hands creates a great steadiness. It does not have to be faith for everyone. One should always try to have some sort of anchor in their legal profession whether it is faith, routine or family. That is something everyone should try to protect deeply because it allows you to show up fully without losing yourself.

Have you ever overcome a professional or educational challenge that truly tested your capabilities and pushed your limits?

One of the most defining challenges was when I had my first child while I was in law school. I was an articling student with a nine-month-old. It was not a glamorous challenge in any way nor was it organized; it was a very overwhelming challenge. There is no handbook on how to balance reading facts and writing pleadings while trying to get a baby to sleep. Having those two polarizing sides of my life was challenging but I feel it built a kind of resilience in me that I still rely on today. After you have handled that level of sleep deprivation and competing demands, you develop an internal calm. High-stakes work does not phase you the same way. You learn to prioritize, triage fast and adapt quickly.I would say to young lawyers that resilience is the key to success. It is often built in unglamorous moments where basically you just keep doing it because you have to. You have no other choice and that builds a beautiful resilience that serves you well later in life, not just in your legal profession but in the seasons of life.

When did you realize that the legal profession was not just a job, but the space where you could make your most meaningful professional and social impact?

That happened very early. When I started law school, overnight, being Muslim in a professional space became complicated because unfortunately there was fear, suspicion and misunderstandings.I remember thinking that if we do not have people who can speak for our community with skill and tact, who is going to do it? It was absolutely necessary to have advocates that speak for those misinterpretations. It made me realize that I had a responsibility now. It was not just a career choice. It showed me the importance of being an advocate for your community and using the law to correct narratives that can harm communities because they are incorrect. From that moment, you realize that your work becomes meaningful when it is serving something larger than yourself. You are not just serving yourself; you are serving a community and a faith group that has been misunderstood and stigmatized improperly.

Describe one moment or specific memory that affirmed your choice of profession and solidified your commitment to this demanding field?

I had an "aha" moment in constitutional law in first year, where we were discussing equality rights. A lot of the examples people talked about in abstract were not abstract to me because they reflected things I had seen in the Muslim community.I quietly realized that having the background as a Muslim, a minority and a Pakistani was not a barrier in this profession. It was actually a strength because it gave that perspective that really was missing from the room. They were speaking in theory, but I was speaking in lived experience. That is when I felt like I belonged. The law needs people with that lived experience, not just people speaking of things in theory.

What is the single most critical yet undervalued soft skill a young lawyer needs to master today?

Hands down, it is emotional intelligence. We focus so much on technical skills, but the real work of law is dealing with people every single day (stressed clients, frustrated counsel and overwhelmed decision-makers). Emotional intelligence is knowing when to give space and when to really drill in. It helps you deal with someone when they are being defensive or afraid, because often the actual problem is beneath the legal issue. If you misread the person, you misread the whole file. Emotional intelligence is where you can make knowledge influenc,e and getting through to people is really the whole crux of law.

What specific and actionable advice would you give to a young law student or NCA candidate who wants to build their legal career?

I will give three pieces of advice.

First, protect your writing.  Your writing is the first thing a judge or opposing counsel sees. With the rise of AI, people rely on technology so much that they do not look at their writing to see what they are trying to say. AI is amazing for synthesizing things but some people use it without taking the time to pause and reflect on what they are properly trying to say. Be very particular with your writing and take advocacy courses to build on your skills.

Second, build real relationships. Your reputation follows you everywhere. You do not know when you are going to need someone or when they are going to need you, so bring your excellent best self to every communication. The legal community is small, and your reputation is all you have, so guard it with your life.

Third, stay curious but keep your judgment sharp. This connects to AI. Technology can support yo,u but it cannot do your thinking for you. With one of my first introductions to AI, I wanted to experiment, and I used ChatGPT to see what it would do with my written pleadings. It created this beautifully written case law that supported my position perfectly.  I was more than impressed, until I went on to Westlaw to pick up the cases, and none of them existed! Had I not done my own investigations, I would have submitted three cases that absolutely did not exist, and I would have brought the administration of justice into disrepute. Needless to say, if you are going to use AI or other rapidly evolving technologies, it is absolutely imperative that you comb through each sentence using your own keen judgement.  All to say, use resources, but trust your judgment above all else.