b'CAREER PROFILEA scientific approachto lawJohn Buhlmans earlyengineering studies laythe groundwork for asuccessful legal careerin environmental workQ:What is your position and what are your responsibilities?I am a partner with the law firm WeirFoulds LLP. I have been at WeirFoulds for 40 years, firstasanarticlingstudent,thenasan associate lawyer, and lastly as a partner for the last 33 years. I am a litigation partner and focus on environmental work which includes representing aggregate producers in licence applications and other matters. WeirFoulds has been acting for aggregate producers for at least as long as I have beenThe positive challenge is keeping up withphone. That is what I call the everyday life at the firm. I am also on the OSSGA Boardtheverybrightpeopleintheindustry,of a lawyer. Most hearings and trials settle, of Directors, and was the first lawyer toparticularly experts hired to complete allbut those that do not change the typical serve on the board. of the studies necessary to obtain a licence.day on the job. When on a hearing or trial, Q:What is it about your job that otherInordertoproperlyrepresentclientsII will be at the tribunal or in court most of need to understand the science, which isthe day which typically runs from 9:30 or people wish they got to do? challenging but interesting and keeps me10:00 a.m. to about 4:00 or 4:30 p.m. That The answer to this question is perhaps noton my toes. The not so positive challengemay seem a short day, but it is very intense as exciting as driving big trucks or settingis dealing with opposition to applicationsmentally, and draining physically. Evenings off explosions! I think other people wishwhich is based not on science but on mythsare spent preparing for the next day so most they got to deal with the interesting peopleandmisconceptionsand,insomecases,days end up being 10-hour days, sometimes I deal with in the industry. People in thejunk science. longer. The work I do contributes to the industrylovetheindustry,arefriendly,success of my clients by solving the prob-interesting and great to work with. I cantQ:Describe your typical day on the joblemstheyface,whetheritisgettingan saythistootherlawyers,butIwouldand how the work you do contributes toapproval or solving some other issue.much rather spend time with people in theyour company. industry than other lawyers! My typical day is sitting at my desk in myQ:Howdidyougetinterestedinthis office preparing and moving files along. Ifield of work?Q:What do you find most challenging inam often reading expert reports, preparingIgotinterestedinthisfieldthrougha your work? forhearingsorcourtproceedings,referral by a consultant I had worked with There are two types of challenges in mypreparing documents, attending meetings work, one positive and one not so much.with other lawyers and clients and on theCONTINUED ON PAGE 25WINTER 2020AVENUES 23'