CL Talk

How associates really succeed: a candid conversation with Paul Karvanis

May 05, 2026

In this episode of the Canadian Lawyer podcast, managing editor Tim Wilbur sits down with Paul Karvanis, former Stikeman Elliott and in-house counsel turned coach, speaker and author of The Successful Associate: From New Lawyer to Making Partner. Drawing on interviews with nearly 50 managing partners, talent leaders and senior lawyers, Karvanis lays out a “hierarchy” of associate success – from delivering quality work reliably, to mastering soft skills, to taking the right level of ownership on files. He explains how the “expectation effect” shapes an associate’s reputation within the firm, why lawyers’ tendency to be hard on themselves can turn useful feedback into a burden, and what both firms and juniors need to change if they want feedback to actually drive improvement. Along the way, he tackles the uncomfortable truth that partnership decisions are driven by firm economics and client mix, and why relentless improvement matters more than early brilliance.