Life skills and career tips for Canada's lawyers in training
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50903
The editor's desk Know your options W hether consciously or not, from the moment you start law school, getting a job — summer jobs, articling, associate positions — bor- ders on an obsession. Everyone worries about it, even top students like Michael Rosenberg who is profi led in this issue and will be clerking for Su- preme Court of Canada Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. Th e wretched state of the economy doesn't help either. But, wait, Canadian Lawyer 4Students is here to help. Reporter Robert Todd set his sights on recruiters from law fi rms around the country to get their tips and tricks for getting noticed and doing well in your interviews. Th ere's gold in that there story, so mine it for all it's worth. Th ere aren't too many other places you'll have a gathering of law fi rm hiring glitterati letting you in on what they want to see and hear in a job interview. Turn to page 21 for the article but here are a few of the gems included therein: My favourite, and it may seem mighty obvious but you'd be surprised how pow- erful it is, is to make sure you have a good handshake. A limp one, one proff ered without enthusiasm or with too much enthusiasm, a damp one . . . anything other than a solid and well-meaning shake is likely to set a bad tone for the interview. It's the fi rst impression, so get it right. Taking time to prepare in advance should also go without saying but again, many people show up to interviews without doing any pre-meeting research. Know the fi rm, have an idea of what more you want to fi nd out about said fi rm, and have some basic information about who will be interviewing you. And as one of the recruiters quoted in the article says, don't waste valuable face-to-face time asking questions that can be obtained from the fi rm's web site or that are simply inappropriate. Most importantly, know yourself and what you want to do or would enjoy do- ing in the practice of law. Our cover story looks at lawyers who opted out of private practice and are following a career in public service. Becoming a Crown has much more scope than simply prosecuting criminal cases. Th ere are jobs at all levels of government, and at each a variety of options from policy and planning to enforce- ment to civil law and of course criminal/prosecution work. Many positions are also more in-house counsel type positions than anything else. And according to reports we've been hearing, governments are hiring in their usual numbers. Th e same isn't necessarily true of private practice fi rms. Canadian fi rms, who unlike their U.S. counterparts are not making frequent announcements about cutting hire backs or deferring start dates, are still going about their recruiting business albeit with caution. And if you're not interested in a big-city living, there are also lots of other options. Th e Canadian Bar Association British Columbia branch has just set up a rural practice initiative, for example. While the worry about jobs is inevitable, know that there are options out there that may not be the usual path taken but can still be interesting and fulfi lling. Just think outside the box. 4STUDENTS Group Publisher: Karen Lorimer Editorial Director: Gail J. Cohen Copy Editor: Heather Gardiner Creative Director: Einar Rice Art Director: Katie Fitzsimmons Account Co-ordinator: Catherine Giles Canadian Lawyer 4Students is published twice a year by Canadian Lawyer Magazine Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. Information presented is compiled from sources believed to be accurate, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Canadian Lawyer 4Students disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication. Registration #2261235 Publications Mail Agreement #40766500 ISSN 0703-2129 Copyright © 2009 G.S.T. Registration #R121349799 Advertising Sales Representatives Legal Suppliers: Kimberlee Pascoe Tel: (905) 713-4342 E-mail: kpascoe@clbmedia.ca Law Firms: Karen Lorimer Tel: (905) 713-4339 E-mail: klorimer@clbmedia.ca Kathy Liotta Tel: (905) 713-4340 E-mail: kliotta@clbmedia.ca Sales Co-ordinator: Sandy Shutt Tel: (905) 713-4337 E-mail: sshutt@clbmedia.ca Canadian Lawyer Magazine Inc. President: Stuart J. Morrison 240 Edward St., Aurora, ON L4G 3S9 Tel: (905) 841-6480 Fax: (905) 727-0017 E-mail: cleditor@clbmedia.ca Web: www.canadianlawyermag.com/4students 4 SEPTEMBER 2009 C ANADIAN Lawy er 4STUDENTS