24 N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 w w w . c a n a d i a n l a w y e r m a g . c o m
ance. Setting up a system to avoid conflicts
right at the start is also vital, says Ray Leclair,
vice president of public affairs for Ontario
legal insurer LawPro. And, in a smaller com-
munity, there is a greater chance of run-
ning into conflicts, particularly in one-lawyer
towns, says Ian Hu, LawPro's counsel, claims
prevention and PracticePRO.
"As a rural lawyer, you have to set yourself
to be ready for that and get your network in
place and be comfortable in what areas of
law you will be practising because one of the
areas that LawPro cautions lawyers is not to
dabble — taking claims or files you have very
little knowledge of, unless you are prepared
to do the work that's required and that means
educating yourself on that issue, making sure
you're up to date, maybe having a referral
person to do that," says Leclair.
There are also opportunities to prevent
lawyers in small communities from becom-
ing isolated, such as law associations and
Canadian Bar Association sections. They can
help in networking, mentoring and may offer
referral opportunities.
Mentors have become an important aspect
of the profession, replacing the old unspo-
ken congenial approach among lawyers. "It
is more and more important to have those
resources available, to have somebody you
can bounce things off of," says Leclair. "Then
you're not so much on your own."
Myron Plett started his legal career in
Victoria, but just a year-and-a-half in, the
economy took a downturn. The firm where
he was working connected him to a lawyer
in Ucluelet, on Vancouver Island's west coast,
40 kilometres south of Tofino, the tiny com-
munity that's become a summer paradise
popular among visitors. He happened to be
engaged in a book about Ucluelet at the time
and his thoughts had increasingly turned to
life in a small community, like the one where
he was raised in Manitoba.
So, he spoke to the lawyer, who was ill and
winding up his practice after not being able
to find anyone to take it over. And, with his
partner, Plett made the trip north and west
and subsequently met with the lawyer several
times before making him an offer to purchase
the assets as well as his time to help get him
settled. He also hired the staff.
Where to go
Factors in deciding where
to locate your practice
- If there's an adequate
market for your services;
- The impact other legal
services in the area
might have on your
practice and the ability
to grow;
- The population,
demographics and
future growth of the
community;
- Available demographic
and market statistics by
province or metropolitan
area.
From The Law Society of Ontario
https://lso.ca/lawyers/practice-
supports-and-resources/topics/
opening,-operating-or-closing-a-
practice/opening-your-practice
Further resources are
also available through
PracticePRO.ca
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