To specialize
OR NOT
to specialize?
F
Should law students
hone in on a particular
area or is it better to have a
more general understanding
of the law? Lawyers and
law firm recruiters weigh
in on the debate.
BY CHARLOTTE SANTRY
or many young lawyers starting
out in the profession today, "it's
not so much about finding a job
of your dreams, but finding a
job," admits legal recruiter Warren Bongard, president of ZSA
Recruitment. But can specializing early on
help students land a coveted role that reflects their passions, and mould them into
more competent lawyers?
As universities offer more specialized
law degrees and many boutique firms
flourish, students may be tempted to narrow their focus in order to gain a head start
in their preferred area of practice. This
could be a risky strategy, warns Sean Stevens, a partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP and co-chairman of the firm's
C A N A D I A N Law yer 4 students
fall 2013
7
