Canadian Lawyer

24 N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m Those and other efforts in Alberta continue, with the CBA, the law society, law schools, and those in the small com- munities all addressing the problem. "I think we're either in a state of crisis or a state of impending crisis," says Ola Malik, co-chairman of the CBA-Alberta's access to justice committee, and one of the members spearheading a publica- tion focusing on small communities. "On a cultural level, can we change the conversation?" Attracting a new lawyer to a small community takes work and planning and securing and maintaining an articling student may not necessarily translate into a successful recruitment. As a result, when it comes time for retirement, a law- yer may well shut the door and the law office disappears, leaving the community with one less law office and sometimes no access to lawyers or legal advice. Malik's goal is to make rural practices a viable option for law students. He dis- misses the assumption there's less to be made in smaller communities. In fact, he says, the opposite might well be true. And the challenges are there because running a general practice means you have to be sharp and knowledgeable on a wide spectrum of issues. "But here's the incentive . . . it means you become a pillar of the community. It allows you to really become integrated in the community and you become woven into the community fabric," he says. In Nova Scotia, the pending retire- ment of several lawyers in Lunenburg led to a conference that helped attract 15 law school students to meet with lawyers. That led the profession to examine ways to fill similar voids in rural areas. Nationally, many eyes are on British Columbia's Rural Education and Access to Lawyers Initiative (REAL) launched in 2009 by the CBA-B.C. to address the current and projected shortage of law- yers practising in small communities and rural areas. B.C.'s numbers are similar to Alberta's. Of the 10,760 lawyers practising in B.C. in 2012, the average age was 50 and about 86 per cent were based in the urban areas of Victoria, Vancouver, and New Westminister. During its first five years, the program provided summer opportunities for 79 students in the province. It has also been credited with changing how rural prac- tices are perceived in law schools and successfully shifting the demographics of lawyers practising in small communi- ties. The REAL program has averaged a 50-per-cent return rate year over year, meaning between 2009 and 2013 about 40 students remained in the communities in which they were placed through the initiative. This year another 11 students have been placed in rural or small com- munities. Ontario, too, has identified a dearth of rural lawyers and the aging of the profes- sion as a concern. "Currently 43 per cent of lawyers in Ontario are over 50 years of age. That percentage is often higher in rural areas of the province. This 'grey- ing of the bar' is concerning to the Law Society of Upper Canada, particularly in regard to access to justice for the residents of rural and remote areas of the province," says LSUC Treasurer Janet Minor. Efforts during the past decade to try law offiCE ManagEMEnt Learn the nuts and bolts of setting up and running your own practice in Going It Alone: A Start-Up Guide for the Sole Practitioner, Second Edition. This well-organized, step-by-step book has been updated and substantially revised and contains must-know information for opening your own solo practice. The Second Edition • Walks you through every step towards your goal of being a sole practitioner • Shares helpful tips and strategies in a concise, informal, easy-to- read tone • Provides short checklists of materials or resources needed to efficiently set up and run your firm • Discusses how to maintain your mental health, not just your professional standards New Edition Going It Alone: A Start-Up Guide for the Sole Practitioner, Second Edition Wendy E. Oughtred The step-by-step guide to opening your own law practice Order # 804722-65203 $75 Softcover approx. 170 pages September 2014 978-0-88804-722-9 Shipping and handling are extra. Price subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. 00222RY-A45595 Available risk-free for 30 days Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800

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