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REGIONAL WRAP UP M Manitoba articling salaries on the rise anitoba law firms are digging deeper into their pockets to fend off competitors in Calgary and Toronto in the ongoing battle to attract young legal talent. Dave Hill, managing partner of Hill Dewar Vincent in Winnipeg, says gradu- ates of the University of Manitoba law school are being wined and dined by law firms from the country's two hottest markets — and that's pushing up the salaries of articling students. "We have to be more competitive with the salaries in those cities. We've always been among the highest-paying firms in Winnipeg but we're still woefully lower than what firms in Calgary and Toronto are paying [their articling students]," he says. Hill says the going rate was between $30,000 and $35,000 last year, but now he thinks Winnipeg firms will have to pay $45,000 to $50,000 in order to at- tract the best and brightest. Hill says national and large regional New Titles 2/8/08 9:23 AM Page 1 firms regularly recruit in Winnipeg and take some of the best students out for a night on the town in an effort to convince them to pull up stakes. "It made me real- ize that Winnipeg has to look beyond its nose and be competitive with the other possibilities those kids have. When deal- ing with someone whose choices are Winnipeg and Toronto, you can no longer offer them $36,000 and say, 'That's a good salary for Winnipeg.' You have to govern yourself by national standards," he says. He says local firms don't have to match the $70,000 that firms in Calgary and Toronto are paying their articling students, because they can discount the cost of living difference in Winnipeg. "If you don't pay [a higher salary], you're losing good people — even people who grew up in Manitoba and would want to work in Winnipeg," he says. Don't get Hill wrong; he isn't com- plaining about the higher salaries. In fact, he says it's a posi- tive. "[Articling students] deserve to be paid more than legal sup- port staff. They all have student loans that have to be repaid," he says. The corollary to the higher salaries for articling students is firms' having to raise the compensation of their associ- ates to keep the salary structure in order, Hill says. Government Liability: Law and Practice Karen Horsman and Gareth Morley This is the first practitioner-oriented guide that deals with the civil liability of the federal and provincial governments in Canada. It addresses major areas of law including: tort, contract, fiduciary duties, restitution and procedure as well as explaining how the Crown differs from private entities. Good Faith in Canadian Insurance Law Roderick S.W. Winsor This book covers such issues as to what extent there is an implied obligation of good faith in contract law, the issues raised by such an obligation, a critical analysis and summary of existing law and much more. The Law of Government Ethics: Federal, Ontario and British Columbia Gregory J. Levine This resource will help you understand the core principles and practices of government ethics law in the following areas of concern: conflict of interest, lobbying, access to information, privacy protection and administrative fairness. North American Relocation Law Benjamin A. Kranc This publication is a practical how-to manual for simplifying the process of bringing workers and business people to Canada or the United States. Gain a better understanding of the immigration, tax, customs, employment and other related matters, on both sides of the border. www.canadalawbook.ca 8 M ARCH 2008 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com