Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
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advancement within at least the next five years, but ideally more. "You're showing that you can bring them in along the type of work that they can do and how eventually, they'll become a senior lawyer and take on a management position within the legal department or another management position within the corporation," says Shorten. "So from a succession planning point of view, it's very useful for the law department or the corporation if [young lawyers] have other skills." Jerome Shore, managing partner of The Coaching Clinic law firm consul- tancy in Toronto, agrees younger pros- pects need assurance that through either articling placements or taking a position in-house, they'll be able to garner the same exposure — if not more — to clients and legal experiences as coun- terparts articling or working at private law firms. Ideally, says Shore, companies can score top candidates through sharing projections based a solid, long-term busi- ness plan through which applicants can envision their role and ascension oppor- tunities for the future. But he agrees that for many companies looking to bolster their legal team, that's not always easy to offer. "For people who are going to play on the team at the appropriate level, say for five, 10, or 15 years into the future, you do want to have an appropriate mix," he says. "If I was a student sitting across the table from a recruiter who talked like the organization had thought about how things were going to unfold over 30 years, I would say to myself, 'This looks like an organization that is buckling down, thinks about things in the future.' Companies should have a really good idea of what they are going to be doing inside, what they're going to be doing outside, and what's in the middle," says Shore in terms of anticipating the use of in-house counsel versus contracting work to law firms, which many compa- nies do. From the company's perspective, "You're not committing to anything, you're just saying, 'We want to have a mix of people who want to deliver now and want to grow and deliver together,'" he says, adding young lawyers today "are very considerate about who they will be working for" in terms of quality corpo- rate leadership. At the same time, younger lawyers are indeed seeking a reasonable work- life balance, along with some means of mentoring within their respective organization that will foster their career growth as opposed to fully tapping their talent. "Mentoring is very impor- tant now for young lawyers," acknowl- edges Shore. Ultimately, he says, a work-life bal- ance is also essential for any newly qual- ified lawyers. "The under-30 group is seeing that baby boomers have worked extremely hard in the 1980s, with not so much reward," he says. "They really don't want to burn themselves out the way their elders have burnt themselves out." IH Canadian Employment Law Cited by the Supreme Court of Canada Canadian Bar Review More than 5,600 cases cited! Also available on CD-ROM or the Internet! ORDER your copy today Looseleaf & binders (2) • $310 Releases invoiced separately (3-4/yr) P/C 0439030000 Vol. 1 ISBN 0-88804-218-3 Vol. 2 ISBN 0-88804-362-7 CD-ROM or Internet version available separately Prices start at $442 Canadian Employment Law is a one-stop reference that provides a thorough survey of the law and analysis of developing trends, suggesting potential avenues of attack as well as identifying potential weaknesses in the law. It has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada, in superior courts in every province in Canada and is used in law schools throughout Canada. With methodically organized chapters covering the complete range of employment law, Canadian Employment Law provides the kind of detailed examination of the facts you can count on. The subject-matter is wide-ranging and addresses issues such as: wrongful dismissal, fiduciary obligations, tort law and vicarious liability issues, remedies, constitutional issues, occupational health and safety, employment contracts, duty of good faith and fidelity and human rights. For a 30-day, no-risk evaluation call: 1.800.565.6967 CL0310 BALL_Canadian Employment Law (CL 1-2h).indd 1 Canada Law Book is a Division of The Cartwright Group Ltd. Prices subject to change without notice, to applicable taxes and shipping & handling. INHOUSE APRIL 2010 • 3/2/10 1:39:40 PM 41 Stacey Reginald Ball comprehensive The accurate." most " and text on employment law in Canada. It is carefully constructed