Life skills and career tips for Canada's lawyers in training
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50905
" I made partner because the firm was of the opinion that I was able to go out and get new clients. — Dina Raphaël, Lavery de Billy " "I made partner because the fi rm was of the opinion that I was able to go out and get new clients," she says. To be blunt, a lawyer with all the legal knowledge in the world isn't much use as a partner if peo- ple don't want to be around him or her. Know what you want Turning back to a point made by Chris- topher, "fi t" is an important consideration for law fi rms. He was referring to per- sonality confl icts, but this aspect is worth expanding upon. For lawyers to be suc- cessful, they must feel comfortable in their surroundings. Th at's why it's worthwhile to spend some time contemplating whether law fi rm partnership is right for you. Raphaël says far too many law students are infl uenced by others' goals, rather than carving their own path. "Th ey have to really listen to what they want, not whatever their friends are doing or whatever everyone is telling them," she says. "Aſt er you do your articling and do a few years as an associate, I think it be- comes clear if this is the right path for you or not. And if it's not, it's OK." To be sure, partnership is no longer the Holy Grail for many young lawyers. A 2008 Canadian Lawyer survey found a 50-50 split among over 300 respondents asked whether they hoped to become partners. Many law fi rms are taking note of this shiſt by off ering fl exible arrange- ments, such as non-equity partnership and long-term associate positions. "Becoming a partner doesn't make life any easier," says Jerri Cairns, managing partner of Alberta's Parlee McLaws LLP, whose fi rm off ers various fl exible work options. "Th ere's lots of rewards to it, but in law now I think partnership is no longer the be-all and end-all for lawyers. Th ere are lots of other paths or courses that people can take and do just fi ne." Parlee McLaws also has a number of counsel positions, held by lawyers who were hired laterally. Th e fi rm even has a couple of lawyers working on a part- time basis. Th e fi rm does not encour- age that arrangement, but it can make sense for both the lawyer and the fi rm at times, says Cairns. McInnes Cooper's Black says her fi rm has a number of lawyers who have cho- sen not to get into the partnership track. She says the fi rm has arrangements with diff erent targets if other commitments or lifestyle considerations prevent a lawyer from pursuing partnership. She chal- lenges the notion that partnership is a black or white proposition. "I think there's enough fl exibility, at least in my fi rm and in other fi rms I've had experience with ei- ther through colleagues or friends, that it's not a lifelong tattoo that you have to wear; either I want to be a partner or I don't. Life circumstances change, and I think the practice of law has progressed to the point where we can bend and roll with those cir- cumstances for every lawyer." It may also be wise for some lawyers to put a bid for partnership on hold in order to round out their legal skills, says Christo- pher. Spending a few years as a non-equity partner — typically a lawyer who doesn't vote or share in the fi rm's profi ts — can help lawyers build up their client lists and gain a few more years of seasoning with the help of a more prominent title. Take a methodical approach Raphaël agrees law students need not decide right away whether they want 18 F A L L 2010 C ANADIAN Lawy er 4STUDENTS to become partners. It was never her plan to become a partner, and she pre- fers to see young lawyers taking a more methodical approach. She ended up at Lavery because of her passion for litiga- tion, and it made sense to practise with a big fi rm and see if she enjoyed it. It was not until years into her career that she decided she wanted to stay for good and take on a bigger role within the fi rm. "You develop your business sense and you enjoy helping clients, and you real- ize you can become an adviser and make a diff erence for clients," she says. "Th at was a turning point for me. I said, 'You know what, I really enjoy private prac- tice. I enjoy helping the clients, and not just looking at the legal questions but looking at the business questions and the best way to go about a problem.'" But more than that, Raphaël says she developed a desire to ensure the fi rm continued to thrive in the years ahead, and wanted to play a more direct role in the decision-making function that would have an impact. "I wanted to bring my ideas to the table" in a way only partners can, she says. But perhaps more impor- tantly, she began to feel that the lawyers at the fi rm were her family, and wanted to protect their communal identity. Nevertheless, Raphaël says law stu- dents who know partnership will be in their future can get started in that direc- tion by showing enthusiasm as summer students. Th ey can do so by jumping at opportunities to complete tasks for partners, which oſt en open doors to new experiences students wouldn't oth- erwise benefi t from, such as attending court at a future date with that partner on the same fi le. "If you seize an op- portunity, at the end of the day there's usually something great, and you learn more," says Raphaël. "We see fast who wants to learn, who's craving to learn, who's open-minded, who wants to do it best to become a good lawyer, and who's just there for a summer job."