Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 13 \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ W E S T REGIONAL WRAP-UP Y es, you can go home again. That's the message from young British Columbia lawyers, eager to start families and have a quality of life that reflects their cherished childhood memories, as they return to their home- town communities. And, it's proving not just a sweet deal for young lawyers who can lean on the support of friends and family in town but also for firms as the candidate lawyer walks in with immediate community connections and knowledge. The Prince George firm Heather Sadler Jenkins has been a destination for young Prince George lawyers flocking home, although the firm's hiring isn't limited to just locals. "It was an easy call to go back to Prince George," says Kristopher Hender- son, an associate with HSJ who was raised in the town. "Before entering law school, I was married and my wife and I had talked about what kind of lifestyle we wanted and where we should live. Having family in Prince George was a big consideration. We also wanted our kids to have a similar lifestyle to what we had had — a normal middle-class upbringing — and living in a house with a front and back yard and play- ing with the kids down the street." None of the lawyers who returned home rather than heading for Vancouver, Calgary, or Toronto, has regretted the deci- sion to join the full-service law firm with 18 lawyers. "The opportunities have been far greater than if I had gone to work with a firm in a larger centre," Henderson says, adding the firm gives him a broad experi- ence. "Whatever I want to do and I can gain experience in family law, criminal law, wills and estates, and other areas of law. I also have the opportunity to handle some complicated files. That would not hap- pen so soon in my career in a law firm in downtown Vancouver." Northern institutions are also playing a role in keeping professionals close by. Prince George is home to the University of Northern British Columbia, where Hen- derson graduated with a bachelor of arts in 2009 and then headed to Kamloops where he became part of Thompson Rivers Uni- versity's first graduating law class in 2014. "I want to be successful as a lawyer, but I don't want to sacrifice my marriage and my kids." Right now, Henderson believes he's found the ideal, homegrown solution that provides the best of all worlds. Almost three decades ago, HSJ's man- aging partner, Lorne Dunne, returned to Prince George. "I saw great opportunity here," says Dunne, who worked for BC Rail as a student in the area along with another HSJ partner, Darren Lindsay. "It was a wonderful opportunity to build a business and to do well in a practice," he says. It still is as pipeline projects, energy, and other natural resource development are happening in the northern region. Dunne has also been instrumental in the firm's policy for bringing in new students; it has a comprehensive summer student program, encourages students to return to article, and then to join as associate members. The firm also has an open partnership policy that provides opportunity for young associates. Can- didates are hired based on qualifications rather than being homegrown, but when the right candidate has both, it's a win- win situation. Kamloops is another mid-size town that is seeing young lawyers returning home. After six years on the road partici- pating in competitive wheelchair basketball culminating with the 2012 Paralympics in London, Canadian track star and lawyer Jessica Vliegenthart, who graduated from the University of Victoria's law school in 2011, decided it was time to head home to Kamloops. "My husband and I were both mobile and we looked around at places and the cost of living and decided it made sense," she says. Her husband Jon is from nearby Quesnel. "It was also a good fit with the lifestyle we wanted," says Vliegenthart, who is expecting the couple's first child and is now a personal injury lawyer with Fulton & Co. LLP. "Why would we want to work super hard to own a house that is a 30- to 40-minute commute from the office when we could own a home that is only 10 minutes from downtown and at a price that is 60 per cent what you would pay in a larger centre? And, we could work bet- ter hours. Once you do the math, it's like a light bulb going off," she says. "It is great to come back after you have left at age 18 and now you are 29. It is a really nice feeling to be part of the community as a lawyer. You understand what is important to the community and why people chose to live in it." When a client comes in there is often a commonality in terms of background, friends, or the nearby small community where the person lives. "You can relate on their level and that makes them feel more comfortable," she said. Devin Buchanan was born and raised in Kamloops. His decision to return and practise with Fulton boiled down to qual- ity of life. "By that, I mean the type of lifestyle that I wanted to lead. I understand the community, having grown up here. I appreciate the activities that are accessible here to me and my family and quality of life also means the type of property I can afford and type of home I can live in." He earned his B.A. in 2005 at UVic and worked in construction before returning to get his law degree in 2013. "I think there is a stereotype out there that if you want to flourish you have to be in a large centre where the legal work is of a higher calibre. That's really a false stereotype because you practice the same laws — whether it is criminal, business, or defending an indi- vidual's rights — in a smaller town. There is still the ability to enjoy a challenging and rewarding career," says Buchanan. — JEAN SORENSEN jean_sorensen@telus.net BRENDEN VAN STOLK Mr PG, the unofficial mascot of Prince George. The advantages of 'going home' to practise

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