Life skills and career tips for Canada's lawyers in training
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/79554
Practising in Edmonton PETER INGLIS, Bennett Jones LLP + PROS: • Incredible sporting and cultural traditions and re- sources, including highest area of parkland per capita of any Canadian city. River Valley "Ribbon of Green" is the largest stretch of connected urban parkland in North America (22 times the size of NYC's Central Park!). • With just under 40 lawyers, our Edmonton offi ce off ers the best of both worlds. As a smaller offi ce, it provides you with the entrepreneurial and creative experience of a boutique while still providing access to the work and resources of a major national fi rm. You will have the opportunity to work with startups of pretty much every centres. Practising in Edmonton MAGDALENE BACZYNSKI, Duncan & Craig LLP + PROS: • Close-knit, collegial bar. • Exposure to a wide variety of practice areas. • Billable hour targets and expected work hours are likely less than other major cities such as Calgary or Toronto. • Strong Alberta economy means there is always work to go around, especially in the oil and gas sector. • Vibrant community with lots of festivals to enjoy year-round. - CONS: • Public transportation is improving, but unless you live near the downtown core, owning a vehicle is essential to get around the sprawling cityscape. • Th e long, cold winters can be hard to handle. • Income is lower than our neighbour to the south (Calgary). • Limited opportunities to practise in some commercial areas such as M&A or securities compared to Calgary or Toronto. C ANADIAN Lawyer 4STUDENTS FALL 2012 33 • Alberta's economy — and that of Edmonton and north- ern Alberta in particular — is a dynamic powerhouse and hotbed of national and international growth. • Very integrated with other major national and international variety all the way up to national and international businesses and institutions doing business and moving capital in and out of Alberta. • Upper end of compensation scale and yet housing will be comparatively aff ordable compared to Vancou- ver, Toronto, or Calgary. - CONS: • Since it's a Canadian city you can't avoid talking weather. Th e stereotype is cold winters but the reality is that it generally won't get as cold as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or Quebec; it generally won't snow as much as it does in Quebec, Ontario, or the Maritimes; and it is always one of the sunniest cities in Canada. Pair the extra-long summer days with a very high concentration of golf courses and it can be hard to beat for a certain type of lawyer! • It is taking longer than Oilers fans would like to win Stanley Cup No. 6. * *