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 A P R I L 2 0 1 7 37 least some law grads are going to bypass traditional practice entirely." Wagner points out that bringing on a new grad is difficult for smaller firms. "The combination of the cost of having an articled clerk and the desire for law graduates to seek the big-firm jobs has hurt the profession and the opportuni- ties for articled clerks to find jobs after their admission to the bar." Boutiques are required to place their clerks with other firms, he notes, and arrangements are difficult to make unless you are willing to pay their sala- ries while on loan. Major changes are also afoot for the profession as a whole. The Nova Scotia Barristers' Society is creating a new model that will focus on regulating entities. Entire law firms as well as other legal groups or parts of organizations such as a department of justice or a workers' compensation appeals tribunal will be licensed. As part of the shift envisioned by the NSBS, this new form of regulation will promote mitigating risk instead of slapping wrists. The emphasis will be on compliance in the broadest sense, not in detailed reporting and docu- mentation. Guided by 10 principles, which emanate from the society's code of conduct, large firms, departments, boutiques and other legal entities will be required to demonstrate adherence to the spirit rather than the specifics of society rules. In addition to breaking new ground with respect to legal regulation, Halifax is also a national leader in diversity. "That's really important," says Saturley. "We're never going to change and evolve if everybody has the same background." Stewart McKelvey, she notes, "is almost all run by women and one- third of the partnership board is female. We've made huge strides." One of those huge strides was historic. Two years ago, Lydia Bugden became the firm's chief executive officer, one of the first female leaders of a major law firm in Canada. What has remained unchanged for lawyers in Halifax is the East Coast way of life. It is more relaxed, less stressful and often more flexible. Compton, for example, lives in Lunenburg, her home town about 100 kilometres from Hali- fax. She works out of her South Shore home two days a week and commutes to Halifax for the remainder. "We have a more laid-back approach to life." It is an attractive aspect for many lawyers, including Raza. "The emphasis in the legal community here is on a balanced lifestyle," he says. "Privacy is respected. People are very sensitive here to other people's personal lives." Even working in Halifax may look different from working elsewhere as a lawyer. As Saturley spoke with Cana- dian Lawyer, she noted that outside her office window in the city's downtown, a navy ship was making its way slowly up the mouth of the harbour. It is a com- mon sight. The daily grind also takes on a whole new meaning in a smaller city. Raza lives in Bedford, part of the Halifax Regional Municipality, and about a 25-minute drive from his downtown office. In rush hour. "I used to live 1,000 metres away from the office in Karachi and it still took me 25 minutes to drive to work," he says. "I couldn't walk there. I would be mugged three times." In Halifax, it's the seagulls you have to watch out for. Halifax city report Sources: Nova Scotia Barristers' Society *note HRM refers to the entire Halifax District, as outlined by the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, and Halifax/Dartmouth refers to Halifax city 80 Number of law firms in HRM (not including sole practitioners) Halifax * by the numbers 1,366 66 6.1% 42.1% 64.2% 86.4% 92.9% 35.8% Number of Law Society members in HRM Number of law firms in Halifax/Dartmouth (not including sole practitioners) Percentage of firms with 50 or more lawyers (4 out of 66 in Halifax/Dartmouth) Percentage of lawyers in active practice in Halifax/ Dartmouth who are female (534 out of 1,269) Percentage of male lawyers in private practice in HRM (525 out of 818) Percentage of firms in Halifax with 10 or fewer lawyers (57 out of 66 in Halifax/Dartmouth) Percentage of members in HRM who practise within Halifax/Dartmouth (1,269 out of 1,366) Percentage of female lawyers in private practice in HRM (293 out of 818, which includes sole prac- titioners or in firms; not government/legal aid/ in-house corporate, etc.)

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