Junior associates on what it's like to launch their careers at very different firms
DANIEL WEBER
Second-Year Associate
Employment, Insurance Litigation
Parlee McLaws LLP
What ultimately attracted me to Parlee McLaws was the size of the firm. We have 50 lawyers in Edmonton and 29 in Calgary, not counting students. Being a regional law firm, our resources and support-staff levels are similar to those of national firms. However, for me, there is a comfort factor associated with being in an environment where everybody knows each other.
My typical day, if there is such a thing, starts at 7:30 am. I work until noon, and I sometimes go for lunch with some of the partners or associates — we have a very social group here. On a busy day, I will eat lunch at my desk and try to go to the gym for a workout around 2:00 pm. My work day ends anywhere from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.
One of the benefits of being at a mid-sized regional law firm is that while I work with senior counsel on larger files, I also manage several files of my own. So not only am I communicating directly with clients, but I am also directing what needs to be done and how the files unfold.
Another benefit is centralized local management. That means decisions about my future aren't made in Toronto or Montreal; they are made here in Alberta. This allows me to have direct relationships with the people who make the decisions that relate to my career path — and that is something that should pique everyone's interest.
SCOTT BERGEN
Third-year Associate
Business Law
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
In law school you always hear that if you work at a big firm you have to grind it out the first couple of years doing due diligence. I was given fairly sophisticated work early on, which surprised me, and I'd say the bulk of my work right now is drafting agreements. I have a fair bit of client interaction, particularly if we're in the middle of a deal, so I'm not in at my desk with my head down doing paperwork all day.
People also seem to think you have to stay at the office until the last partner leaves, whether you're busy or not. Deals and files can come up quickly – that's the nature of business law – so you can get very busy for a few weeks where long hours are demanded of you. Things tends to settle back once the deal closes, and if you don't have work to do past 5:30 or 6 o'clock, no one's going to count it as a black mark if you leave.
I think time-management skills are important if you want to succeed at a big national firm. There are a lot of demands on you, and often from various sides, so you need to constantly reset your priorities. It's a very fast-paced environment, and the level of work you're doing on a file can accelerate quickly, so you also have to be a fast learner. But the quality of the work is fantastic. We work on the deals that make the headlines in the business section. Getting experience on those kinds of deals is really valuable.
REBECCA ROBB
First-year Associate
Civil Litigation, Administrative Law
Hunter Litigation Chambers
I decided to join a boutique firm because I felt it would provide me with more opportunities to work closely with senior lawyers. With about 23 lawyers, I'm usually paired up with a senior partner, rather than working through a mid-level associate as might be the case at a big law firm. As well as the hands-on learning it provides, that helps build the bonds of trust more quickly, which means I get increasingly more difficult work. I started drafting factums and pleadings and participating in the theory of the case quite early in my articles compared with some of my friends at larger firms.
I was dealing directly with clients right from the start, which is something I hadn't expected. Another surprise was the range of clientele you see in a boutique. While we have some institutional clients, we also work with mid-sized corporations and individuals. Even as a first-year associate, I get challenging work and have my own files.
I'm allowed to knock on anyone's door and ask anything because everybody is naturally interested in the legal problems you're raising and the quality of work going out the door. This is the kind of environment where you can bite off as much as you can chew — there are a lot of opportunities. I'm convinced it's the type of experience that would set anyone on the right path to becoming a good lawyer.
DANIEL WEBER
Second-Year Associate
Employment, Insurance Litigation
Parlee McLaws LLP
What ultimately attracted me to Parlee McLaws was the size of the firm. We have 50 lawyers in Edmonton and 29 in Calgary, not counting students. Being a regional law firm, our resources and support-staff levels are similar to those of national firms. However, for me, there is a comfort factor associated with being in an environment where everybody knows each other.
My typical day, if there is such a thing, starts at 7:30 am. I work until noon, and I sometimes go for lunch with some of the partners or associates — we have a very social group here. On a busy day, I will eat lunch at my desk and try to go to the gym for a workout around 2:00 pm. My work day ends anywhere from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.
One of the benefits of being at a mid-sized regional law firm is that while I work with senior counsel on larger files, I also manage several files of my own. So not only am I communicating directly with clients, but I am also directing what needs to be done and how the files unfold.
Another benefit is centralized local management. That means decisions about my future aren't made in Toronto or Montreal; they are made here in Alberta. This allows me to have direct relationships with the people who make the decisions that relate to my career path — and that is something that should pique everyone's interest.
SCOTT BERGEN
Third-year Associate
Business Law
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
In law school you always hear that if you work at a big firm you have to grind it out the first couple of years doing due diligence. I was given fairly sophisticated work early on, which surprised me, and I'd say the bulk of my work right now is drafting agreements. I have a fair bit of client interaction, particularly if we're in the middle of a deal, so I'm not in at my desk with my head down doing paperwork all day.
People also seem to think you have to stay at the office until the last partner leaves, whether you're busy or not. Deals and files can come up quickly – that's the nature of business law – so you can get very busy for a few weeks where long hours are demanded of you. Things tends to settle back once the deal closes, and if you don't have work to do past 5:30 or 6 o'clock, no one's going to count it as a black mark if you leave.
I think time-management skills are important if you want to succeed at a big national firm. There are a lot of demands on you, and often from various sides, so you need to constantly reset your priorities. It's a very fast-paced environment, and the level of work you're doing on a file can accelerate quickly, so you also have to be a fast learner. But the quality of the work is fantastic. We work on the deals that make the headlines in the business section. Getting experience on those kinds of deals is really valuable.
REBECCA ROBB
First-year Associate
Civil Litigation, Administrative Law
Hunter Litigation Chambers
I decided to join a boutique firm because I felt it would provide me with more opportunities to work closely with senior lawyers. With about 23 lawyers, I'm usually paired up with a senior partner, rather than working through a mid-level associate as might be the case at a big law firm. As well as the hands-on learning it provides, that helps build the bonds of trust more quickly, which means I get increasingly more difficult work. I started drafting factums and pleadings and participating in the theory of the case quite early in my articles compared with some of my friends at larger firms.
I was dealing directly with clients right from the start, which is something I hadn't expected. Another surprise was the range of clientele you see in a boutique. While we have some institutional clients, we also work with mid-sized corporations and individuals. Even as a first-year associate, I get challenging work and have my own files.
I'm allowed to knock on anyone's door and ask anything because everybody is naturally interested in the legal problems you're raising and the quality of work going out the door. This is the kind of environment where you can bite off as much as you can chew — there are a lot of opportunities. I'm convinced it's the type of experience that would set anyone on the right path to becoming a good lawyer.
