So, my little start-up law firm is now three lawyers strong (myself and two associates), as well as various staff. We focus on family law, real estate, wills and estates, corporate law, but also on more esoteric areas such as aboriginal treaty rights, residential school stuff, and water law. It's been a lot of fun adding staff, desks, computers, etc. over the past few months. We're excited at the prospects, even with the current downturn in the economy. There is a lot of potential out there, but it will take some enginuity and diligence to have real staying power.
I have found that customer service is the absolute most important thing towards building a successful legal practice. No advertising, networking, google adwording, schmoozing, brown-nosing, volunteer service, or other thing compares to having a happy and satisfied customer who will come back to you later on, or better yet, will refer a friend to you. A very large part of my personal practice is based on this concept. It creates a very loyal client base, and makes it much easier to keep a steady work-flow, and to keep the stress down.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Business is booming for legal clinic
Posted at The Whig By MIKE NORRIS MNORRIS@THEWHIG.COM
"Fledgling entrepreneurs and some Queen's University law students can agree on one thing:
Business is booming in Kingston.
The newly established Queen's Business Law Clinic provides legal advice -- free of charge -- to small, start-up and not-for-profit businesses in the city. A four-month pilot project last winter was so successful, the clinic will now be a year-round operation.
'The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Kingston,' said Professor Peter Kissick, director of the law clinic.
'I was surprised by how sophisticated the files are, from software to carpentry businesses. There's a wide variety of things going on.'"
Read the whole article here.
These kinds of clinics are essential, not only for access to justice, but also access to legal information for those who cannot afford a retainer for a lawyer, or who are just starting to do the legwork for their start-up business, or a legal transaction or action. Good stuff! Congratulations on your success so far law clinic law students! We appreciate you.
"Fledgling entrepreneurs and some Queen's University law students can agree on one thing:
Business is booming in Kingston.
The newly established Queen's Business Law Clinic provides legal advice -- free of charge -- to small, start-up and not-for-profit businesses in the city. A four-month pilot project last winter was so successful, the clinic will now be a year-round operation.
'The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Kingston,' said Professor Peter Kissick, director of the law clinic.
'I was surprised by how sophisticated the files are, from software to carpentry businesses. There's a wide variety of things going on.'"
Read the whole article here.
These kinds of clinics are essential, not only for access to justice, but also access to legal information for those who cannot afford a retainer for a lawyer, or who are just starting to do the legwork for their start-up business, or a legal transaction or action. Good stuff! Congratulations on your success so far law clinic law students! We appreciate you.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Top Five Canadian Law Schools Rank Same as 2008
Maclean's put out their 2009 Canadian Law School Ranking in September. No changes in the Top 5. Also, very little changes in 12 to 16.
1. Toronto (1)
2. McGill (2)
3. Osgoode (3)
4. UBC (4)
5. Victoria (5)
6. Queen's (8)
7. Dalhousie (6)
8. Ottawa (7)
9. Alberta (9)
10. Western (12)
11. Calgary (10)
12. Saskatchewan (12)
13. Manitoba (10)
13. New Brunswick (12)
15. Windsor (15)
16. Moncton (16)
I don't put a ton of stock in Maclean's ranking, but it is interesting to see the consistency from year to year. Victoria used to be much higher. I am surprised to see UBC so high the last two years, as it didn't use to rank that high. Calgary keeps dipping. Alberta should be ranked higher, especially given all the money that has been thrown at it lately.
1. Toronto (1)
2. McGill (2)
3. Osgoode (3)
4. UBC (4)
5. Victoria (5)
6. Queen's (8)
7. Dalhousie (6)
8. Ottawa (7)
9. Alberta (9)
10. Western (12)
11. Calgary (10)
12. Saskatchewan (12)
13. Manitoba (10)
13. New Brunswick (12)
15. Windsor (15)
16. Moncton (16)
I don't put a ton of stock in Maclean's ranking, but it is interesting to see the consistency from year to year. Victoria used to be much higher. I am surprised to see UBC so high the last two years, as it didn't use to rank that high. Calgary keeps dipping. Alberta should be ranked higher, especially given all the money that has been thrown at it lately.
Law school alumnus gives back to university
"Frank MacInnis said he experienced a 'brief moment of terror' when his former law professor summoned him to the podium Friday, a startling admission from a man who now presides over a U. S.-based Fortune 500 company.
'Old habits die hard,' MacInnis told a laughing audience at the University of Alberta, recalling his friendly, yet sometimes adversarial relationship with former law dean David Percy.
Of course, there was no reason for argument Friday, when MacInnis and his wife were honoured for a $2.5-million donation to Percy's faculty-- the largest single gift the U of A law school has ever received."
That is a very nice donation from a very nice, and obviously successful alumnus. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. MacInnis!
'Old habits die hard,' MacInnis told a laughing audience at the University of Alberta, recalling his friendly, yet sometimes adversarial relationship with former law dean David Percy.
Of course, there was no reason for argument Friday, when MacInnis and his wife were honoured for a $2.5-million donation to Percy's faculty-- the largest single gift the U of A law school has ever received."
That is a very nice donation from a very nice, and obviously successful alumnus. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. MacInnis!
Think twice about going to law school - firm chairman says
Financial Post
Posted: September 25, 2009, 11:26 AM by Mitch Kowalski
Practice Management, Legal News, Mitch Kowalski, Associates, Law schools
Now it seems I have some support for my comments. Peter Kalis, chairman of large, international firm K & L Gates, was interviewd by the Wall Street Journal and said much the same thing. Kalis says that schools are "pouring tens of thousands of young people into a market that I suspect is not going to be able to absorb them at the remuneration levels that would have justified them taking on. . ."
I would like to read more...but they make you register. I hate this form of news where I am forced to pay to read something that I should be able to read for free online. I mean, I shouldn't have to have a subscription just to read an article...
In any case, the comment is a fair one, and is one that more young aspiring law students should think about. Or, as the writer indicates, a thought that more parents of aspiring law students should think about.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Silverberg realizes long-held dream
Former police chief relishing career as lawyer
Read this great little article about the former Calgary Chief of Police. She attended law school in Calgary with a friend of mine. It's neat to see where she ended up. I think it's pretty impressive. She works now with Willy deWit (former boxer) and the lawyer who recently won the David Milgaard wrongful conviction case. I was also impressed to see that she became a partner in a national law firm four years after finishing law school.
Read this great little article about the former Calgary Chief of Police. She attended law school in Calgary with a friend of mine. It's neat to see where she ended up. I think it's pretty impressive. She works now with Willy deWit (former boxer) and the lawyer who recently won the David Milgaard wrongful conviction case. I was also impressed to see that she became a partner in a national law firm four years after finishing law school.
Law school at Thompson Rivers University
By Melissa Lampman - Kamloops This Week
Published: February 17, 2009 5:00 PM
Published: February 17, 2009 5:00 PM
A plan to launch a law school at Thompson Rivers University is yet another step in making it the most comprehensive post-secondary institution in the nation.
In the Speech from the Throne on Monday, the province announced the creation of the new law school — one of three in B.C. — slated to open by 2011.
The plan is to have a three-year, fully accredited bachelor of law program accepting a minimum of 40 students per year with a focus on social, cultural and economic realities of Canadian rural settings.
'Isn’t this great? Now the work really begins,' said TRU president Kathleen Scherf of the next couple of years of intense planning to make the school a reality."
Isn't what great? Another law school in a market that is full of job losses and downsizing? Good timing! I don't think this is a good idea. Even if it does happen, it shouldn't happen for another decade or more - until there is an actual demand.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Phony degrees put Osgoode law school on high alert
By Macleans.ca | January 5th, 2009 | 2:04 pm
"Will implement tougher 'verification measures' to help detect admissions fraud
The Toronto Star is reporting that Osgoode Hall Law School will tighten admissions procedures following revelations that a third-year student used a phony degree to enter the York University law program.
The school’s dean, Patrick Monahan, says admissions integrity is of utmost importance and they are “investigating additional verification measures that could be put in place to detect cases of fraud in the admission process.”
When even one student gets admitted improperly, he says, it hurts the admissions chances of another student in addition to damaging Osgoode’s reputation.
The Star says student Quami Frederick was found to have used a degree purchased from an Internet diploma mill to get accepted into the law program in 2006. More recently, Frederick submitted photocopies of transcripts in which her Osgoode Hall marks were inflated when she successfully applied for an articling job at the Bay St. law firm Wildeboer Dellelce, LLP.
Frederick, 28, now faces an Osgoode Hall disciplinary hearing that could lead to expulsion. The law firm has withdrawn its job offer."
Stupid. Just plain stupid!
Soldier does battle in courtroom
January 21, 2009 - by Matt Driscoll
"Jason Morische is a true man of action.
When he isn’t busy putting away the bad guys in court, he’s taking it to them on the battlefield.
Raised in Bracebridge, Morische is a criminal defence lawyer in Toronto and an officer with the Canadian Forces.
'My common joke is that I defend the constitution and the charter in two different ways,' quipped Morische last week on his way to trial.
The 37-year-old is currently preparing to take part in a mission to Afghanistan later this year, although he can’t reveal exactly when.
'I’m a little nervous but I’m confident in the training we receive in the Canadian Forces, and I’m confident in the soldiers I’m going with,” said Morische. 'I’m very much aware of the dangers … but it’s as good a situation as you could hope for.'"
This is a really interesting and inspiring story. Read the whole thing at Bracebridge Examiner.
Law school launches police accountability and complaints program
"The University of Windsor law school will launch a program next month aimed at enhancing police accountability and reducing the use of racial profiling.
In what is believed to be the first program of its kind, the school will provide advice about racial profiling and police oversight to government, public interest organizations, community groups - and police forces themselves.
It will also advise civilians who want to lodge complaints regarding police conduct."
See the whole Globe and Mail article here.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A recent email exchange about billable hours for lawyers
Hi Drew. Glad to hear you are enjoying the book. Your questions are good ones, but ones that I cannot fully answer. I'll do my best - see below.
2009/1/12 Drew
It is true that billable hours can be overwhelming. Firms in Alberta can expect anywhere from 1000 to 2500 billable hours from their associates each year. Depending on the type of law, and the efficiency of the lawyer, this can equate to 1400 to 5000 actual work hours, or 28 to 100 hours per week of working. I know many lawyers who work 80 to 100 hours per week. That's equivalent to 12+ hours per day. It doesn't need to be like this, and I have many lawyer friends (including myself) that have more reasonable 35-45 hour work weeks.
No, usually they do not (perhaps if you work for the Alberta or Canadian governments). Different law firms treat things differently. Most are salaried. There is no overtime for salaried employees of any type. You get paid X dollars per year to do the job, and that's it. Many firms also pay bonuses based upon performance. I.e. if you hit your billable goals, or receipt goals. Many firms have now moved to a commission program, where the lawyer gets around 40% of any receipts that they bring in. This provides great incentive for many lawyers. For sole practitioners, and partnerships, you get paid any profit after expenses, so the harder and more efficiently you work, the more money you make.
Not that I am aware of, at least not for Canada, but check on places such as lawstudents.ca or lawbuzz.ca. Perhaps somebody has posted some info there.
As in any profession, there is a wide range of salaries for lawyers. There are poverty lawyers who get paid very little, and some lawyers (such as Tony Merchant of Merchant Law Group) who make millions and millions. I find that many 1-5 year big firm lawyers in Calgary or Edmonton, Toronto, or places like that, make anywhere between $70K and $200K, depending on their situation. Now, taking into account the number of hours they work, this can seem like a good salary, or not such a good salary.
The same applies to small town or small city lawyers. I make, probably, as much as the big city lawyers, but I work far less, and really enjoy my work. That's not the same for everyone. I have our main office in a city of about 70,000, and a branch office in a town of about 3,500. It works for me...
If you have any other questions, let me know. Oh, and would you mind giving me a positive comment on Chapters.ca or Amazon.ca? And could I post this email to my blog? Others would probably appreciate it. Thanks!
Adam Letourneau
-- Drew
2009/1/12 Drew
Dear Adam,
I'm in the process of reading your book now and I'm finding it very informative. I'm in the second year of my undergrad yet I've wanted to go to law school ever since a mock trial experience in grade 5. I've read enough John Grisham to know about how consuming billable hours can be yet, one thing is unclear to me.
It is true that billable hours can be overwhelming. Firms in Alberta can expect anywhere from 1000 to 2500 billable hours from their associates each year. Depending on the type of law, and the efficiency of the lawyer, this can equate to 1400 to 5000 actual work hours, or 28 to 100 hours per week of working. I know many lawyers who work 80 to 100 hours per week. That's equivalent to 12+ hours per day. It doesn't need to be like this, and I have many lawyer friends (including myself) that have more reasonable 35-45 hour work weeks.
Do lawyers earn overtime? If you work more than 8 hours a day aren't you obliged to earn overtime at an increased hourly rate under labour law?
No, usually they do not (perhaps if you work for the Alberta or Canadian governments). Different law firms treat things differently. Most are salaried. There is no overtime for salaried employees of any type. You get paid X dollars per year to do the job, and that's it. Many firms also pay bonuses based upon performance. I.e. if you hit your billable goals, or receipt goals. Many firms have now moved to a commission program, where the lawyer gets around 40% of any receipts that they bring in. This provides great incentive for many lawyers. For sole practitioners, and partnerships, you get paid any profit after expenses, so the harder and more efficiently you work, the more money you make.
Finally, is there a website where I could see trends in the annual salaries of lawyers? Not just for 1st year associates but for 3rd 4th and 6th year associates? I like the description of the appeal that a small town practice can offer in your book. However, I wonder what kind of salaries do more experienced lawyers in these settings bring in?
Not that I am aware of, at least not for Canada, but check on places such as lawstudents.ca or lawbuzz.ca. Perhaps somebody has posted some info there.
As in any profession, there is a wide range of salaries for lawyers. There are poverty lawyers who get paid very little, and some lawyers (such as Tony Merchant of Merchant Law Group) who make millions and millions. I find that many 1-5 year big firm lawyers in Calgary or Edmonton, Toronto, or places like that, make anywhere between $70K and $200K, depending on their situation. Now, taking into account the number of hours they work, this can seem like a good salary, or not such a good salary.
The same applies to small town or small city lawyers. I make, probably, as much as the big city lawyers, but I work far less, and really enjoy my work. That's not the same for everyone. I have our main office in a city of about 70,000, and a branch office in a town of about 3,500. It works for me...
If you have any other questions, let me know. Oh, and would you mind giving me a positive comment on Chapters.ca or Amazon.ca? And could I post this email to my blog? Others would probably appreciate it. Thanks!
Adam Letourneau
-- Drew
Monday, January 12, 2009
Reforming young offender laws won’t enhance public safety: academics
"OTTAWA -- Canada's revamped young offender laws -- described by Prime Minister Stephen Harper as an 'unmitigated failure' -- have in fact been a clear success in keeping adolescents out of court and custody without increasing youth crime, concludes a new academic analysis.
The three authors warn against the Harper government pursuing a promise to toughen the Youth Criminal Justice Act, arguing it won't enhance public safety, but it will cost provincial governments significantly more money to punish young people by incarcerating them...
"When the act was adopted in 2003, Canada had one of the highest youth incarceration rates in the world. Those numbers have dropped a dramatic 36 per cent in the last five years, according to the latest report from Statistics Canada.
'Without increasing youth crime, the new laws have resulted in a very significant reduction in the use of courts and custody for adolescent offenders in Canada and hence allowed for a significant reduction in spending on youth courts and custody facilities, generally accompanied by shifting resources to community-based programs,' note Bala, Carrington and Roberts.
The revamped laws, which set out clear rules on when judges can impose incarceration, have also reduced a patchwork of practices from province to province, the analysis said.
Not only are fewer adolescents being incarcerated, there also has been a dramatic drop in the number being charged by police as they seek alternative rehabilitative measures such as community programs, counselling, apologies to the victim, and other 'extra-judicial' measures."
Read the whole article here.I was glad to read about the reduction in incarceration rates, but I wonder about the actual drop in the committing of crimes by youth. It would seem that there has been no reduction: "While youth crime in general has not increased, violent crime in some cities has been on the rise, Bala acknowledged."
I tend to agree with Stephen Harper's sentiments: "Last summer, Harper denounced Canada's approach to handling young offenders as 'an unmitigated failure' in that it did not 'hold young lawbreakers responsible for their behaviour and . . . make them accountable to their victims and society.'"
I think that they should revamp this particular system to emulate the circle systems being adopted by many First Nation communities and judicial districts, where the victim, the offender, and various members of the community come together with the judge in a circle, and work it out with everyone involved. This has worked marvels in some communities, dropping the rates of crime significantly, from what I understand. It also results in effective consequences for the accused, such as banishment. Further, it allows for reconciliation between the victim and the offender in many cases. For example, there can be an apology, or direct restitution. The community is involved (i.e. Elders), and this is very effective towards accountability for the accused.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Writing Lags in Law Schools
insidehighered.com
January 7, 2009
"Law schools have to be responsive to the ever-changing legal world to keep their curriculums relevant and meaningful, but the latest findings of a national survey suggest that they should also be focusing more on the basics. The 2008 annual results of the Law School Survey of Student Engagement, released today, show nearly half of all law school students reporting that their education does not “contribute substantially” to their ability to “apply legal writing skills” in the real world."
Read the whole article here.
"'Despite near universal agreement on the value of these skills and competencies, legal writing, for example, is typically featured primarily in the first year, and viewed by students as a sidebar in their doctrinal classes,' writes George D. Kuh, LSSSE director and professor at the Indiana University."
What do you think? I think that's probably true. There is an assumption that you will get practical legal writing opportunities in your summer internships or your articling year. This article is from the US system, where they don't even get an articling year.
For many law graduates, this is a key skill, as they will end up writing many legal memos. Or is it important? I would say that it is very important for any new lawyer that will be drafting contracts, briefs, facta, and letters, the last of which makes up a large part of any lawyer's profession.
January 7, 2009
"Law schools have to be responsive to the ever-changing legal world to keep their curriculums relevant and meaningful, but the latest findings of a national survey suggest that they should also be focusing more on the basics. The 2008 annual results of the Law School Survey of Student Engagement, released today, show nearly half of all law school students reporting that their education does not “contribute substantially” to their ability to “apply legal writing skills” in the real world."
Read the whole article here.
"'Despite near universal agreement on the value of these skills and competencies, legal writing, for example, is typically featured primarily in the first year, and viewed by students as a sidebar in their doctrinal classes,' writes George D. Kuh, LSSSE director and professor at the Indiana University."
What do you think? I think that's probably true. There is an assumption that you will get practical legal writing opportunities in your summer internships or your articling year. This article is from the US system, where they don't even get an articling year.
For many law graduates, this is a key skill, as they will end up writing many legal memos. Or is it important? I would say that it is very important for any new lawyer that will be drafting contracts, briefs, facta, and letters, the last of which makes up a large part of any lawyer's profession.
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