You would be hard pressed to convince the ambassadors of the 99 per cent currently occupying cities around the world that Bay Street lawyers are feeling their collective frustration and disenfranchisement. Maybe that’s a stretch. But many associates who hit their senior years just as the recession hit have also felt powerless and slighted at the hands of an elite. And it’s an elite that is becoming more exclusive each year. Partnership, even for some talented and well-regarded lawyers, has become an increasingly uncertain prospect in a market that has yet to make an encouraging comeback.

Among the very rare things in life — like pleasant subway commutes, comfortable winters in Toronto, and low-fat doughnuts — a true mentor is hard to come by. The title “mentor” has also fallen victim to indulgent self-designations, which have whittled it down to something that can elicit the same eye rolls as “esquire.” That said, I still recall wanting a mentor when I was younger without knowing what the term really meant. I knew it was someone who might take an interest in me besides the obligatory concern you hope to get from your parents. It also sounded like something that successful people might have in common. It turns out I was not entirely wrong because the most successful people in life can point to a mentor who helped them along the way, in an official capacity or not.

Even the most plum of posts has its unexpected surprises, and sometimes its letdowns too. Many of us set our sights on a career before we have a real understanding of what the job entails. We can get wrapped up in a title, family pressure, or a romanticized version of a career and don’t always consider the less appealing day-to-day realities. The thrill of being an ER hero fades in the reality of diagnosing indigestion, the glory of being an educator yields to the reality of being a disciplinarian, and the esteemed role of being an advocate or a high-powered deal maker succumbs to the reality of being a service provider.

What am I worth? It’s a tough question — one that is better answered by a sober assessment of your skills rather than the sentimental opinion of your mother. Although the prospect of equating your value with money seems icky, it is a calculation most of us will have to make at some point in our careers. When you also factor in our general malaise for talking about money, the conversation can become as crawl-out-of-your-skin uncomfortable as watching actors become recording artists. And negotiating your salary is not the kind of thing you want to walk into with distaste and fear. If you can’t talk about money, chances are you won’t be making lots of it.

 

As far as the legal profession goes, it’s one of the saddest statistics around — while women account for more than half of Canada’s law school graduates, they still don’t come close to that number in terms of partner membership at law firms across the country.

 

Part of growing up is realizing that you are not good at everything — heartbreaking as it is. When this self-awareness mingles with time constraints and a pinch of disdain for the do-it-yourself thing, we slowly begin to outsource our lives. 

 

For many law firm associates, at least a few moments of the distracted thought which rounds off their billables is spent considering whether they are at the right firm. 

 

It is among society’s greatest paradoxes. It being perhaps the most natural and common act yet one that is still regarded with great taboo and secrecy. Proximity, familiarity, and convenience being the driving forces  —  it’s bound to happen.

 

Uncertainty and law may seem to repel one another, but some lawyers are built for a bit of uncertainty in their life. Some even seek it out.

Though it is rarely perceived as a willful act, many lawyers have taken a leap of faith and left permanent employment to take on a contract in a bet for something better. That is until recently.

In this new economy, even the chronically restless are seeing permanent positions with a renewed appreciation.
At the same time, contracts are becoming a more popular option with employers as budgets and headcount continue to be squeezed.

 

 

So, let’s just tell it like it is. The cases in the Ontario Reports are about as well read as the instructions to every lopsided piece of IKEA furniture you’ve ever assembled. But they do serve their purpose.