Canada’s improving economic climate might be starting to translate into more jobs for small Canadian law firms, according to the latest compensation survey conducted by Canadian Lawyer. Of the 256 firms that answered the question, 34 per cent said they would hire more lawyers in the coming year and 63.7 per cent say they are planning to keep the same number of lawyers on staff. Only 2.3 per cent said they were planning to downsize.

Canada’s legal industry seems to be taking a cautious approach to economic recovery, as Canadian Lawyer’s 2010 legal fees survey indicates widespread fee reductions have been ushered in for the year ahead.

It’s hard to understand why it has taken so many law firms so long to start asking their clients for feedback. One theory is that historically, lawyers believed their clients wouldn’t understand the services they offer so how could they possibly provide feedback on such “complicated matters?” A second related theory is that client feedback is not proper for professionals. It is for the truck driver with the “How am I driving?” sign on the back of his vehicle or for the customer satisfaction survey at the local burger joint.

Barbara Boake well understands how difficult it is to predict what will happen in the complex negotiations or adversarial processes in which lawyers are routinely engaged. But the Toronto-based partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP also knows that more predictability — a better understanding of potential outcomes and fees — is exactly what clients are looking for, especially in an economy where budgets are constrained and all costs are scrutinized.

Now that several U.S. law firms have run away from the lockstep model for associate compensation, many Canadian firms are looking to move in the same direction, though not at the same pace.

When exhausted small-firm lawyers, pregnant professionals, and overworked departments in cash-strapped firms are looking for a hero, calling on a legal locum can be the answer to their prayers.

 

A new initiative of the Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch is to bring about awareness of the many opportunities that exist for lawyers in small communities. 

Change is central to the practice of law, and perhaps nowhere has that change been as dramatically felt as in Canada’s youngest province. In the last few years, Newfoundland and Labrador has gone from being one of the country’s poorest provinces to one of its richest.

The following is an excerpt from Patrick D. Kelly’s new book Rainmaking 101: How to Grow Your Client Base & Maximize Your Income:

 

Millions of people embark on professional careers as CPAs, engineers, insurance agents, financial advisers, bankers, lawyers, and corporate managers only to discover that being technically proficient is just one element of being successful. Few receive any formal training in selling their services and themselves. For most, developing business is a sink-or-swim proposition.

Sole practice lawyers and those from smaller offices may be feeling the pinch of the slowing economy, with many of the average fees they charge down from a year ago, according to Canadian Lawyer’s 2009 legal fees survey.