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Description
Example Titles
Classified Elsewhere
Duties
Skills
Employment Requirements
Terms & Conditions
Earnings
Education / Training
Career Paths
Outlook
Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies
Other Related Information

Employment by Age Group
Employment by Industry
Employment by Region
Employment by Gender
Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification
Employment by Visible Minority

Lawyers and Quebec Notaries (NOC 4112)

Description

Lawyers advise clients on legal matters, represent clients before administration boards and draw up legal documents such as contracts and wills. Lawyers also plead cases, represent clients before tribunals and conduct prosecutions in courts of law. Lawyers are employed in law firms and prosecutor's offices. They are employed by federal, provincial and municipal governments and various business establishments or they may be self-employed. Articling students are included in this group.

Example Titles

articling student
attorney
barrister
corporate counsel
Crown attorney
Crown prosecutor
general counsel
law partner
lawyer
legal advisor
solicitor

>> View all titles

Classified Elsewhere

Legal department directors (in 0114 Other Administrative Services Managers)
Legal firm managers (in 0123 Other Business Services Managers)
Notaries public and trademark agents who are not lawyers (in 4211 Paralegal and Related Occupations)
Patent agents who are not lawyers or Quebec notaries (in 4161 Natural and Applied Science Policy Researchers, Consultants and Program Officers)

Duties

Lawyers perform some or all of the following duties:

Advise clients of their legal rights and all matters related to law
Research legal precedents and gather evidence
Plead clients' cases before courts of law, tribunals and boards (lawyers only)
Draw up legal documents such as real estate transactions, wills, divorces and contracts, and prepare statements of legal opinions
Negotiate settlements of civil disputes (lawyers only)
Perform administrative and management functions related to the practice of law
May act as mediator, conciliator or arbitrator
May act as executor, trustee or guardian in estate and family law matters.

Skills

Lawyers need the following skills and abilities:

an interest in helping others who do not understand the law and legal procedures,
a sense of public responsibility,
a strong code of ethics,
the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing,
the ability to make public presentations,
the ability to think logically and analytically and respond quickly,
a high tolerance for confrontation and conflict, and negotiation and dispute resolution skills
tact and patience in dealing with clients and colleagues,
an excellent memory for details,
the ability to handle high levels of stress and long work days,
be interested in keeping up to date on changes in law,
the ability to prioritize, organize a busy schedule and to move from one complicated case to another quickly,
knowledge of computer software used to do research, prepare documents and organize material,
good business skills may be required,
certain specialties will require knowledge of accounting, technology, overseas culture and customs, etc.
the ability to work independently or as a member of a team.

Employment Requirements

Lawyers must complete a Baccalaureate degree in Law (LL.B.).
It should be noted that although an LL.B. degree qualifies graduates to apply for a licence to practise, it does not entitle them to such a licence, the granting of which is entirely within the purview of the law societies. The Law Society must be satisfied as to the good character and repute of its applicants, as well as their academic competence and qualifications.
Graduates of law school wishing to be in public practice as a lawyer must be admitted to the Manitoba Bar, which is administered by the Law Society of Manitoba. They must attend and successfully complete all of the requirements of Manitoba's Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) program and articling experience. Every learner must successfully complete the CPLED and articling within two years of the commencement of the CPLED program or articling (8 modules of SPLED and 52 weeks of articling).
Lawyers who are not in public practice do not require a licence.

Terms & Conditions

Lawyers, particularly articling students and new associates in private practice, frequently work long hours. They may experience stress as trial dates approach, or in other situations where their clients are distressed. Lawyers travel to attend meetings, conduct research, gather evidence, and appear before courts, legislative bodies, hearings or other authorities. Those who work for government, or who serve as in-house counsel in private corporations tend to work more structured hours.

Most lawyers work full-time (94%). Self-employment in this occupation is common (51%), although this usually means working as an associate member of a law firm rather than on one's own.

Lawyers who work as partners or senior associates of a law firm are paid a commission based on hours billed to clients. Junior associates usually receive a base salary plus commission based on number of hours billed to clients. Articling students, and lawyers who work strictly as employees receive a salary. Articling lawyers may receive less than the starting salary quoted.

Earnings

$58,300 per annum - starting

$91,700 per annum - average

$147,100 per annum - high

Earnings are reviewed annually or more frequently if new information becomes available.

Education / Training

The University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law, offers a Bachelor of Law LL.B. A minimum of two years of post-secondary study are required to enter the program, but most applicants have a baccalaureate degree. Aboriginal applicants can apply through the individual consideration category.
Most Canadian law schools, including the University of Manitoba, require applicants to take the Law School Admission Test (L.S.A.T.) as part of the application process.
Brandon University, Canadian Mennonite University, University of Winnipeg have pre-professional programs in law.

Career Paths

Lawyers may specialize in specific areas of the law such as (but not limited to) criminal, corporate, taxation, international, real

estate, family, commercial, intellectual property and labour law. In small communities, law practices are more likely to be

concentrated in real estate, family, and small business commercial law. Junior lawyers may work in several areas, until work experience provides a solid specialization.

Lawyers may go into public practice for themselves or with other partners. Others may work in law offices or for large corporations or governments. With experience, lawyers may become senior partners in their firms.

A few lawyers are appointed as judges or magistrates or to administrative tribunals. Some choose to run for public office. Some become university professors.

Government lawyers may advance to positions as department heads or diplomats. Corporate lawyers may become company executives.

Lawyers may combine their law training with other professional training, for example, medicine, business, political science, in a

wide range of occupations.

Outlook

Employment prospects for lawyers are expected to be good in the period 2010 to 2014. Employment in Manitoba in 2010 is estimated at 1,900.

The demand for legal services is fairly constant over time. Increases in the population and business activity result in greater demand.The population of Manitoba is expected to rise modestly over the forecast period. Additional employment opportunities are most likely to be in the specific areas of intellectual-property, environmental, and aboriginal law. Job opportunities will arise as a result of people retiring, or moving to other work.

There is currently an adequate supply of qualified lawyers in some specialities such as family law, and in urban areas of the Province. Opportunities are greatest in rural Manitoba. Due to the number of law school graduates, competition for entry level positions is strong.

A proportionally larger number of jobs for lawyers are located in Winnipeg. Most are employed in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (74%) and Public Administration (16%).

Employment by Age Group

Employment by Industry

Employment by Region

Employment by Gender

Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification

Employment by Visible Minority

Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.

Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies...

Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys, http://www.maca.mb.ca/
Manitoba Bar Association, http://www.cba.org/mb
The Law Society of Manitoba, http://www.lawsociety.mb.ca

Other Related Information...

Career Destination: Manitoba profiles of an individual in this occupation. http://www.immigrantsandcareers.mb.ca/cdmb-newcomers/171_180/172_sukhjit_b/basic_facts/