Specialties in Demand
Regional Trends

Even as Canada emerges from recession, many talented lawyers and support professionals are still out of work, offering firms the opportunity to selectively upgrade their staff. Small and midsize firms that serve local clients and are able to offer service at lower price points have fared better than larger firms and continue to make strategic hires. Government entities and technology companies also are driving legal hiring activity.

Law offices are hiring lawyers with specialized backgrounds in areas such as litigation, intellectual property, labour and employment, and restructuring and insolvency. Among lawyers with somewhat brighter prospects are experienced practitioners who can bring a roster of clients with them and make immediate contributions to revenue generation.

Other trends shaping the employment outlook in Canada for 2010 include:

Decreased demand for legal support staff. The business slowdown has led law firms to trim support staff and scale back the hiring of paralegals, legal secretaries and law clerks. Those who have retained their positions are handling heavier workloads.

Jobs in flux. Job losses at Canadian law firms have not been as severe as at U.S. firms, but the employment environment has not yet entirely stabilized. At some large firms, junior-level lawyers are being notified that their positions are being phased out as a result of decreased demand from corporate clients. Hard-hit practice areas include mergers and acquisitions and securities.

Corporate cutbacks. Corporate legal departments are tightening their budgets by scaling back salaries for general counsel and support professionals and limiting outside legal spending. As a result, in-house counsel and their staff are experiencing heavier workloads.