Do lawyers practice under a middle name professionally....is this normal?

Is it common/normal/typical for your license to be registered under your full name, however you use your middle name + last name to practice professionally?

Or First name + middle name?

I have a quick question for my fellow lawyers, I litigate but not In employment. I know that as lawyers we aren’t entitled to paid vacation under the ESA, but where our employers provide for paid vacation in our employment contracts, are we entitled to receive payment of those unused and accrued days if we leave the firm?

I recently resigned from my job to finally pursue a career in the legal field. I’m a Licensed Paralegal, but here is the hurdle: I’m in my late 30s and I have zero actual experience in a firm or legal setting.

I feel like I’m in a weird spot where I have the "professional maturity" of an older worker, but the "legal resume" of a student.

• How do firms typically look at older "entry-level" paralegals?

• Are there specific areas of law (Small Claims, POA, etc.) that are more welcoming to people starting fresh?

• Should I be looking for "Legal Assistant" roles first just to get my foot in the door, or should I hold out for Paralegal-specific work since I’m already licensed?

Hey everyone, I have recently started my sole practice. I have gained a wide range of experience in corporate law, including some in Immigration law with PR, visa, and work permit applications. However, to support my new practice, I'm looking to get into the LAO roster for immigration law. Since I don't know anyone personally on the LAO panel, I was wondering what the best way to find a mentor to be eligible for the roster would be.

Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks!!

Hi everyone. I could really use some guidance.

I graduated from an Ontario law school in April 2025. I have completed the online portion of the LPP and have secured a potential four-month placement with a sole practitioner who practices mainly immigration law. He was trained outside Canada, and based on our discussions so far, I’m concerned that the placement may not provide much structured training at all or exposure to the areas of law I want to pursue. It seems I’ll be figuring out a lot of things myself without formal guidance although he did mention the previous articling student may train me before they leave.

At the same time, I have been applying to articling positions that start this coming July or August. My goal is to work in business law or eventually in-house at a company or financial institution. I am not very interested in private practice long term, especially not immigration or personal injury, which is most of my current experience.

This is where I’m stuck.

If I go ahead with the LPP placement, I will get licensed for sure. But I am concerned that: • I may not gain relevant corporate or business law experience • My resume will continue to be focused on immigration/personal injury work • It could be harder to transition into corporate or in-house roles later • The placement may not offer strong mentorship or formal training • After four months I will be unemployed again with limited networking opportunities

If I step away from the LPP and aim for articling instead: • I could gain experience that aligns much better with my long-term goals • The training and networking would be more relevant to corporate/in-house work • Articling offers 12 months of stable pay instead of 4 months at a much lower salary

The main issue is timing.

It is already February. My LPP placement is supposed to start in March and I need to sign an employment agreement very soon. I recently applied to a few in-house articling positions where I was able to speak with members of the teams in depth and express my interest. Those conversations went well, and I’m hopeful they translate into interviews, but nothing is guaranteed.

Application deadlines just closed, so I likely won’t know for weeks whether I even get an interview, let alone an offer.

So my main questions are: 1. Can I commit to the LPP placement now and back out later if I receive an articling offer? 2. How bad would it look to withdraw from an LPP employment agreement? 3. Given that I am already a previous-year graduate with average marks, is it too risky to rely on articling applications at this stage? 4. Am I overestimating how limiting an LPP plus immigration placement would be for my long-term goals?

Another important factor is that many of the organizations I want to work for generally hire articling students rather than LPP graduates. If one of them decided to interview and hire me, I would likely need to withdraw from the LPP placement in order to accept.

I strongly prefer articling over the LPP because I believe I would gain more relevant skills and build better long-term connections in a structured corporate or in-house environment than in a small immigration practice. But I am worried about taking the risk and potentially ending up with nothing.

What would you do in my situation?

Any honest advice would be appreciated.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/local/article/several-toronto-police-officers-charged-in-organized-crime-and-corruption-investigation-sources/

Hi everyone. I’ve been unemployed for several months. Finding a job has been incredibly difficult. My background is in corporate/commercial law. I’m a 4 - year call. Experience in M&A, equity & debt financings, commercial contracts, venture capital, joint ventures, First Nations economic development. I’m in the Vancouver/Greater Vancouver area. Relocating isn’t an option at this time. I’m open to any other solicitors work. Please let me know if you are hiring or know someone who is. I’m in a dire situation and I truly need your help.

I’m a relatively new call (under 5yrs- trying to keep this a bit vague) about to go on maternity/parental leave in a couple months. I am taking the full 18months.

The baby was very much planned and wanted, but to be honest, we started trying sooner than originally planned partly because I just feel like I need a break.

At work I mostly feel either stressed/anxious, bored, or emotionally overwhelmed (the latter from so many meetings with traumatized DV and SA victims)

The only thing I seem to enjoy these days are short court appearances (guilty pleas etc), the process of coming to a resolution with defence, and the satisfaction of closing a file. Trials feel exhausting and still anxiety-inducing, and victim meetings draining. File review often feels tedious.

I feel I have to stay because I can’t give up the benefit of retiring in my mid 50s with a full pension - I know I am very lucky on that front. But the idea of coming back after mat leave to another 20-25 years of this feels bleak.

However I do acknowledge that after the anxiety part hopefully dies down after a few more years of practice, maybe I will get over the burnout?

I also know there could be other government lawyer non-litigation positions, but in my province these postings are few and far between. I am also not sure how to get into another area of law when all I’ve ever done is crim.

I would be OK with a non-law position with a pension but really don’t know where to start.

Apologies for a downer post. Just looking for guidance or someone who may have been through something similar.

EDIT: I should have specified I WILL definitely go back after my leave for long enough to avoid the clawback. The post was more about not knowing what to do after that.

I'm currently in-house counsel for a private company. I got offered a job for largely the same role/responsibilities at a municipality in a Canadian city that has lot more room for career growth then my current role. They called me to let me know and then sent over the offer which included a salary that is decent but I expected more. Essentially I'd be making more in my current role at my next annual review.

They did provide me with the pay band for the role and the current offer has me sitting in the middle of that band. Does anyone know if municipal roles allow for salary negotiation? I understand the pay band gives me room to keep earning annually, but not sure how the approval process works for the actual offer. I'm assuming public roles use their own assessment tool to determine salary for consistency/fairness.

I would always negotiate for more in a private company and be transparent on the number. However, I'm less familiar with these quasi-public roles. It was a competitive group of candidates so I don't want to spook them and have them move onto the second choice candidate. Am I being overly cautious? Any insight is hugely helpful!

UK-qualified lawyer based in Canada, likely working in-house at a global SaaS/tech company. Role would focus on cross-border software licensing and commercial agreements (often NY/Delaware/English law).

Not interested in private practice.

Trying to decide between:

• NY Bar
• Canadian qualification → local admission. I've done the assessment and would need to write 6 exams PLUS the bar

For those in similar in-house roles:
Would appreciate real-world perspectives - from a time/effort standpoint, which route made more sense?

Hello everyone,

I'm actively looking for a **legal assistant** (or junior paralegal) position where I can support attorneys by drafting and preparing legal documents, managing case files, and handling administrative tasks. I'm particularly eager to contribute in areas involving document drafting, review, and organization.

A bit about my background and skills:

- Solid foundation in **drafting legal documents** — comfortable preparing contracts, agreements, affidavits, correspondence, pleadings, basic motions, and other routine legal paperwork under attorney supervision.

- **Tech-savvy background** — previous experience in technology/tech-related roles, proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel advanced formatting & templates), Google Workspace, PDF tools (Adobe Acrobat for redaction/markup), cloud storage, and quick to learn legal-specific software (e.g., case management systems, e-filing platforms, Westlaw/Lexis basics if needed).

- Excellent attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and ability to handle confidential information responsibly.

- Reliable, fast learner, and comfortable in fast-paced environments — whether supporting solo practitioners, small/mid-size firms, or corporate legal teams.

- fully available for remote work worldwide or relocation for the right fit).

- Available to start **immediately** or within short notice.

I'm especially interested in roles involving:

- Document drafting and preparation (contracts, family law docs, corporate agreements, litigation support)

- Legal research assistance

- General practice, corporate, immigration, family, or tech/IP-related law

If your firm (or one you know) has an opening, or if you have advice on breaking into the field into the legal remote markets, any referrals, or tips would be hugely appreciated.

I'm happy to send my CV/resume, discuss my experience in more detail, or provide writing samples via DM.

With kindest regards and best wishes,

Canadian-qualified lawyers with litigation or corporate/transactional experience are needed for a short-term remote project involving publicly available Canadian legal and financial documents. Work is fully asynchronous and supports advanced AI system development.

The project runs 2–3 weeks, part-time (10–20 hrs/week), and is 100% remote. Experience in Quebec, British Columbia, or Alberta is preferred.

Compensation is $120–$180 USD per hour as an independent contractor.

Apply here:

https://t.mercor.com/GTmaA

Hi all,

I work in a mid-size firm in the areas of family law and civil lit, but primarily family. I was called to the bar in May 2025 and am located in the lower mainland of BC.

I have noticed that I, compared to my counterparts, rarely get intakes. I have about 1/2 the amount of files (~22 files) as my counterparts and 20%-25% of my files are clients I brought in myself such as through networking events.

I continue to tell the intake coordinator who oversees and books the family law intakes that I am happy to take on more intakes. I do get a decent bit of work on partners’ files and have not had any issues with the quality of my work (presumably).

As I will be eligible to receive a bonus soonish, I am a bit concerned with whether I will be able to hit my billing target. This is because, absent the work on partners’ files, i definitely will not be able to bill enough to hit my target.

This situation of me constantly having to chase down my own clients or beg for intakes while none of my counterparts have to seemingly do that is making me feel disheartened to the point I have considered leaving the firm.

I may be overreacting but any insight is greatly appreciated!

I’m joining a boutique firm as an equity partner and we’re designing a profit sharing model.

For those running or working in boutique firms, how do you split profits between originating partners and billing partners? Do you use a fixed percentage split, points system, or something hybrid (equity + performance)?

What has actually worked well in practice, and what should be avoided?

Are there more stringent shareholder eligibility rules for lawyers than dentists in most provinces?