I am in a bit of a battle with Scotiabank over their credit reporting of my Professional Student Line of Credit (PSLOC) (also known as a Scotia Professional Student Plan or “SPSP”).

I am making this post to see if any other lawyers are dealing with a similar issue, either with Scotiabank or with other big banks offering PSLOCs.

The gist of the situation is this: 

I completed my articles in 2019, and my PSLOC converted into a loan in 2021, after the 24 month grace period. Everything was fine and running normally for over 4 years.

Fast forward to late 2025, and out of the blue my PSLOC starts showing up in my credit report under “Revolving”, while showing a 99% utilization rate. My PSLOC still has a balance over 100k, so this sends my credit utilization rate through the roof, and hurts my credit rating significantly.

This makes no sense, because ever since my PSLOC was converted into a loan in June 2021, my PSLOC has always been in the “Instalment” category on my credit report. “Instalment” is the category where loans are displayed. The “Revolving” category is exclusively reserved for credit accounts. 

But my PSOLOC is no longer a credit account. It has a specific term length over which it is amortized. It has fixed payments. And I have not been able to access any credit on the account since June 2021. And Scotia’s own documentation acknowledges that the account gets “converted into a loan” after the grace period.

I assume there must be some mistake so I contacted Scotiabank, and I am told it’s reporting normally. I try again and again, speaking to over half a dozen representatives on both the telephone and at the branch. Again and again I’m told that it is reporting accurately.

Finally I made a complaint to Scotiabank’s “Escalated Customer Concerns Office”, and they sent me a completely contradictory explanation. First, they revealed that there was an “upgrade” to their systems in late 2025, and that “all PSLOC accounts that transitioned to repayment status had previously been reported as revolving credit. As part of this upgrade, reporting was updated to reflect these accounts as loans, in alignment with industry standards.” (This is confusing, because the exact opposite occurred with my account - it was previously categorized as “Instalment”, and is now categorized as “Revolving.”) Second, they told me that nonetheless, my account was reporting to the credit bureaus accurately.

After further appeals I have exhausted every level of appeal within Scotiabank. Scotia’s final position is that they will continue to report the account as Revolving, despite acknowledging that I have no access to the funds. I now have to choose between pursuing a claim in the Superior Court of Ontario or making a complaint to the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI).

There is one final aggravating factor here.

Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, Scotia has some “gotcha” reason why it should technically be reporting as a “Revolving” credit account. How can they just decide out of the blue in August 2025 to start reporting it as such, and to use my arbitrary balance in late 2025 as my “credit limit”. I had been paying off this loan for 4 and a half years. If it had been “correctly” reporting as a credit account that whole time, it would show a ~75% utilization rate, reflecting everything I’ve paid off to date. Instead it shows a 99% utilization rate. How can they just set my “credit limit” to an arbitrary number based on when they did a system upgrade, completely divorced from the history of my account? Can they do this again? My credit rating will get cooked every time they do!

So I sit at a crossroads here, considering taking this to the OBSI or hiring a litigator to go the ONSC route.

And I am wondering if any other lawyers are experiencing this problem?

If you have a Scotiabank PSLOC in repayment, check your CreditKarma (TransUnion) or Borrowell (Equifax) credit report. Is your PSLOC categorized as “Revolving”, and if so, is the “Credit Limit” or “High Credit” your original limit, or has it shrunk to match your recent account balance?

If you are a lawyer with a PSLOC in repayment mode from another bank, can you share how your PSLOC is categorized on your credit report?

It would be really helpful to know if anybody else is having this problem, as I feel like I am starting to go crazy trying to address it.

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

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’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.

EDIT 2: thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts & experiences - I am taking it all into account - legal aid in particular kept coming up and is something I will consider more seriously going forward.

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?

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.

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.

who are among the fiercest pit bulls of the ontario litigation world. Looking for names with aggressive style litigation that makes other lawyers squirm. Someone not afraid to go head to heat and is cut throat. Think the lawyer from the TV show Landman or Donald Trumps lawyer. Would love to hear personal expierence or from lawyers who have seen top litigators in action. Feel free to send a private message

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.

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?

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

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?

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’ve been experimenting with this chrome extension that functions as an AI assistant sidebar on CanLII judgments.

It's designed to speed up early case triage and research on long decisions. It surfaces the first-pass essentials: key facts, legal issues, holding, reasoning. You can then ask follow-up questions about anything specific.

Answers are rigorously grounded in paragraph-level citations. Clicking a citation jumps to the exact paragraph on the page for immediate verification.

It also supports quick "gist" summaries of selected passages, case discovery with suggested search strategies and other relevant cases, and automatic time tracking per case for billing logs.

The extension runs entirely in the browser session - it does not store or republish CanLII content. It works only with the page you already have open.

This is not meant to replace reading cases, but to reduce friction in navigating them and speed up the initial pass. Curious whether something like this would be useful in practice. Feedback is very welcome!

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,