Being An Associate Lawyer In Canada

by Darren Smith Legal Adviser

Being a man of the law is always a noble career path to take. But dreaming is not enough to land you a real job. For your ambitions of becoming a lawyer to come true, there are certain things that you must keep in mind. In this article, we'll talk about those things. This article will go through all the aspects that you need to have an idea about (including job satisfaction and associate lawyer salary, Canada). But before we talk about the degree and the quirks of the job, let's give you an overview of what it means to be an associate lawyer.

What is the Job of an Associate Lawyer?

When a young prospect is looking to get into the world of law, one of their best bets is to become an associate at a reputed law firm. This wise because as an associate you can start early, as early as being fresh out of law school. Due to this reason, an associate has little to no experience in the field of his choice. Hence the goal of an associate is to gather experience under the guidance of an established attorney.

An associate lawyer's job is almost identical to that of an experienced attorney. After a period of initial guidance, an associate starts to do the things he would do as a registered lawyer. These tasks include legal research, writing briefs and collecting legal documents. Experienced associates also directly help their senior attorneys with on cases. Associate Lawyers can take cases, act as lead attorney, negotiate with and advise clients.

But an associate is not considered a partner. Law firms value an associate's contribution and hire them as employees. As an associate lawyer, you get the opportunity to build up your contacts and gain valuable experience. These are things that help you throughout a career as a Lawyer.

What do you do as an Associate Lawyer?

· Advise your clients in transactions be it business or the client's personal, claim liability insurance.

· You represent your client in court against agencies or the state, summarize cases in front of the judge and jury.

· In court, you can be part of jury selection, argue motions, question witnesses and meet with judges. More or less the same things are done by an experienced Attorney.

· Outside the court, it’s the same story. You work as an attorney would. You gather evidence, evaluate the findings and draw up arguments to be presented at the court of law.

Qualification required to become an Associate Lawyer

In Canada, becoming an associate lawyer is a long process that takes focus and commitment. The first step to becoming an associate attorney is to have a bachelor degree. It's best to major in either law or political science. These two streams will prepare you the best for future studies in the field of law. After graduating the next step is get into law school. Both in the USA and Canada law school prospects have to clear the LSAT before being accepted into law school. Law school is a year-round commitment, and it's a good idea to intern at law firms during breaks. The third and final step before becoming an associate attorney is to pass the bar exam. Only after passing the bar exam can an associate attain the license to practice law.

Job Satisfaction and Salary

The position of an associate attorney is an excellent place to start your career form. An associate can earn valuable experience which later helps in forwarding his career in the field of law. But it's not just the experience; the job satisfaction of an associate in Canada is high. Your work is valuable to the firm and your reward for it. The average salary of an associate lawyer is somewhere around the 80,000 dollar mark, per year.

You gain, experience and money early in your career and can build off of it later. An associate attorney can also branch out. He or she has the option to become a corporate lawyer or legal counsel later in his career. An associate attorney may also choose to remain in the same position as an experienced associate lawyer salary, Canada can be upwards of 120,000 dollars.