@froodster:
Nice to meet another lawyer on here. What firm are you with? One of the big ones like Blakes or McCarthy Tetrault that I might have heard of? What’s your practice?
The firm is Hill Abra Dewar - small, with 9 lawyers, but a solid reputation as an exclusively litigation boutique. They hived off of Aikins (biggest firm in town) in 1988 or so and take a lot of the big clients that are conflicted out of the big firms.
Yeah, I’m not sure they’ll find anyone more suited that is actually looking for a job. I think they want people who were in advocacy competitions etc. in law school but I know those people and they are all in cushy jobs with the big firms or the federal dept. of justice.
In the meantime I have time to pursue other options and if I get another offer that just gives me some more leverage (or a better option).
To be honest I’d prefer to stay in a memo-writing capacity - I like research and analysis and writing - in court you have all these unpredictable human dynamics etc. Maybe the same reason I like PBEM a bit more than FTF gaming now - time to think and make the best possible move. So now that they’ve sort of indicated to me that they see me as a fall-back option I’m tempted to leave them high and dry if I get another offer, just to stick it to them.
I guess extending the competition is legitimate for them to do but it’s a little embarrassing for my friends, who know I’ve applied there, to know that they were not sufficiently impressed with me to take me even if I was their only applicant. So that burns a bit.
They’re a great firm and it would be good to go there though.
Frood,
I know the firm and you’re right, they do have a good reputation.
As for my firm, I’d rather not say on the board, but if you’re really interested, send me a PM and I’ll give you the details.
As for memo-writing, it’s OK to do while you’re a junior lawyer but you’re not going to make any real money as a researcher. For that, you have to be the top dog and the top dogs are all standing up in court, making an argument or cross-examining a witness. It will take a few years but you’ll get there and you’ll get more comfortable as you go along. Frankly, there’s nothing I enjoy more than getting up in court and presenting an argument, especially when the Judge doesn’t buy it at first but you are able to persuade him. It’s like seducing a beautiful woman – only the beautiful woman is usually a man in his 60’s.
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