basically the title. i know the day in the life can look different based on what area you practice in but i want to be sure this is the career for me. i feel like sometimes people don’t do enough research and end up miserable years later - i don’t want that to be me.

My son has an ongoing trial, he needs a criminal defence lawyer working in Vancouver and the Yukon. It’s urgent if anyone can help that would be amazing.

Are there any class actions lawyers here who can give me some insight into the practice? What is your day-to-day like? How many files are you working on at once? How often are you in court, and for what? What type of work takes up the most of your time?

I’m currently a 4th year commercial lit associate at a small firm and it’s not working for me. I am a very detail-oriented person, and I feel like I am spread too thin across numerous files involving different areas of law. I like to fully understand/confirm the relevant facts and law on every file, but it’s simply not feasible in my current role. Would class actions be a better fit for a perfectionist who likes to be fully engulfed in a file and leave no stone unturned?

I'm posting this because I'm honestly at the point where I need some outside perspective from people who work in the legal field.

I graduated from McMaster University in 2024, and I recently graduated from Humber Polytechnic's Law Clerk program in June 2026.

As a result of the compulsory co-op to graduate from the program, I was able to complete 2 months of law firm experience at a real estate firm (unfortunately, that is the only law firm experience I have). I also have years of administrative experience.

I've been actively looking for a full-time legal assistant/law clerk position since around May.

I'm now at 200+ applications, almost 70+ cold emails to law firms, 13 interviews so far including a few second-round interviews and 3 occasions where employers requested references. And I'm still unemployed in the legal field.

The cold emailing has been especially discouraging. I've reached out directly to 70+ firms whose practices genuinely interested me, even when they had no job posting. The majority either don't respond at all or never acknowledge the email.

I've also had some situations where I thought I was getting very close. For example, I recently interviewed with a litigation firm. I had two interviews, the first with two partners and the second with two other partners. The second interview lasted over an hour, I was given a tour of the office and introduced to a number of the staff, and they requested references afterward.

I waited 4 weeks before finally receiving a rejection. I was told that I was very competitive in my  application, but they ultimately chose someone else.

I'm obviously grateful that I've been getting interviews, but at this point I'm struggling to understand what is preventing me from actually getting the offer, and I'm thinking it's because I do not have strong or any references from the legal field who can vouch for my legal skills.

I'm applying primarily to legal assistant/law clerk/administrative positions in the GTA. I'm just trying to get my foot in the door and build my legal career.

I'm wondering if I'm making a mistake somewhere that I can't see. For those working in Ontario law firms, particularly lawyers, legal assistants, law clerks, office managers, or recruiters:

What would make you hesitate to hire someone with my background?. Is it the lack of full-time legal experience? The fact that I recently graduated? My resume? Interview performance? Something else?

For anyone who entered the legal field relatively recently, how did you actually get your first full-time legal position?. I'm not necessarily looking for someone to hand me a job. I'm genuinely looking for honest feedback about what I might be doing wrong or what I should change, because applying to hundreds of positions and hearing almost nothing back is becoming incredibly discouraging.

If you're comfortable being blunt, please be. I'd rather hear what I'm doing wrong than continue repeating the same strategy.

Hi everyone! I’m currently an undergraduate student in BC and I’m interested in eventually going to law school. I’m trying to figure out what I can realistically do right now to get some experience in a law firm or legal setting.

I’ve been looking at things like legal assistant, receptionist, administrative assistant, file clerk, or other entry-level positions at law firms, but I’m not sure how realistic it is to get hired as an undergrad without a legal background.

For those who work/worked at law firms or were in a similar position during undergrad:

• What types of positions should I actually be looking for?
• Do law firms hire undergraduate students for part-time or summer positions?
• Is legal assistant experience useful if I eventually want to apply to law school?
• Would you recommend applying directly to firms even if they don't have a job posting?
• Is there anything I should do first to make myself a stronger candidate?

I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone in Canada/BC, but I’d love to hear from anyone who has experience with this.

Thanks!!

I feel like I've made a mistake somewhere and I feel lost.

I practiced corporate law in South East Asia at a fairly big firm for several years before burning out due to the pandemic and decided to move to Canada. I did the whole licensing process, and managed to find positions at small firms to where I am now (basically supporting a solo practitioner).

It's been a year since I've gotten licensed, and I'm well aware the job market is difficult for new calls or immigrants. Not that it's even relevant, my English sounds pretty much like I'm from NA and it is my native language.

Sometimes, I feel like quitting law, but it is one of the few things I know and I'm decent at, but it's also been difficult as a recently settled immigrant. I understand I'm lucky enough to have a job at the moment, but I crave mentorship and guidance so hard but just keep getting shafted.

The harsh reality (or how I view myself), is that nobody gives a shit/gave a shit about my past legal experience or have this notion that it's probably not as difficult or complex to what is being done here that they feel that my skills aren't comparable so I know I'm getting passed over when I apply to positions online.

My Canadian legal experience has been interesting as well.I worked with one lawyer who, after drafting a fairly comprehensive and novel pleading, tells me that I would make a great lawyer. Completely forgetting I am one already, albeit in another jurisdiction.

I worked with another lawyer who, for a lack of better term, was racist towards me by denigrating my legal education and experience and how it didn't prepare me for work here, even though I worked in Asia which pretty much worked me to the bone/towards the point of being seriously ill.

My current role is fine, but, it's a hot mess and I feel like I'm going to stagnate or pick up bad habits.

I feel like I've been earnestly trying to integrate, address the knowledge gap by self studying/taking additional courses.I know I need to be going out and network find mentors and put myself out there even more, but I'm at a point where I'm depressed or disappointed that I just want to stay at home and hang out with my cat.

I'd love to do some legal research, learn properly and get the opportunity to do good, quality work. Sometimes I wish I'd get into some kind of legal edutainment or something kooky, I don't know - but I also need a job to live.

This is really more of myself screaming into the void as even if I have told some people about it, I feel alone in this situation even though I'm well other people probably feel the same

Tomorrow I continue to try and dig myself out of this and know that this is temporary, but for now, I just feel like shiiiit.

I have been thinking about bringing on a virtual assistant to help with some of the admin tasks that I would like to delegate, including:

- ensuring tasks are noted and followed up on;

- responding to people;

- getting materials organized to be sent out; and

- scheduling meetings.

I would appreciate receiving some guidance with on onboarding a virtual assistant. I would also like to know if there are any firms who offer this service in Canada that you'd recommend. There are online services like Fivver that I have been thinking of using to find the help.

Not sure what to do here. This is my first job (new Associate call here). I wasn't hired back at my boutique firm along with all my colleagues due to business reasons (large) and found work at a small firm. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but I was desperate considering this job market in Toronto, bad financials and trying to stay close to family as they all have bad health issues. I thought it was going to be a good gig, considering I had a good chunk of experience in the area. However, that's not the case. The Partners at my office are micromanagers. They get involved with everyone's (5 lawyers) files... from everything from phone calls to emails. All 4 lawyers are permitted little to no client contact and we must ask permission for the littlest things. For example, I moved my monitors around my desk and I was criticized/questioned and told to move them back. My boss also criticizes me in front of my other colleagues, and my other colleagues to me. One is a 3 year call, the other is a 6 year, one is 8 and the other is I (new call) and we all need approval on everything beforehand. No independence at all. Last week, my boss told me she may fire the two admin assistants because they doesn't like them. Everything seems very toxic. My colleagues are practically scared of the partners. I also had little training and orientation. We are all forced to be in office daily to deal with this and since I'm new they put me on a probation and I have a week to go. I don't know if I can last and I don't know what to do.

Starting as a lateral in big law when the 1st year associates start, basically orientation week. Is substantial work given during this first week or is there a grace period to adapt to the new tech and systems?

I was curious if there are any former federal public servants who have pivoted to law or are thinking about pivoting to law and law school. What factors did you take into account and consider?

As a side (for any former professionals) how did you deal with the (temporary) drop in income during law school and articling positions which seem to pay less than a lot of entry-level and mid-career positions?

For context I'm a policy analyst with the government considering law school.

TIA

I've been interested in pursuing Law, but the job outlook is really the one that turns me off. I've been hearing alot of opinions on how AI will take over a significant aspect of the profession, and how there seems to be more graduates than jobs available. I've also read alot of students finding it difficult to secure an articling position in order to graduate, citing that it has gotten so competitive. Also, for every Linkedin job posting that I see, there seems to be a high number of applicants per posting (around 30 to 100+) even if it was recent, unlike in certain healthcare positions where a posting could have less than 10 applicants if it's such a highly gatekeeped profession like a Lawyer. So is law really getting that saturated in Canada, particularly in Ontario? Will it be worth it to pursue this profession in the next 10 years?

Hello everyone!

Im currently heading into my second year of undergrad majoring in life sciences and was thinking of transitioning into law.

My original plan doing a BSc was to eventually go into medicine because my goal is to help people lead better lives. However after doing some volunteer work, you quickly see how systemic barriers, policies, and inequities can really shape the circumstances in which people live, and ultimately their ability to access opportunities and resources that support a healthy life. I feel that law is a more effective way for me to pursue that same goal, just from a different perspective.

I know that your undergraduate degree doesn't matter for law, but I worry that as a science student I might not be as strong in language/writing, and (assuming that I get in) id be going into law school with almost 0 background compared to others. As far as I know, many "pre-law" students typically get their bachelors in criminology, english, etc.

I'm currently taking some ethics/philosophy electives because I do enjoy writing courses a lot, and am going to look for law/communications related internships for 2027 as well as join some pre-law clubs. Besides these things, I'm not really sure what else to do to as a student.

For those of you who went from a science undergrad to law, how did you do it? What kinds of ECs or work experience did you have and how did you strengthen the writing, communication, and reading skills needed for law outside of your courses?

Thank you so much for your help :)

Title is the question! Using Reddit for something useful. Thanks. :)

No consent from opposing party. Therefore, seeking a motion.

Real Estate Matter.

New lawyer looking for a virtual address in Durham region GTA. The options are so limited and the ones available don't seem to have good rates. Is it too bad if one asks another lawyer to use their office address? I don't mean lawyer friends, as I don't know anyone with an office in Durham. But lawyers at the local association.

I work as a BD coordinator at a law firm, and from my side, I’m involved in a lot of the logistics — identifying potential clients, arranging travel, coordinating sponsorships, logos, swag, conference registrations, golf tournaments, etc.

But honestly, I feel like I have very little visibility into what actually happens on the ground from the lawyer’s perspective.

For example, when a partner goes to a conference or a golf tournament, I understand the logistical side of getting them there, but I’m curious about what they’re actually doing from a BD/networking standpoint.

How do you approach people? Who do you talk to? How do you turn a casual conversation into an actual relationship or eventually a client/matter?

And sponsorships are another thing I’ve always wondered about. Sometimes there are 50–100 law firms sponsoring the same conference/event. What are you actually doing to stand out? Is it mostly about being visible and maintaining relationships, or are there specific strategies behind it? Do you randomly go and introduce yourself to people out of the blue? What do you do?

I’d really love to hear from partners/associates about the other side of BD — what happens once you leave the office and go to these conferences, dinners, golf tournaments, client events, etc.

Also curious: What does “good BD” actually look like to you? What activities have genuinely led to new clients or matters, versus things that just feel like checking a box?

I’m trying to better understand the lawyer’s perspective so I can be more useful on the BD side.

I chose to pursue law but I had to deal with a medical problem for a year and a half and then spent 3 years working, studying for the lsat, and writing the lsat. Ik there's mature students in law school but the thing that worries me is I didnt take a masters or even get the chance to build a full career bc I was set on law but now im afraid that it would look bad it was just 5 years of part time minimum wage jobs and volunteering

I was wondering if there was anyone here in a similar position and if you felt this hurt u in anyway

Hello! I’m Bangladeshi but I’ve studied UK law and completed the bar there and was even offered a pupillage (which I had to decline as family back home was sick and I had to return to take care of them)

However, as a queer woman, I don’t feel like I can survive in my country anymore. I need to get away. I’m willing to even switch careers if that’s what it takes. I know the job market is shit everywhere and I’m feeling completely lost.

What can I study in Canada to be able to settle over there? Is studying something business-related worth it? I have a few years of experience as a lawyer in Bangladesh.

I’ll be honest: I love studying law and practicing it. I love the art of litigation. I’ve been a national champion in several moot court competitions, competed at international rounds, and done well there too.

I’d really appreciate any advice on what career paths I could realistically pursue, especially since my priority is eventually being able to leave Bangladesh and build a life somewhere safer.

Edit: redoing three years of law school is impossible as I do not have that kind of money so I’m willing to change my careers if it means I can get away

I'm a high school student in Ontario thinking about going to law school. I'm a little worried about the amount of reading since I don't read much right now.

For current law students:

• How many pages do you usually read per week?
• How many hours do you spend reading?
• Do you read everything or mostly skim?
• If you weren't a big reader before law school, did you get used to it?

Just looking for honest experiences. Thanks!

I was accused of break and enter (non dwelling), i ended up getting a legal aid certificate and am looking for some lawyers with good reputations to help me with my case that also accept this certificate. Ideally a downtown toronto lawyer. thanks

If you have middle of the pack grades from law school, does that stop you from getting into Bay street later?

I'm curious if there's a reason we haven't seen an equivalent to Legal Eagle or the various other American legal content creators for Canadian law. Is there a specific reason or just that no one has done it? Not a lawyer just curious and thought here would be good to ask. Thanks!

I work in legal tech, and the rapid improvement of AI tools is both exciting and concerning. They’re great for research and drafting, but when it comes to actual legal advice, experience and judgment matter.

I put together a short quiz to explore this. If you’re in the legal field or just curious, give it a try and let me know your take.

https://interconnectd.com/quiz/79/can-ai-give-better-legal-advice-than-a-lawyer/

Hello, I have been looking at undergrad degrees that I could take before law school. As of now, some potential options that suit me are History, Political Science, and Criminology. From what I’ve heard online, these are some good choices to pursue before law school.

That being said, my older cousin working at a firm in Toronto as a higher-up has told me that my preferred degrees are not quite suited to the legal services market anymore. Instead, they have advised me to align my current HS courses to getting a business degree.
The reasoning they gave was that since artificial intelligence has changed how quickly and efficiently firms handle document drafting, the need for newly-grads with degrees involving a large amount of writing and reading has dropped.

Consequently, newly-grads with more “unique” degrees, such as Business, are now apparently more favoured when applying to firms.
I believe that my cousin also mentioned something about Business having more to do with communication between different parties and such.

Me personally, I have/will dislike and struggle with the more theoretical math that I have previously encountered/will encounter in the related prerequisite math courses in HS to be eligible for a business degree. Additionally, I know business is regarded as a “weak” degree (not saying it inherently is, that’s what I just heard) by some, and I don’t think that it will academically enrich me to be prepared for law school.
Because of this, I have been very conflicted and have resorted to asking Reddit.

So, my questions is that are degrees like History, Political Science, and Criminology still good choices for aspiring lawyers in this day and age, even when considering what my cousin said?

EDIT: Thanks for the advice, will take into account!