Defining Your Practice - Your Area of Law

One year ago, definitely two years ago, and unequivically three years ago, I never would have thought of myself practicing anything but corporate legal work. Litigation? Family Law? Dependent Adult Law? No way. Absolutely no way.

But, now law school has come and gone, the articling year has come and gone, and nearly a year into my practice, I am now practicing not only corporate stuff; I am also practicing real estate, wills and estates, litigation (some of it class action stuff), family law, and dependant adult stuff. It just goes to show that you just shouldn't peg yourself too early on in your legal career. Let things steep for a while. The stuff that you don't like will settle down to the bottom of the barrel, and the stuff you like will rise to the top. You will naturally move towards the work, the clients, and the outcomes that you want to spend your time on. Don't try to go against the grain.
I never would have thought (OK, I admit I had some far off John Grisham inspired fantasies) that I would like courtroom lawyering. But, I am learning that I really quite like it. I love the collegiality with the other members of the bar, and the judiciary. I love bantering with the court clerks.

So far, I enjoy mixing a solicitor and a barrister practice. It suits me well, and keeps things interesting. As my law firm grows, I can start pushing work that doesn't really suit me to others in the firm -- stuff that they might really like. Eventually, I will find my niches and be even happier than I am today.